Tag: Max Scharping

When can Texans G Max Scharping and OLB Jacob Martin return?

The Houston Texans have two players who tested COVID-19 positive. Interim coach Romeo Crennel provided an update on their statuses.

The Houston Texans have two players who tested positive for COVID-19 in guard Max Scharping and outside linebacker Jacob Martin.

Scharping tested positive on Oct. 28 during the team’s bye week, and it had no material impact as the team was off. However, Martin’s positive test, which was reported to the team on the evening of Nov. 4, forced the cancellation of practice and also closure of team facilities.

Interim coach Romeo Crennel provided an update Thursday as to where Scharping is at after having tested positive for COVID-19 a week ago.

“Max is feeling well,” Crennel said. “He has no major symptoms or anything like that. Jacob, he was just discovered, and he has no major symptoms. Max is into his 10-day isolation that’s mandatory. Jacob will start his. I think that they both will be okay and will be able to be back with us.”

According to Crennel, the only factor that could affect their timetable is if their symptoms worsen.

“A lot of times, these guys, and I don’t know what it is — their age because they’re athletes and they work out regularly — their systems can handle things a little bit better,” Crennel said. “They seem to be able to come back from a positive test. So, hopefully these guys will be back and I’m planning on them being back. We can’t do anything about them getting back until after they go through the protocol.”

The Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT from TIAA Bank Field. The game is still on schedule, according to Crennel.

Where are the Texans with the COVID-19 protocol?

The Houston Texans are still in the COVID-19 protocol following a positive test from G Max Scharping on Oct. 28.

The Houston Texans had a player test positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 28, and the NFL still has the AFC South club in the protocol.

Guard Max Scharping had a positive test, and the club, which was already on its bye week, then shutdown team facilities for a deep cleaning. The team met virtually over the bye when necessary.

Though it is game week and the Texans will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at 12:00 p.m. CT Sunday at TIAA Bank Field, the NFL is still monitoring the Texans’ situation very closely.

“The NFL has put us through an intense protocol,” interim coach Romeo Crennel said via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “The guys will be wearing face shields on their helmets at practice to try to minimize any contact or any spread that way.”

According to Crennel, the Texans had 900 negative tests over the past week with zero positive tests.

“We’re trying to do the right thing and I think the players are doing the right thing for the most part,” said Crennel.

Scharping is the first Texans player to test positive for the novel coronavirus since training camp.

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Texans OL coach explains why Senio Kelemete is starting over Max Scharping

Houston Texans offensive line coach Mike Devlin provided a reason for why Senio Kelemete is starting at left guard and not Max Scharping.

The Houston Texans were returning the same five starters across the offensive line for the first time since 2011, but they ultimately have a different starting five.

The result isn’t due to injury that the Texans are starting Senio Kelemete at left guard in place of Max Scharping. Instead, the offensive coaches believe that Scharping didn’t take a step forward 2020 and have decided to go with the proven veteran at left guard.

“I think as we look at this crazy year, one of the things that occurred I think with a lot of second-year players, and first-year players, because you know how important it is from your first to your second year and that development, I think that time missed in the spring and training camp and everything else that we did, basically when he came back, I did not see the jump or the leap that you would expect from a guy that played 14 games,” offensive line coach Mike Devlin said.

According to Devlin, Kelemete was “more productive in all facets to date,” which is why the club stopped splitting time between the two, a work around that had been in place from Weeks 2-3, and decided to give Kelemete the starting job in Week 4.

“Senio has done a good job coming in and really working well with [left tackle Laremy Tunsil] in terms of the pass protection in some of the games, things along those lines,” offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said. “We’re going to look for those guys to get healed up, get rejuvenated over this week, come back and improve on the areas that we’re going to ask them to improve upon. They come in every week, they bust their tails, they play hard, try to play physical. In that area we’re pleased with that.”

Even though there doesn’t appear to be a place for Scharping along the starting five, Devlin wouldn’t rule out going back to the former 2019 second-round pick.

Said Devlin: “I think we’re going to need all of our linemen in this type of year. He’s working towards it. We talked about the goals to get back. He’s steadily been working towards that. I do anticipate him getting in. I do anticipate guys having to play this year. I’m hoping that he takes those goals and runs with it and shows that improvement from last year.”

Currently, Scharping is on COVID reserve as he tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Oct. 28. In any event, the Texans would have to rely on Kelemete.

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Texans give left guard Max Scharping snaps at center

The Houston Texans tried out starting left guard Max Scharping at center during training camp practice.

One of the greatest traits a player on the Houston Texans can have is position flexbility.

Offensive line coach Mike Devlin and coach Bill O’Brien put Max Scharping to the test on Monday during training camp practice. The former 2019 second-round pick, who started 14 of his 16 games played at left guard, took snaps at center.

The club already is aware of the versatility with starting center Nick Martin and guards Senio Kelemete, Zach Fulton, and Greg Mancz. The Texans wanted to see what Scharping could offer.

“We know what we have in Nick, Mancz, Kelemete at center, Zach Fulton,” coach Bill O’Brien told the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain. “Max is a guy that can play all five spots. He’s our starting left guard, but he can do other things so we’re trying to pick a day here and there to give him the training at other positions.”

Though they Texans are returning the same five offensive line starters, the club still wants to evaluate the skillsets of their starters should they get in a bind that forces them to play the best five-man combination along the line.

The Texans gave Scharping snaps at center during his rookie training camp, but only in the context of familiarizing him with the exchange. As preseason progressed, which saw Martin missing time, Fulton took the snaps at center.

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2019 Texans position review: Offensive line

The Houston Texans’ 2019 season is over. Despite not reaching their goals, they enjoyed a good season, in which they saw their offensive line grow.

The Houston Texans’ season is over. After finishing 10-6, they found themselves in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, only to lose a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved on by winning in 51-31 fashion.

The offensive line held the Houston Texans back in 2019. In his second season in the NFL, Deshaun Watson took 62 sacks behind 2019’s line. That wasn’t going to cut it.

The Texans knew that. They went out and spend a staggering three first-round picks and two second-round picks on their offensive line in the offseason; trading for Laremy Tunsil and drafting Tytus Howard and Max Scharping.

Houston’s big-spending paid off. Tunsil, their starting left tackle, went to the Pro Bowl in his first season as a Texan. At 25 years old, he stands as one of the NFL’s most promising linemen and will earn a big extension soon. He is worth the money and draft capital spent on him.

As for Howard and Scharping, the two were instant starters on the Texans’ offensive line.

While the Texans found a mainstay at left tackle, they found the same on the right side. Though he started just seven games at right tackle, Howard, Houston’s first-round pick, shined at the position before suffering a torn MCL.

Howard was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s annual all-rookie team for his efforts.

Scharping started 14 games at left guard and showed little signs of giving that position up in 2020. The second-round pick shined in his rookie season, as he allowed just three sacks, per Pro Football Focus. Alongside Tunsil, the Texans have their left-side of their line locked down for the foreseeable future.

The center and right guard positions did not change from 2018 to 2019. The Texans extended their center Nick Martin to a three-year, $33 million deal. He responded with a career year.

Despite missing much of training camp, Martin started all 16 games at center. He allowed just two sacks on the season, per PFF, and finished seventh in the NFL (for centers) in Pass Block Win Rate, per ESPN. At 26 years old, he appears to be another building block for the Texans.

The right guard is the Texans’ weakest position on their full offensive line. In his second year as a Texan, Zach Fulton regressed. PFF graded him at a lowly 52.2. In the second half of the season, Houston often substituted Fulton for backup Greg Mancz due to play.

As for the backups, the Texans saw Chris Clark and Roderick Johnson split snaps at right tackle after Howard went to the injured reserve. Both struggled at the position; with Johnson seeing snaps as a run blocker and Clark as a pass protector. Mancz played sparingly in-place of Fulton.

Heading into the 2020 offseason, the Texans should look into adding competition at the right guard position. A veteran swing tackle could do them well to sit behind Tunsil and Howard too. However, the offensive line is not the top priority as it once was, thanks to a busy offseason in 2019.

Tytus Howard gives the Texans a bright future at offensive line

Former 2019 first-round pick Tytus Howard gives the Houston Texans a bright future along the offensive line.

The Houston Texans used their 23rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft to find an edge protector for quarterback Deshaun Watson in Alabama State’s Tytus Howard.

The former SWAC player only played eight games of his rookie season, starting in all them, but he made an instant impression that he could be an upgrade at right tackle the club desperately needed.

“Tytus had a really good rookie year,” coach Bill O’Brien told reporters Monday. “The guy was really playing well for us. Very tough, very physical, very athletic, great guy, great teammate.”

Howard missed the first game of the regular season with a broken hand sustained in preseason, but he was ready to go for Week 2’s game with the Jacksonville Jaguars. What truly derailed Howard’s rookie season was in Week 6 when he sprained his MCL and had to be carted off the field at Arrowhead Stadium during the Texans’ 31-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He was injured in the Kansas City game in October, and it was a tough injury,” said O’Brien. “He tried to come back, he played with it, and then we decided to shut him down because it wasn’t going to be good for him. It was better for him to begin that rehab process and all those things.”

After missing Week 7 at the Indianapolis Colts and Week 8 versus the Oakland Raiders, Howard returned in London in the rematch with the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. After a bye week, the rookie managed to play the next two games at the Baltimore Ravens and versus the Indianapolis Colts on a Thursday night before the club placed Howard on injured reserve on Nov. 30, the day before their Week 13 Sunday night showdown with the New England Patriots.

“He’s got a really bright future,” said O’Brien.

Howard is part of a youth movement on the offensive line. The Texans also spent a second-round pick on guard-tackle Max Scharping, who started 14 games for the Texans at left guard.

Pro Football Focus: Texans rookie LG Max Scharping highest-rated pass blocker from divisional round

Houston Texans rookie offensive guard Max Scharping was the best pass blocker from the divisional round of the playoffs, says to Pro Football Focus.

Strangely, there are bright spots to the Houston Texans’ simultaneous 51-31 choke-blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium.

One of them is the play of rookie left guard Max Scharping. According to Pro Football Focus, the second-rounder from Northern Illinois graded out at 90.9, the highest grade of the weekend across all four games.

While other Texans offensive linemen such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil, right guard Zach Fulton, and center Nick Martin made the top-5, it is especially impressive that Scharping topped the list. It demonstrates that the Texans got a quality pick in the second round, and one that still has a high enough ceiling to help lower Deshaun Watson’s sack numbers going forward.

How has rookie LG Max Scharping progressed for the Texans?

Houston Texans left guard Max Scharping takes coaching to heart, as Bill O’Brien said on Monday. The Northern Illinois product has impressed.

Max Scharping didn’t play left guard in training camp. He didn’t play left guard at Northern Illinois. Yet, the Houston Texans rookie is a left guard.

A tackle playing in the MAC at Northern Illinois, Scharping became a second-round pick for the Houston Texans in April. He played around the offensive line in the preseason before, in stunning fashion, earning the starting gig at left guard in Week 3.

Scharping’s ability to switch positions is a testament to his work ethic and ability to take coaching.

“Max works very hard, works hard in the weight room, works hard to improve, very coachable,” coach Bill O’Brien said on Monday. “You’re really looking for coachable guys. He takes the coaching to heart, he tries to get better every week and I do think you’re right, I think he’s improved. I don’t think it’s easy to play left guard as a rookie when you’re blocking grown men.”

In recent years, the Texans have keyed-in on versatile players in the draft. They saw that in Scharping, who measures in at 6-6, 327 pounds. His length at 33-five-eight-inch arms dissuaded some from him playing at tackle. In Houston, they don’t see that.

In practice, Scharping flashes that versatility.

“I think he’s definitely one of those guys that’s a five-tool player,” O’Brien said. “I think he can play center, I think guard is his best spot, but I think in a pinch he can play tackle for us and he can play center. He trains at center in pre-practice and we used him at a lot of different places in training camp.”

Scharping has his struggles, as all rookies do. However, as Aaron Reiss of The Athletic notes via Pro Football Focus, his play does not resemble a rookie as of late. One of his 27 pressures has occurred in the last two weeks.

Though not a flashy pick in the second round in April, Scharping may be the right one. Alongside Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard and Nick Martin, the coachable Northern Illinois product should be a mainstay for the Texans’ offensive line for some time.

Observations on the Texans’ snap counts from the 20-17 win over the Colts

The Houston Texans had some interesting snap counts from their 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12.

The 7-4 Houston Texans regained control of the hotly contested AFC South with a 20-17 win over the 6-5 Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night at NRG Stadium.

The Texans did not make the win look easy, however. They lost the time of possession battle (33:17 over 26:43), turned over the ball once, did not score once in their two red zone visits and struggled to stop the Colts on third-down (9-15).

Nonetheless, Deshaun Watson willed his team to victory on prime time, making his night game record 5-2. Big plays ruled the day, with the Texans scoring on 30- and 35-yard touchdowns while more than doubling Indianapolis’ yards per attempt (9.6 over 4.7).

Here are the offensive, defensive and special teams snap counts from the Texans’ divisional win.

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observations

Offensive line

  • Played their first full game together since Week 5 vs. Atlanta Falcons. However, it wasn’t a game to brag about, despite allowing just one sack.
  • The Colts’ front-seven bullied the rush attack, as the tailbacks combined for 89 yards on 21 carries. Scratch out 52 yards on two attempts, and the Colts allowed 2.47 yards per.

Secondary

  • With both Justin Reid and Mike Adams out with concussions, the Texans completely abandoned the use of three safety sets. Tashaun Gipson and Jahleel Addae saw all the snaps at safety.
  • Vernon Hargreaves was not limited in his Texans debut, playing 82% of snaps, mostly all in the slot. On the outside, Gareon Conley and Johnathan Joseph played most of the contest. The trio and the safety duo worked, allowing just 129 yards on 25 attempts.

Front-seven

  • The Texans gave an uptick in snaps to outside linebacker Jacob Martin, who received 24 off the edge. That paid off, as he got the only Texans sack of the day.
  • Brennan Scarlett received the exact same amount as in Week 11 (53). The highlight of his day came on the last Colts’ offensive play, a game-sealing tackle on Jacoby Brissett.
  • Charles Omenihu continues to carve out a role as an edge rusher in Houston’s defense, as he played 43% of snaps as compared to 30% in the week before.
  • Inside linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham led the way in front-seven snaps (66 each). Cunningham tallied a career-high 16 combined tackles. Everyone else, outside of the two and possibly Whitney Mercilus, is rotational.

Offensive skill positions:

  • No surprise here: Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins were the only two offensive skill position players to play the entire game.
  • The presumption, heading into the contest, was that the Texans were going to limit Will Fuller’s snap count in some capacity. That didn’t happen. He played 90% of snaps (53), in turn, paying it back with six receptions for 140 yards.
  • Duke Johnson barely edged out Carlos Hyde in running back snaps, taking 30 to Hyde’s 29. Houston’s usage of Johnson picked up after the first quarter, as they found more success running him side-to-side.
  • The Texans played more 11-personnel as compared to their uber-successful 12-personnel. Darren Fells led Houston in tight end snaps with 52 (88%) with Jordan Akins taking 28 (47%). In his return from the injured reserve, Jordan Thomas had just seven snaps.

Going forward, the Texans will host the New England Patriots on Dec. 1. Don’t expect similar snap counts against them, as Bill O’Brien has 11 days to prepare and contort his playbook in an effort to picking up his first-ever win over Bill Belichick.