Tag: Matt Burke

Texans training camp: DC Matt Burke shares update on LB Christian Harris

Christian Harris has not been at practice the previous two days for the Houston Texans for what is reported to be a soft-tissue leg injury

Laremy Tunsil isn’t the only significant player from the Houston Texans missing the start of training camp due to injury.

Third-year linebacker Christian Harris did not participate in drills for the second consecutive day and wasn’t seen outside with the rest of the roster during Saturday’s practice. Multiple players have rotated his spot, including former Alabama teammate Henry To’oTo’o.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Thursday that certain players would be on “timelines” for their return to the field due to injuries. Harris is one of them for now, though it isn’t a massive concern for the defensive staff, including coordinator Matt Burke.

“We expect him back when he is ready to play ball for us,” Burke said Saturday following practice. “A lot of guys you will see as you are here throughout there are just different sorts of plans to get ready.”

According to KPRC 2 Sports, Harris is dealing with soft-tissue damage in his leg that isn’t expected to keep him out long-term. The Texans could have him rest on Sunday with the rest of the squad and return to practice in a limited capacity on Monday.

Neither Tunsil nor Harris are injured enough to be placed on the PUP list, so it’s a sign in the right direction. Burke mentioned the goal is to have everyone healthy for Week 1’s road trip against the Indianapolis Colts.

“Each guy has an individualized plan,” said Burke. “He will be ready to go when it is time.”

Last year in DeMeco Ryans’ linebacker-friendly scheme, Harris posted a career-high 101 tackles and two sacks during the regular season. In the wild-card round victory over the Cleveland Browns, he returned an interception returned for a touchdown during the third quarter.

Rookie Kamari Lassiter carving out prominent role with Texans in OTAs

Entering June, Houston Texans rookie Kamari Lassiter has seen plenty of reps at both the nickel and boundary cornerback spot.

The Houston Texans expect second-round pick Kamari Lassiter to be a fixture of the secondary during his rookie season, but his home remains a mystery.

Will the Georgia product start in the nickel like most expect?

Will he transition to the boundary full-time like he did after his freshman campaign in Athens?

All that will be determined down the line, but at least Lassiter is carving out first-team reps to close out voluntary OTAs.

During 7-on-7 drills, Lassiter worked the starts opposite Derek Stingley Jr. on the boundary. He broke up a pass intended for second-year starter Tank Dell and looked fluid when asked to cover Noah Brown and Robert Woods.

The hope is Lassiter will remain a staple throughout his Texans’ tenure. If he starts on the outside, perhaps that leads to a shift down for safety Jimmie Ward or Jalen Pitre should third-round pick Calen Bullock prove to be ready for full-time snaps.

But Lassiter has competition on the outside. Houston added former first-rounders C.J. Henderson and Jeff Okudah due to their success in man coverage.

Albeit Houston is their third stop in five seasons, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans assured both former top 10 picks that arriving in his defense would serve as a clean state.

Just because it’s a fresh start does not mean Ryans will send either player out with the starters come Week 1 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. Consistency in practice warrants starting reps on gameday, as evident by Dell’s emergence starting in Week 3’s win over Jacksonville.

Defensive coordinator Matt Burke likes how Lassiter’s position versatility can open up the unit depending on matchups. He’s not ready to decide what best fits the former All-SEC corner yet, so getting him exposure in both spots feels like a no-brainer.

“A little bit is going to be how much he can absorb,” Burke said Thursday following practice. “He’s just a really smart football player and grasps things pretty well.”

Texans defense seeks to be on point with Titans rookie QB Will Levis

The Houston Texans have allowed some opposing QBs to have big games. Getting on the same page will help neutralize the Tennessee Titans’ Will Levis.

The Houston Texans fans are holding their collective breath, hoping that a “Miracle on Kirby” will happen during the holiday season with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who still doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans due to concussion protocol.

If he cannot play, veteran backup quarterback Davis Mills will take the snaps, making most fans skeptical about how he will perform with playoff implications on the line.

Yet, the primary concern should not be whether Mills can take his skillset up a notch to match the phenomenal rookie season Stroud is having but whether or not the Texans’ defense can shake off the lackluster performances they have had against what many would consider sub-par quarterback play from their opponents.

DC Matt Burke says Texans are facing fearless scrambler in Kyler Murray

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke says Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is quite determined as a scrambler.

Matt Burke spent one season with the Arizona Cardinals last year as a defensive line coach. The exposure was enough to determine the type of profile Kyler Murray brings as a quarterback.

Naturally “fast” and “quick” are among the superlatives Burke would use regarding Murray when meeting with reporters Nov. 16, but the Arizona signal caller brings more to a dropback than speed.

“I would say he’s not afraid to sort of — give ground to gain ground type of thing. Some guys don’t want to bail.”

Burke referenced a third down scramble Murray had against the Atlanta Falcons in a 25-23 win.

Said Burke: “I mean, he went back 20 yards back just to go 10 yards forward. Just sort of when you think you’re rushing high enough, you think you’re rushing at a certain point — he’ll still be going.”

What Burke noticed from his year with the Cardinals is how fearless Murray was on scrambles.

“I think probably even more than a lot of them — there’s just — he’s not afraid to — like it doesn’t bother him,” said Burke. “There’s no clock for him. It doesn’t bother him to hold on to it to keep going, to keep going, to keep going. Some guys after a point, it’s maybe like, ‘Ah, I got to press or get rid of the ball — throw it.’ Like there’s no clock.”

Coach DeMeco Ryans was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers the past two seasons and faced the Cardinals four times. Ryans has the concept of “covering twice and rushing twice,” according to Burke.

“That’s what we’re talking about with him, I think,” Burke said. “He’s probably the quintessential definition of extending plays and they’re going to go for a long time, and we have to play through that whole window. Yeah, it’ll be fun.”

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Texans DC Matt Burke notes challenge of defending Bucs WR Mike Evans

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke covered how difficult a matchup Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans can be.

What has helped Mike Evans dominate as one of the NFL’s premier receivers is his uncoachable size at 6-5, 231 pounds. When defenders have the perfect coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver, Evans has still found a way to make the play.

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke is well aware of Evans’ signature play, and knows his secondary will be challenged Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time against the Bucs in Week 9 at NRG Stadium.

“He’s obviously a bigger receiver,” Burke said. “I guess the frustration would lie where like he could still make a play — like you could be in good coverage and tight coverage and he can just go up and make the play.”

Good coverage simply won’t be enough; Texans defenders will have to fight to the whistle.

“Obviously, for us to preach battling through the catch and being physical at the point where the ball is in the air, I mean, he has a good knack for getting separation , I’ll put it that way,” said Burke. “I think that would be the frustration — that you can be in a good call and in good coverage and he can still obviously go up and make a play.

“I think the point of emphasis for us is just really finishing through the catchpoint and really trying to battle at those points is going to be big for us.”

Houston’s defense has done well to defend against receivers in 2023. Opposing wideouts have combined for 89 catches for 1,009 yards and two touchdowns, ranking ninth-, sixth-, and second-best in the league.

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DE Will Anderson engaged to ‘do whatever it takes’ for Texans defense, special teams

Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson says he is willing to undertake any task to help the team meet its objectives for victory.

Defensive players were top-heavy in the 2022 NFL draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Georgia linebacker Travon Walker off the top, and the Detroit Lions followed up with Michigan’s disruptive defensive end Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2 overall. The Houston Texans went with cornerback Derek Stingley next, and the New York Jets echoed with Sauce Gardner at No. 4. The New York Giants got into the action with Oregon’s hybrid defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5.

Three edge defenders were selected with the first five picks of the draft, which was somewhat predictable with the amount of defensive talent entering the three-day event. Most analysts projected that those three players would be off the board within the first five selections; they couldn’t predict which team.

The first three picks of the 2023 NFL draft completely blindsided analysts.

Many considered it a quarterback-heavy draft featuring Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis — the Texans, in desperate need of a quarterback, selected Stroud with the second overall pick. The Arizona Cardinals were on the clock after Houston. In a shocking move, the Texans swapped picks with Arizona to select Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.

Although he was regarded as one of the best edge rushers in college over the last two years, many were surprised that the Texans general manager Nick Caserio would make a bold move and mortgage off future draft capital needed during Houston’s rebuilding years. But Caserio knew what he was doing, and he had the help of former defensive standout linebacker from the University of Alabama and current head coach DeMeco Ryans as an advisor to ensure him that the team was making the right move.

All Anderson has done in his brief NFL career, which consists of three games played, is prove to the naysayers and critics that he was worth every draft pick the team used to acquire him.

“I look at it as a blessing and following God’s plan,” said Anderson about going top-5 in the draft. “It was a very special moment in time because I am just trying to put on for the rest of the edge guys out here. To show that we are top contenders for being drafted high and we deserve to be drafted high. Being an edge, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get to the quarterback, and that is not easy. It is a craft that you have to work at consistently and have a relentless motor.”

The former two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year has been very consistent on the defensive side of the ball this season with 13 total tackles, one sack, and a team-high five quarterback hits. He has been persistent from the edge, often drawing a double team, which shows respect for such a young player. Against the Jaguars in Week 3, Anderson’s ferocity helped put pressure on starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which led to his many uncharacteristic mistakes.

“The disruption, especially from Will, has been there,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke told the media. “The hits — I mean, he had like three hits in the first series of the game, I think, and the pressures and those sorts of things – so we ask the line to be disruptive and affect the quarterback, and he’s been doing that.”

One character trait that teammates have noticed about Anderson since his arrival at NRG Stadium is his unrelenting work ethic and willingness to do whatever it takes to help make the team successful. That attribute was displayed Sunday in Houston’s 37-17 victory over Jacksonville. Anderson lined up on special teams and erupted through the Jaguars line to block a 51-yard field-goal attempt, becoming the first rookie to block a field goal for the Texans since J.J. Watt in 2011.

“At the end of the day, I am here to play more than just defensive end,” said Anderson exclusively to the Texans Wire. “I am here to do whatever the coaches ask me to do, and my biggest thing is just being all in with the team.

“Everybody here wants to be a part of something. They don’t want to do just one job; they want to have their hands in something that helps the team. When you have teammates like that, it just makes it so much easier to win and build that team chemistry. Everyone wants to do more and give more for the organization because everyone is bought in and committed, and when you have teammates like that, the sky is the limit. I just want to make sure I am doing my part.”

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Texans DC Matt Burke confident in safety depth

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke is not concerned about the depth questions surrounding the safeties group heading into Week 2.

One of the more optimistic position groups for the Houston Texans heading into 2023 was their safeties. With 10-year veteran Jimmie Ward, who had the past two years with DeMeco Ryans as his defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, joining forces with second-year standout Jalen Pitre, the expectation was Houston had their backend locked down.

Ward missed Week 1 with a hip injury, and Pitre was knocked out halfway through the 25-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a bruised lung. With Houston set to host the Indianapolis Colts for Week 2 in the NRG Stadium opener, chances are neither Ward nor Pitre will be ready to go.

Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke nevertheless remains confident in his safeties, especially after their resilience against the Ravens.

“Yeah, I thought they did a great job,” Burke told reporters Sept. 14. “Honestly the question in here last week I think about that group, and I said I thought that was our best unit and most prepared and had the most depth and I think it showed.”

Eric Murray played 64 defensive snaps, representing all of Houston’s plays, and generated four combined tackles. M.J. Stewart, who filled in for Pitre, played 35 snaps and had five combined tackles and a fumble recovery.

I don’t think we missed a beat with either of those guys playing and we felt confident in that — the players feel confident in those guys going out there,” said Burke. “That didn’t affect us at all. I don’t think we blinked.”

The Texans may have to roll with Murray and Stewart against the Colts, and Burke and the coaching staff appear to believe their defensive backs won’t blink.

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Texans DC Matt Burke says J.J. Watt ‘is a great football mind’

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke says former defensive end J.J. Watt “is a great football mind” and will do well for the NFL on CBS.

Matt Burke knows a little bit about J.J. Watt, and isn’t just because the Houston Texans defensive coordinator sees his pictures all around NRG Stadium.

Burke’s last job was Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach, and Watt was one of his players. The 47-year-old spent just one season with the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but it was enough to know what Watt brought to the game.

The NFL on CBS is curious what Watt can provide as a studio analyst, which is why they inked a multiyear deal with the Texans legend.

“I think he will be great,” Burke told reporters Sept. 7. “I mean, ‘J’ is a great football mind. He cares about the game, he’s passionate about the game and the sport and the league. He’s honestly been successful at everything he’s done in his life. I don’t see that changing.”

Burke admitted that he was not aware of Watt’s specific role, but he expects his collection of experiences and understanding of the game to help him transition from three-point stance to TV studio.

“I think he’s going to be a guy that offers a lot of great insight, and he had a very intellectual approach to his game and how he prepared and how he played, and I think that’s going to serve him well in his next life here,” said Burke.

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Texans DC Matt Burke relays how ‘coachable’ LB Henry To’oTo’o actually is

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke appreciates the “coachable” nature of rookie linebacker Henry To’oTo’o.

Henry To’oTo’o has drawn interest from Houston Texans fans.

Could it be To’oTo’o comes from a top defensive school in Alabama? Could it be his new coach is a former Alabama linebacker? Could it be To’oTo’o has a former Alabama linebacker teammate on the roster in Christian Harris?

Whether or not the attention is warranted for a fifth-round linebacker is subject for discussion; the reality is To’oTo’o has a slice of the spotlight.

Matt Burke fielded an inquiry regarding To’oTo’o on Aug. 1 after training camp practice, and the defensive coordinator encapsulated how To’oTo’o is acclimating to the pro game.

“He’s a kid that practices with a purpose, he’s really coachable,” Burke said. “I don’t think he makes a lot of carry-over mistakes. If he sees something, he corrects it. He kind of gets it done the next day.””

Burke relayed a story of how To’oTo’o was short on a play during July 31’s practice session, and the coaches chided the linebacker for his error.

“We kind of got on him a little bit and got back and forth, and he literally got the same play like the second half of practice and nailed it,” said Burke. “So, to see that from him where he’s really taking the coaching and sort of applying it to the field. Every time he makes a mistake, he’s kind of correcting it and moving on. So, it’s been cool to see that progress from him.”

One of Ryans’ positions of strength is linebacker having developed Fred Warner into an All-Pro during his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers.

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Texans DC Matt Burke says DE Will Anderson has ‘really good feel’ for screen passes

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke can attest to the ability of Will Anderson to sniff out screens.

If an offense can’t block a dominant edge rusher, they can always trick.

Screen passes are one way to counter an aggressive pass rusher or similar defensive scheme. As Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson acclimates to the NFL, the No. 3 overall pick will need to be wary of such in-game deception.

According to defensive coordinator Matt Burke, the Alabama product has shown a propensity to avoid the bait on screen passes.

“Yeah, the screens he has got a really good feel for, actually,” Burke told reporters Aug. 1. “He just kind of has a pretty quick feel on those, but we ask our whole [defensive] line to turn and run to the ball. Like, that’s sort of like a calling card of what we ask those guys to do, and so he’s embraced that along with most of the group.”

Being wary of screens is vital as the Texans are deploying a more aggressive four-man front than the previous two years, where the Tampa 2 asked the down linemen to read and react more.

“If we’re going to be an attack front like we’ve talked about and have guys coming off the rock and trying to rush, people are going to throw screens to slow us down,” said Burke. “So, those guys have to then turn and put their foot in the ground and come out and sort of make people pay for trying to throw screens on us. So, it’s kind of just part of the philosophy of how we play.”

Anderson was a proficient edge defender in college with 34.5 career sacks and two Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards. If Anderson can eliminate falling prey to screens from his vulnerabilities, it should help him be more productive in his rookie campaign.

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