Tag: Laremy Tunsil

Texans coach Bill O’Brien: We have to fix LT Laremy Tunsil’s penalties

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil is one of the best in the NFL. However, his penalty issues have been a liability.

Laremy Tunsil leads the NFL in false start penalties with 12. Though he says there is a target on his back, it’s clear that starting prematurely has been the Houston Texans left tackle’s crux.

On Sunday, Tunsil took three false start penalties in a 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, all in the first half. Postgame, Bill O’Brien stated the obvious: he has got to fix that.

“Laremy’s — he’s played very well, but he’s had too many penalties,” said O’Brien. “He would be the first one to tell you that. We’ve got to try to fix it. We’ve got to continue to try to help him to fix it. I think nobody feels worse about that than him. He’s a great guy. He’s a great player, but we’ve got to fix that.”

Tunsil has played the part of an elite tackle. Entering Sunday’s game, Pro Football Focus rated him as the second-best pass-protecting tackle in the NFL. However, no matter how good he can snap-to-snap, his false start issues are a liability — similar to Jadeveon Clowney’s offside tenancies.

Houston has time to get Tunsil in sync with Deshaun Watson. They have three more games before the playoffs, presuming they make the postseason. The final three games, including their two-game series with the Tennessee Titans, could write the ultimate fate for the 2019 team.

Texans LT Laremy Tunsil feels he has a target on his back for officials to call false starts

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil feels like he has a target on his back for officials to call false starts.

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil led the NFL with nine false starts coming into Week 14.

Add another three to the former 2016 first-round pick’s total, and it safe to say he will also lead the league when Week 15 kicks off.

Tunsil told reporters after the Texans’ 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday at NRG Stadium that he believes the false starts are due to a target being on his back.

Each of Tunsil’s three false starts led to the Texans’ drive stalling. The only one that didn’t wasn’t his second such penalty in the second quarter right before time expired.

It could be that Tunsil has a target on his back. However, the target seems to have gotten there thanks to some poor play on the former Miami Dolphins’ part as well. Nonetheless, it is an issue the Texans will have to correct or overcome as they gear up for the final three games of the season with two coming against the Tennessee Titans.

LT Laremy Tunsil continues to prove his worth to Texans

The Houston Texans traded a treasure trove of draft picks to acquire left tackle Laremy Tunsil in August. That is paying off tenfold.

When the Houston Texans shipped over two first-round picks, a second and change to South Beach for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills, skeptics were enraged. The package, to many, was far too much for a 25-year-old tackle without a Pro-Bowl bid to his name.

Those skeptics are waning. Tunsil has proved his worth. Those over at Pro Football Focus can prove it.

According to PFF, Tunsil has a 92.3 pass-blocking grade since Week 2 of the 2019 campaign, best among all offensive players. His 90.8 pass-blocking grade for the entire season is the best in Texans franchise history, since the debut of PFF (2006).

Though missing one game and earning his fair share of false start penalties, the trade to acquire Tunsil has paid off for the Texans. He, by all means, is a franchise blindside protector at just 25 years old. Houston would pull the trigger, to send a treasure of picks, again in a heartbeat.

Texans Wire countdown to Ravens: 10 factors to watch

The Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens vie for early positioning for the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Here are 10 stats to watch as the game goes along.

WHEN: 12:00 p.m. CT

WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium

FORECAST: Mostly cloudy, 44 degrees, 11 mph winds

FOLLOW: @therealmarklane, @averydduncan, @MrRadioMann

LISTEN: Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] and 100.3 The Bull [KLOL]

WATCH: CBS (Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)

Red: Houston-Baltimore

Blue: Denver-Minnesota

Green: Buffalo-Miami

Yellow: Jacksonville-Indianapolis

 

10. ravens qb lamar jackson’s rank for touchdown passes

The second-year field general from Louisville is just as dangerous through the air as he is on the ground. His 15 touchdown passes are tied with Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz for the 10th-most in the NFL. If the Texans can take away his proficiency through the air and make him one dimensional, it should help them try to steal a road win.

 

9. ravens cb marlon humphrey’s pass breakups

The Baltimore cornerback has broken up nine passes this season, tied for the 11th-most in the NFL. Wherever Deshaun Watson decides to go with the football, he is going to have to be aware of Humphrey. One method that could negate Humphrey’s defense is to outlast the initial wave of pass rushers, because no one can cover forever.

 

8. ravens rb mark ingram’s rushing touchdowns

The former New Orleans Saint is tied with Derrick Henry for the fourth-most in the NFL. Ingram’s ability to find the end zone makes him one of the best additions of the offseason. The Texans will have to keep him bottled up inside the red zone and take him away as a viable rushing option.

 

7. texans rb carlos hyde’s rank for first downs rushing

The 29-year-old has tallied 37 first downs on the ground in 2019, tied with Jackson and also Nick Chubb for the seventh-most in the NFL. Hyde will need to make his presence felt and keep the Texans offense diverse so they can’t key in on Watson.

 

6. texans lt laremy tunsil’s false starts

The solution to protecting Watson’s backside has incurred six false starts this season. Houston can’t avoid to give away free yards that could kill drives against the Ravens, especially in the red zone.

 

5. ravens te mark andrews’ touchdowns

Andrews has been a viable target for Jackson, and he is their leading receiver in every main statistical category. Even though the Texans defense is good at defending tight ends, they will have to take away Jackson’s best target if they hope to come away with a win.

 

4. deshaun watson’s rank for quarterback rating

The Pro Bowl field general has generated a 107.1 passer rating, good for the fourth-best in the NFL. Watson has melded his big playmaking skills with also protecting the football. The former 2017 first-round pick will need to amplify this skill as he takes on a tough Ravens defense.

 

3. kenny stills’ rank for yards per target

This is a stat from two weeks ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it is still true even after the bye week. The former New Orleans Saint and Miami Dolphin has a 13.1 yards per target, which is the third-highest in the NFL. Stills has filled in as the deep threat for Will Fuller, who is recovering from a hamstring injury. The Texans will need Stills to make a bevy of those 13.1-yard type catches to beat the Jaguars.

 

2. ravens’ rank for blitzing

The Baltimore defense has sent a defender on a blitz 175 times, the second-most in the NFL. The dividends haven’t exactly paid off as they have generated just the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL with 16. If Watson can survive the first wave, he can find the open man downfield.

 

1. ravens’ rank for points per game

The Ravens defense scores 33.3 points per game, the most in the NFL. The Texans have had two games above the 30-point mark in Week 5’s 53-32 win over the Atlanta Falcons and Week 6’s 31-24 win at the Kansas City Chiefs. It will take that level of keeping the Ravens down for Houston to have a chance to win the game.

Texans-Ravens Friday injury report: 4 starters questionable

Four starters are questionable for the Houston Texans’ AFC showdown with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, including Will Fuller and Laremy Tunsil.

The Houston Texans wrapped up their final practice of the week ahead of Sunday’s AFC showdown with the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT.

The Texans saw differences in their injury report between Thursday and Friday, elevating tackle Tytus Howard (knee) and linebacker Dylan Cole (knee) from limited participants to full participants.

Guard Greg Mancz and cornerback Lonnie Johnson continue to practice from their return from concussion protocol. There were no players that did not participate on Friday.

Tackle Laremy Tunsil (shoulder), wide receiver Will Fuller (hamstring), safety Tashaun Gipson (back/wrist) and cornerback Bradley Roby (hamstring) are all questionable for Sunday.

Limited participation
WR Will Fuller Hamstring QUESTIONABLE
CB Bradley Roby Hamstring QUESTIONABLE
T Laremy Tunsil Shoulder QUESTIONABLE
S Tashaun Gipson Back/wrist QUESTIONABLE
Full participation
ILB Dylan Cole Knee
G/T Tytus Howard Knee

For the Ravens, defensive tackle Michael Pierce (knee) is considered doubtful. Wide receivers Marquise Brown (ankle) and Chris Moore (thumb) are questionable.

Cornerback Brandon Carr (NIR), safety Earl Thomas (NIR/knee), cornerback Jimmy Smith (NIR), running back Mark Ingram (NIR) and defensive tackle Brandon Williams (NIR) were full participants on Friday.

Texans-Ravens Thursday injury report: Will Fuller, Laremy Tunsil limited

The Houston Texans unveiled their Thursday injury report for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Will Fuller and Laremy Tunsil were limited.

The Houston Texans continue to regain their health ahead of Sunday’s AFC showdown with the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT.

On Thursday, the Texans did not see a change on the injury report. All six limited participants from Wednesday remained limited, while rookie cornerback Lonnie Johnson and guard Greg Mancz continue to practice in their return from concussion protocol.

Houston did not have players who were non-participants or deemed as full participants.

Limited participation
ILB Dylan Cole Knee
WR Will Fuller Hamstring
S Tashaun Gipson Back/Wrist
G/T Tytus Howard Knee
CB Bradley Roby Hamstring
OT Laremy Tunsil Shoulder

The Ravens had three players who did not participate, including wide receiver Marquise Brown (ankle), defensive tackle Michael Pierce (ankle) and defensive tackle Brandon Williams (NIR).

Wide receiver Chris Moore (thumb) was a limited participant in Baltimore. Running back Mark Ingram (NIR), cornerback Jimmy Smith (NIR), safety Earl Thomas (NIR/knee) and cornerback Brandon Carr (NIR) were full participants.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh raves about the Texans offensive line

The Houston Texans have built themselves an offensive line. Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is all too aware of that.

The Houston Texans offensive line used to be the butt of jokes. Key words: used to be.

After investing three first-round and two second-round selections to acquire blockers in the offseason, the Texans built Deshaun Watson and the run game an offensive line they can rely on. The league is taking notice, particularly their next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens.

“I think they’re playing really well,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh on a conference call on Wednesday. “Obviously they’re doing great. They’re running the ball at a very high level, they’re also protecting the quarterback.”

Houston’s 13th-worst 25 sacks don’t do the new-look offensive line —  LT Laremy Tunsil, LG Max Scharping, C Nick Martin, RG Zach Fulton and RT Tytus Howard — justice. In their 176 snaps played together as a unit, they have allowed just two sacks.

The Texans’ offensive line rising from the dwellers to respectability lie within the additions of Tunsil, Scharping, and Howard. Tunsil being a 25-year-old franchise left tackle; Scharping being his trusty sidekick; Howard being the first-round right-side centerpiece.

“They’ve got a first-round pick at right tackle, a top-10 or 12 pick or whatever he was at left tackle — did a great job of getting him in there. I think their guard, they’ve got a rookie guard from Northern Illinois, Scharping, we liked, a big, physical guy,” Harbaugh continued.

The two remaining starters from last year, Martin and Fulton, have played to stay. “Got one of the top centers in the league (Nick Martin), Notre Dame guy, and one of the most physical right guards (Zach Fulton) in football,” said Harbaugh.

Houston, after much-maligning, has their five-man offensive line. Harbaugh won’t doubt that; he knows what he will see on Sunday.

Said Harbaugh: “I just think they’ve done a great job putting that line together and they’re very well coached and they’re playing at a high level.”

4 Texans worthy of making the Pro Bowl

With the Pro-Bowl voting underway, here are four Houston Texans deserving of going to the All-Star Game in the winter, including Deshaun Watson.

Pro Bowl voting is live. In the thick of a tight AFC playoff race, the Houston Texans have their fair share of players worthy of heading to Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 26, 2020.

Four, in specific, stand-out as obvious Pro-Bowl selections. To get them there, Texans fans will be relied upon. They can do so by heading to NFL.com/ProBowlVote to cast their ballots. Voting ends on Dec. 12, it is free and encouraged that multiple ballots are sent in.

During the final two weeks of voting — Nov. 28 to Dec. 12 — fans will be able to vote for their favorite Texans on Twitter. They will be able to do so by tweeting the player’s first and last name, the player’s official handle or a hashtag including their first and last name. All three methods must include the #ProBowlVote hashtag.

When making voting, here are four Texans to keep in mind for Pro Bowl voting:

QB Deshaun Watson

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Watson is a full-fledged MVP candidate. His name on the Pro Bowl roster won’t be surprising come January. In fact, come game time in Orlando, Fla., the only thing that would be surprising is not seeing Watson suited up — unless he is in Miami.

Watson is drilling passes at a 70.2% clip, has a career-high 107.1 passer rating, has upped his passing touchdown rate from 5.1% to 6.0% (18) and lowered his interception rate from 1.8% to 1.7%. He has done so while throwing for 2,432 yards, rushing for 279 and tallying five touchdowns on the ground.

If stats don’t do the trick, take a gander at NFL Twitter on Sundays. Seemingly every week, Watson is producing highlight reels with his magical abilities. Combine that with a winning record (6-3), statistical improvement and a broad fan base and Watson is seemingly a lock to make the Pro-Bowl in back-to-back years.

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Texans coach Bill O’Brien excited to regain offensive line continuity

Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien is excited for the return of Laremy Tunsil, who will give the offensive line continuity moving forward.

The Houston Texans, after much trial and error, have their offensive line.

A five-man unit of (left to right) Laremy Tunsil, Max Scharping, Nick Martin, Zach Fulton and Tytus Howard has given Houston its best blocking unit in eons. The problem: The quintuplet has struggled to stay together.

With Tunsil, Howard and Fulton each missing at least one start in 2019, the entirety of the unit has just 176 snaps together. In those snaps — worth two games and a half — they have allowed two sacks to Deshaun Watson.

As benefactors of the Week 10 bye, Houston won’t just have 176 snaps logged onto their rebuilt offensive line. Tunsil, who missed Week 9 (shoulder), is expected to come back for Week 11’s tilt with the Baltimore Ravens. Howard (partially torn MCL) returned in Week 9.

“I think any time you can have continuity up front, I mean, obviously that’s a good thing,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. You don’t want to have guys moving in and out based on injuries. You really don’t want that, but sometimes, obviously, that happens and you have to deal with it like any other teams does.”

Houston recently employed the help of Roderick Johnson and Chris Clark to negate the injuries to Tunsil and Howard. That will no longer be the case for the Texans. O’Brien is giddy to get the offensive line he and former General Manager Brian Gaine slaved over to create.

“Any time you can have (Laremy) Tunsil and (Tytus) Howard at tackle, and (Max) Scharping and (Zach) Fulton at guard, Nick Martin at center, that’s a pretty good group and that’s good continuity,” O’Brien continued. “So, hopefully we can have that this week.”

Despite the never-ending rotation of players, the Texans offensive line has produced in 2019. Houston is eighth in the NFL in ESPN‘s Pass Block Win Rate (61%), 11th in adjusted line yards (4.37) and ninth in run-stuffed rate, per Football Outsiders.

The Texans’ offensive line should be together for their fourth start as a cohesive unit on Sunday. From there, the only place to go for Tunsil, Scharping, Martin, Fulton and Howard is up.