Tag: receiver

Will Fuller adds a dynamic component to the Texans’ passing game

Houston Texans receiver Will Fuller provides a dynamic aspect to the passing game, and his speed kills the opposition when healthy.

Speed kills.

When the Houston Texans have speed, they kill.

Wide receiver Will Fuller has that speed. On Thursday, in return from a hamstring strain, he used it to toy with the Indianapolis Colts’ defense en route to a 20-17 win.

Fuller recorded six receptions for 140 yards in the win, with two catches being over 40 yards. His 51-yard reception, with an air distance of 59.4 yards, was the third-deepest completion of the season, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

“Will, he’s just a really dynamic receiver,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Friday. “He’s got really good speed and he’s a great route runner.”

Fuller’s speed, route-running and improved hands make the Texans offense into one of unstoppability. However, they are stoppable, in large part when he doesn’t play — which is often.

Since he arrived in the league in 2016, Fuller has missed 20 out of 59 eligible games due to a torn ACL, hamstring pulls, rib and shoulder injuries, among others.

“The deal with Will, and Will knows — if Will was standing up here right now it’s always health. Just being healthy and being able to be out there, Will is going to make plays because he can run, he’s improved his hands over the years,” said O’Brien.

Fuller’s speed and developing game make for a target Deshaun Watson can’t miss. In 2019, Watson has a 102.8 passer rating when targeting Fuller. The wide-out has 41 receptions for 590 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

“Just like Hop (DeAndre Hopkins), Deshaun (Watson) has a lot of trust in Will. The throw that Deshaun made to Will on the 51-yard reception, that was incredible route and throw,” said O’Brien. “So, those guys have a lot of trust in each other and Will is a big part of this offense when he’s out there.”

Luckily, for the Texans, Fuller is healthy. Unluckily for the New England Patriots, whom Houston hosts next week, he is healthy.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien dubs DeAndre Hopkins the best toe-tap receiver he has seen

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien says that receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the best in the NFL at making toe-tap catches.

Throughout the NFL’s 100-year history, many — notably Cris Carter, Jordy Nelson and Marvin Harrison — to make highlight reels daily for their toe-tapping abilities. However, according to Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien, one stands out over the rest.

DeAndre Hopkins.

Since 2013, Hopkins has made miraculous toe-drag receptions the norm in Houston. On Thursday night, in a 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, he made another, which made the rounds through the whole media.

No matter the quarterback, Hopkins makes the uncatchable catchable.

“He is the best, personally, that I’ve ever seen at being able to toe-tap the sideline,” said O’Brien on Friday. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Often, officials are left wondering if Hopkins catches it or not. Similar to the reception on Thursday, he leaves those wearing stripes clueless as to if he catches it or not. Luckily, according to O’Brien, when he tells them he caught it, he caught it.

“He does it time and time again, and when he tells you he’s in bounds, he’s in bounds,” said O’Brien. When he tells you, ‘I didn’t get my second foot down,’ then he didn’t get his second foot down. He’s got an incredible knack for that.”

Hopkins can haul-in the improbable with his footwork. While his hands, capable of catching anything in sight, make for a complete receiver that the Texans target on every down.

“He is a chain mover, so he’s a guy that we got to on third down or first and second down to move the chains, and that’s great for a quarterback, and everybody knows he’s got awesome hands,” said O’Brien.

On the season, Hopkins has 81 receptions for 839 yards and six touchdowns. In Week 11, he became the second-youngest player to ever haul-in 600 NFL receptions (behind Larry Fitzgerald). His ability to navigate the tight rope played a large part in his name written in the history books.

Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins breaks down his unbelievable sideline catch against the Colts

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins explained his process when caught a difficult yet spectacular sideline catch versus the Indianapolis Colts.

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins is no stranger to making spectacular catches, but his 6-yard catch in the first quarter of the club’s 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts has to be one of his best of the season.

With 2:02 to go in the first quarter and facing a third-and-6 from the 50-yard line, quarterback Deshaun Watson scrambled around and threw a pass that appeared as if it was being thrown out of bounds. Hopkins made an effort to catch the ball, and while there is no denying he caught it, the question was whether he was out of bounds before controlling the catch.

“Yeah, one of the refs, I don’t know why he tried to wave it off, but the other ref, he was, like, that’s a catch,” Hopkins told reporters after the win. “I think he’s watched more of my games than the other guy to know you don’t really overturn those.”

While the world will be crediting Hopkins, who finished with six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns, the two-time All-Pro receiver is giving credit to his quarterback.

“It was a great play by Deshaun getting me the ball,” said Hopkins. “I think I might have slipped before I caught it, if I’m not mistaken. But I know, knowing Deshaun he’s going to try to get the ball out no matter where you are. So, he put the ball only where I could catch it.”

The play disproved the old adage that the boundary is an extra defender. If that is the case, then the boundary was just like all of the Colts defenders on the evening who had trouble slowing down the former 2013 first-round pick from Clemson.

Hopkins finished his 106th straight game with a reception. The Texans are 7-4 on the season with a measuring stick game against the New England Patriots in Week 13 on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium.

WATCH: DeAndre Hopkins gives the Texans the lead over the Colts

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught a 30-yard touchdown pass to give the home side the leave over the Indianapolis Colts.

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins is a certain target if a quarterback needs to cap off a big scoring drive.

Deshaun Watson heaved a 30-yard touchdown for Hopkins early in the fourth quarter to give the Texans a 20-17 lead over the Indianapolis Colts Thursday night at NRG Stadium.

Hopkins caught a touchdown pass earlier in the game. The touchdown connection makes it the 14th straight game for the two-time All-Pro that he has produced at least five receptions, which is the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind the New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas. Needless to say the streak is the longest in club history.

WATCH: Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins with a ridiculous toe-drag catch against the Colts

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins made an incredible catch against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football.

They say the boundary is an extra defender. If so, even the sideline can’t guard Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

On a third-and-6 from the 50-yard line, quarterback Deshaun Watson appeared to the throw the ball away towards the right sideline. However, Hopkins was there to catch the ball as he fell out of bounds. Initially ruled incomplete, a conference between the officials determined it was a catch.

Hopkins managed to drag both of his feet in-bounds as the majority of his body was hovering out of bounds.

The Texans concluded the drive with a 35-yard kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn to take a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Why can’t Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins be stopped on third down?

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins can’t be stopped on third down, even though the defense knows the ball is going his way.

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the focal point of every third down the offense faces. Regardless of the down and distance, the defense has to account for the two-time All-Pro.

Even so, teams are still having a hard time stopping Hopkins, who has produced 14 third down conversions, tied for seventh-most in the NFL.

Why can’t they guard Hopkins?

“I think one of the things that he does a really good job of, Hop, is that he knows every position,” coach Bill O’Brien told reporters Tuesday. “He know the offense cold, so you’re able to move him around. He’s not always going to be in one spot. He can line up in a lot of different spots, so I think that helps when you’re trying to locate him and double him and things like that.”

Hopkins isn’t perfect. After all, his 16 third down receptions are tied with Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert for the 12th-most in the NFL. Meanwhile the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp leads the NFL with 24. However, Hopkins’ knowledge of the Texans’ passing offense is what gives Houston a chance to convert every third down, especially with quarterback Deshaun Watson under center.

“Eventually you’re going to find him, but I think him knowing the offense and understanding what we’re trying to do as well as he does helps him a lot, and then obviously it’s his skill set, Deshaun’s ability to get him the ball accurately, his ability to catch the ball in traffic, contested catches,” said O’Brien. “He’s a great player.”

The Texans will need Hopkins to provide one of his better efforts against the Indianapolis Colts Thursday night at NRG Stadium. In the initial encounter from Week 7, Hopkins caught nine passes for 106 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 30-23 loss to their AFC South rivals at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Twitter blows up over Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins not drawing pass interference against the Ravens

Twitter was not pleased with the refs not calling pass interference on the Baltimore Ravens for interfering with Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins.

On a fourth-and-2 from the Baltimore Ravens’ 33-yard line, Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien decided to go for it. Quarterback Deshaun Watson dropped back and pulled the trigger for the deep ball to receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Ostensibly, Hopkins could have made the play, but Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey tackled Hopkins before he could even have a chance to get his hands on the ball.

As a result of the no-call by referee Alex Kemp’s crew, there was considerable Twitter backlash.

Maybe it wasn’t so much the alleged interference from Humphrey as it was the decision by New York to not overturn the no-call on the field and call pass interference after O’Brien challenged.

 

 

Even former Ravens safety Eric Weddle opined that the decision to not overturn the call was highly questionable.

 

 

 

Ultimately, with just five overturned decisions on the field relative to pass interference, the league seems to be sending a message with the new rule to challenge pass interference.