Tag: NFL Week 16

Texans are reaping the benefits for WR Kenny Stills’ work ethic

Wide receiver Kenny Stills has grown in the Houston Texans offense since coming on-board in August. He can thank a good work ethic.

When they acquired wide receiver Kenny Stills from the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31, the Houston Texans did not know they had. On the tape, he flashed consistency and speed, but, personally, he was more of an unknown; after all, he never called Houston home.

After a few months, the Texans know what they have — a hard worker.

“Very smart guy, very hard worker, really takes a lot of pride in what his job is, his role in the offense,” coach Bill O’Brien said of Stills on Tuesday. “Same guy every day. Not an up-and-down guy at all, very consistent person, very strong-willed person and a guy that brings a lot to the table every day.”

Stills has emerged as Houston’s third-head in a three-headed wide receiver attack, with DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller completing the unit. Though his stats aren’t gaudy, they are indicative of being one of Deshaun Watson’s favorite targets in a crowded offense.

In 12 games (four starts), the 27-year-old has 35 receptions for 504 yards and four touchdowns.

“I mean, he’s a guy that’s been working his tail off and whenever his plays come and his opportunities come, he makes sure that he takes advantage of them,” Watson said of Stills on Tuesday.

Last Sunday, Stills’ hard work paid off. Though only hauling in three receptions, he finished the 24-21 victory over the Tennessee Titans with two touchdowns catches. The two created a 14-0 lead that the Titans could not overcome.

“I just tried my best to find the open guy on those two plays,” Watson said. “He came open on exactly what we wanted the look to be.”

Stills has grown from an afterthought acquisition in the Laremy Tunsil trade to a key cog in the Texans’ passing game. Stills’ work ethic has benefited his new team, who is now a win away from clinching the division for the second straight year.

Bruce Arians wanted to draft Texans QB Deshaun Watson while still coaching the Cardinals

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians says he would have drafted Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson back when he coached the Arizona Cardinals.

On April 27th, the Houston Texans made a franchise-altering move in trading up with the Cleveland Browns to draft quarterback Deshaun Watson.

In doing so, the stopped a fellow NFL team from doing the same. The Arizona Cardinals were at pick No. 13, Houston got Watson at 12. The Redbirds wanted the future Pro Bowler, as their then-coach Bruce Arians was a public fan of him predraft.

Now coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — the Texans’ next opponent — Arians wasn’t shy in saying his intentions with working out Watson pre-draft. He wanted to draft him to make him the successor to Carson Palmer in the desert.

“Would have been drafted in the next pick,” said Arians to Tampa Bay media on Tuesday.

Arians’ Cardinals wound up taking linebacker Haason Reddick.

Arians left at the end of that season and ended up joining Greg Gumbel and Trent Green’s play-by-team for the NFL on CBS, even calling one of Watson’s games in Week 13 of 2018 versus the Cleveland Browns.

On Saturday, on a new team, Arians will get to coach against the quarterback he once thought he’d get to groom.

Texans’ locker room isn’t talking about the Pro Bowl

The Houston Texans locker room isn’t talking about the Pro Bowl, says QB Deshaun Watson. They still have higher aspirations.

The NFL will announce Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. CT on NFL Network the Pro Bowl rosters for the AFC and the NFC. Some Houston Texans will make the cut to visit Orlando in the winter.

DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson are natural additions to the Pro Bowl. Others like Laremy Tunsil, D.J. Reader, Justin Reid, Benarrick McKinney, Zach Cunningham and Carlos Hyde could sneak in.

While earning a Pro Bowl bid is a nice resumé booster and will bring some fan attention, it’s not on the mind of the Texans’ locker room.

“Not a lot of guys have been talking about that,” Watson said on Tuesday on making the Pro Bowl. “If it happens, it happens, but that’s not the main focus.”

What is the main focus?

“The main focus is taking care of business on Saturday and then take care of the next step,” Watson said.

The Texans have unfinished business. Though they defeating the red-hot Tennessee Titans on Sunday to take the lead in the AFC South, they haven’t won it yet. To do so, they will need a victory on Saturday over the 7-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Tampa Bay.

The Texans appear playoff bound, needing one more win out of two attempts or a Titans loss to the New Orleans Saints to get there. From there on, their focus goes directly to the playoffs.

Houston does not have a chance to steal a first-round bye from the Baltimore Ravens or New England Patriots. If the Watson-led Texans want to reach the Super Bowl in Miami, they will have to play five more games and win three in a row.

The Pro Bowl is not one of those games they have to play and win.

The Texans want to be in Florida in late Janurary and February. However, they want to be in the southern part, not central.

Texans’ Bill O’Brien a fan of picking up Charles Omenihu in the fifth round

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien likes the draft value the club got when they took rookie DE Charles Omenihu in the fifth round.

With the Houston Texans scouring their roster for pass-rushing help amid J.J. Watt’s recovery from a torn pectoral, younger, less experienced players are getting a shot at extended playing time.

One such player is rookie defensive end Charles Omenihu. While playing limited snaps, the fifth-round pick from Texas has flashed versatility and power both inside and on the edge. He has three sacks, two of which were accompanied by forced fumbles, 11 combined tackles, two tackles for loss and five QB hits.

Coach Bill O’Brien likes the production from Omenihu, praising him as a plus draft pick for his team.

“I mean that was a good pick, and he’s done a lot of good things,” O’Brien told reporters Tuesday. “He’s a hard worker. He’s young. He’s still learning.”

Omenihu entered the league at a tweener. He’s a bit big to be a full-time edge rusher and not big enough to be a full-time interior one. Considering he’s received most of his snaps on the inside and works with defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, the Texans appear to be priming him to be a defensive end.

Since the early days of training camp, Omenihu has displayed a work ethic that should help him stick. In training camp, he would stick to Watt.

“He’s actively trying to get better at his craft and he is on 99 [Watt] like a sponge, to the point where I’m sure he’s probably tired of hearing his voice,” said Weaver on Aug. 13.

O’Brien wants the rookie to keep the same yearning he had in training camp now that it is late in the season.

“I think it’s important for Charles to stay humble and hungry,” O’Brien said. “Stay humble and hungry, Charles. Because if you don’t, it’s a tough league. So I think if he does that, he’ll stay on the right track.”

If Omenihu, otherwise known as “Big O” in the locker room, stays on that right track and develops his pass-rush moves, the Texans could have found a building block on the defensive line.

Will the Texans have a letdown versus the Buccaneers in Week 16?

Will the Houston Texans have another letdown versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday in Week 16? Touchdown Wire seems to think they might.

The Houston Texans are a win away from clinching the AFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand in their way as the last obstacle. While the Buccaneers are 7-7 and out of the playoffs thanks to a stout wild-card field in the NFC, quarterback Jameis Winston and the Bucs won’t lie down just because the Texans are coming to Florida.

According to Michael Colangelo of the Touchdown Wire, these elements, along with the fact Houston dropped a head-scratching 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos at home in Week 14, make the Texans ripe for a letdown on Saturday.

If history repeats itself, the Texans will have a letdown after getting a huge win the previous week against a team that could make the playoffs. The Texans blew out the Patriots then lost to the Broncos. Last week they took control of the AFC South with a win over the Titans and on Saturday they face the Bucs. The Bucs are a scary team right now. They can put up points. The Texans should still win. The possibility of the letdown game rearing its ugly head is a pretty funny thought.

NFL on CBS play-by-play Jim Nantz pointed out the real pattern. After each loss of the season, the Texans have followed it up with two victories. The Buccaneers are the second game after the Texans took it on the chin to rookie quarterback Drew Lock and the Broncos.

If there is a letdown to happen, it will be in Week 17 versus the Tennessee Titans, which will be an inconsequential game if the Texans win, according to Nantz’s theory.

If Houston does have a letdown to the Buccaneers, and the Titans manage to beat the New Orleans Saints, who are still gunning for a first-round bye, then Week 17 at NRG Stadium will be a significant rematch indeed that will decide the AFC South title.

Texans-Buccaneers Wednesday injury report: ILB Benardrick McKinney not practicing

The Houston Texans released their Wednesday injury report for Week 16 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and ILB Benardrick McKinney did not practice.

The Houston Texans released their Wednesday injury report ahead of their Week 16 encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at noon CT at Raymond James Stadium.

Pro Bowl inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney was out as he is in the concussion protocol.

Did not participate
ILB Benardrick McKinney Concussion
OLB Jacob Martin Knee
S Jahleel Addae Achilles
Limited participation
TE Darren Fells Hand
WR Will Fuller Hamstring
RB Carlos Hyde Ankle
RB Taiwan Jones Hamstring
OLB Brennan Scarlett Achilles/shoulder

Receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, both battling hamstring injuries, did not participate for the Buccaneers in their practice. For more information, visit the Bucs Wire.

Katy native FB Cullen Gillaspia takes pride in Texans’ special teams

Katy native and Texas A&M Cullen Gillaspia takes pride in being a core special teamer for the Houston Texans.

The seventh round of the NFL Draft tends to be a shot in the dark. Teams will take a special teamer, an athletic but raw prospect or a high-character athlete in hoping they stick on the roster.

In the Houston Texans’ case in 2019,  they found fullback Cullen Gillaspia. The first 12th Man drafted in Texas A&M history, the 24-year-old Katy native is a core special teamer that plays like his long blonde locks are on fire.

“He does a good job,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said on Monday. “He takes a lot of pride in his role on special teams. That’s the primary reason why he was drafted. I mean, drafted, like, seventh round. Like, kind of drafted, I guess. He takes a lot of pride in that role.”

Gillaspia walked on to Texas A&M. He later converted from linebacker to fullback, earned a scholarship, won the honorable title of the 12th Man and found himself in the NFL playing for the team he grew up watching.

“Obviously, he was the 12th Man at A&M, he’s a Houston guy, he’s from Katy,” O’Brien said. “He loves it and he works real hard.”

On Sunday, in a Texans 24-21 win over the Tennessee Titans, Gillaspia tallied a key special teams tackle, his sixth of the season. “He made a really nice play on that,” O’Brien said. “Very physical play and did a nice job on that play he made.”

In the same game, Gillaspia paved a lane for a 31-yard DeAndre Carter kick return.

The Aggie and Katy Taylor product may not be a key contributor on offense. He has only seen 13 offense snaps and none since Week 8. However, he’s played in every single game as a rookie in a special teams role, recording 238 snaps in the third team, which is good value for a seventh-round selection.

Texans S Justin Reid wins 2019 Ed Block Courage Award

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid won the team’s 2019 Ed Block Courage Award as voted by his teammates.

The Houston Texans have selected second-year safety Justin Reid as the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award winner.

Reid’s teammates voted to recognize his efforts both on and off the field and for his ability to overcome great adversity.

“I feel blessed and honored to be voted the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, especially since it’s voted on purely by my teammates,” Reid said. “It means a lot to be able to represent them and the Houston Texans organization with this honor.”

Reid has played with wrist and shoulder injuries since coming into the NFL as a third-round pick from Stanford in 2018. The Prairieville, La., native has started in 25 of his 29 career games with 153 total tackles, four interceptions, a pick-six, 14 pass breakups, two quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss.

Coach Bill O’Brien says that Reid’s “team-first attitude” is what made him a great selection for the award.

“For a young player, he has a great understanding of what it means to be a professional in order to have success at this level,” O’Brien said. “Everyone sees the plays he makes on Sundays, but it’s his dedication to doing whatever it takes throughout the week to get his body ready to go in the training room that has earned the respect of his teammates.”

Established in 1984, the Ed Block Courage Award is given to one player from every NFL team and honors players who exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. The award is also the only one that is chosen solely by their peers.

Reid and other winners from the other 31 teams will travel to Baltimore to receive their trophies at a gala in their honor and to visit the Ed Block Courage House, which provides support and quality care for abused children and their families in the community.

Block, a longtime athletic trainer for the Baltimore Colts, was passionate towards causes that helped children.

 

Texans’ Ed Block Courage Award Winners

2019       S Justin Reid

2018       S Andre Hal

2017       OT Derek Newton

2016       OT Duane Brown

2015       DE/OLB Jadeveon Clowney

2014       OG David Quessenberry

2013       ILB Brian Cushing

2012       QB Matt Schaub

2011       ILB DeMeco Ryans

2010       TE Joel Dreessen

2009       LB Zac Diles

2008       WR Harry Williams

2007       DE Anthony Weaver

2006      LB Kailee Wong

2005      WR Jabar Gaffney

2004      DT Seth Payne

2003      CB Aaron Glenn

2002      CB Jason Bell

Texans drop to No. 10 in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings for Week 16

The Houston Texans dropped to No. 10 in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings for Week 16.

The Houston Texans vanquished the Tennessee Titans, who had won six of their last season games, to take a convincing lead in the AFC South with a 24-21 win Sunday at Nissan Stadium.

However, that wasn’t enough to convince Pat Yasinskas of the Touchdown Wire to move up the Texans any higher in the top-10. In fact, the Texans dropped to No. 10 in the latest power rankings.

With a 24-21 victory at Tennessee, the Texans took control of the AFC South and their own destiny. Houston can clinch the division with a win Saturday at Tampa Bay. Even if the Texans and Titans, who play again in Week 17, end up in a tie, Houston would win the AFC South because of a better division record. If the Texans are going to go anywhere in the postseason, they’ll need a better performance than they got from quarterback Deshaun Watson on Sunday. Watson was intercepted twice, marking only the second time in his career that Watson has thrown multiple interceptions in consecutive games. Both interceptions happened in the end zone. If this team is going anywhere, it needs Watson to be at the top of his game.

There is no truer statement that the fact that Watson has to be at a high level for the Texans to make any postseason noise. However, he needs complementary play from the other two phases of the game, and that’s precisely what the Texans got with the field goal block from Angelo Blackson and the Whitney Mercilus interception. Houston will get more big time performances from Watson this year and possibly in the playoffs. If they can couple those with splash plays from the defense and special teams, the Texans will be a force to be reckoned with.

Houston can clinch the division with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CT at Raymon James Stadium.

Could CB Vernon Hargreaves have a revenge game in Texans-Buccaneers?

Houston Texans CB Vernon Hargreaves has a chance to show the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16 that they gave up too quickly on his career.

Vernon Hargreaves’ Tampa Bay Buccaneers career did not work out. A 2016 first-round pick from Florida and a Tampa Wharton High School product, Hargreaves did not live up to the Bucs’ expectations. Tampa Bay parted ways with the cornerback in mid-November.

The Houston Texans took a shot in Hargreaves after a slew of injuries hit their cornerback group. Now, Hargreaves will have a chance for retribution as his new team is a win away from a playoff berth while his draft team can only play spoiler to the rest of the playoff field.

While the Buccaneers may not have wanted Hargreaves — citing a lack of “hustle” before his release — the Texans are delighted to have him.

“Vernon is doing a good job. He’s practicing hard, he had a real good week of practice,” said Texans coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. “So, Vernon has done a good job so far.”

Hargreaves has shifted to a slot cornerback role in Houston, as opposed to the outside spot he manned in Tampa Bay. In four games with the Texans with one start, the 5-10, 204-pound corner has 17 combined tackles and two pass deflections.