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The Houston Texans are finished with training camp and preseason as they cut down to 53 players. Here are some awards from the past 40 days.
The Houston Texans are done with training camp and the preseason as they finalize their 53-man roster by 3:00 p.m. Central Time Tuesday.
The past 40 days has brought its own fulfillment of expectations and also a failure to meet such expectations. There were surprises of both the good and the bad.
Here are some training camp awards for the participants that took part in the daily grind at Houston Methodist Training Center.
Houston Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith detailed how the team tracks takeaways during practice.
The Houston Texans have been preaching takeaways on defense since the arrival of defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.
How exactly does the defensive staff track takeaways during training camp practice?
Smith spent time with the media on Aug. 24 and laid out how the Texans keep up with the takeaways during practice.
“It’s pretty easy to track the takeaways per se, but a lot starts before that,” Smith said. “I’m from a little small town in east Texas (Big Sandy). You know, simple math that I got a little bit is you get more takeaways when you are trying to take the ball away. And what I mean by that is if you have an opportunity, if a ball carrier has a ball, you know, we want to see you going after the ball. That’s the first step, trying to strip the football. So that’s what we chart first, just how many times we see guys pulling and yanking and punching the football.”
The results have paid off, at least through two games in the preseason. The Texans entered the final week of the exhibition campaign with the most turnovers in the NFL with seven. It is a good start considering Houston had just nine in 2020, the fewest in the league.
If the Texans can keep the preseason momentum of takeaways into the regular season, they should be able to compete with teams weekly throughout the 17-game season.
Houston Texans defensive tackle isn’t taking the early cheese, but rather sticking to the theme that the defense must still find ways to improve.
Houston Texans defensive tackle Vincent Taylor is encouraged, but still motivated to get better.
The Texans’ seven takeaways procured are the most in preseason. Their 72.0 rushing yards per game are the fourth-fewest in the league.
It all isn’t too bad for a unit that only had nine takeaways in 2020, and gave up 5.2 yards per carry — both of which were the worst in the NFL among defenses.
Even though there is positivity, Taylor isn’t going to get sidetracked from the work.
“We always got room for improvement,” said Taylor. “It’s good that we’re getting turnovers. I think each preseason game we had got turnovers. That’s one thing [defensive coordinator] Lovie Smith preaches, so we just got to keep getting turnovers. Like I said, there is always room for improvement.”
The Texans defense will get a bit of a test in their final preseason game — a 7:00 p.m. Central Time kickoff from NRG Stadium Saturday — as they face the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How many starters play for the Bucs in the finale remains to be seen, but the concept of going against the defending champions is a benchmark of sorts.
“I think this week will be a big test for us like he just mentioned playing the defending champ,” said Taylor. “That’s one thing that we got to just keep focusing on, the run defense, and then forcing turnovers.”
If the Texans can continue their improvement of shutting down the run while procuring takeaways, it will be the right kind of encouragement the team needs heading into Week 1.
Houston Texans rookie QB Davis Mills attempted to throw balls into a trash can near the back corner of the end zone in training camp practice.
Texans' Davis Mills @Millsions @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/FbCcsrMcbD
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 26, 2021
Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills is working on the fades in the end zone.
According to video shot by Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790, the rookie quarterback threw passes at a trash can in the back left corner of the end zone during the Texans’ training camp practice on Thursday.
Both of the throws in the video didn’t make it in the trash can.
Mills has yet to throw a touchdown pass through 67 preseason snaps, going 21-of-38 for 227 yards and an interception.
The third-rounder from Stanford has a chance to throw a touchdown Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason finale at NRG Stadium.
Houston Texans coach David Culley says that the reason the offense has had struggles is due to the amount of mental errors.
HOUSTON — When the Houston Texans left AT&T Stadium with a 20-14 preseason victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, they did so with a mediocre offensive performance. The Texans went 0-for-10 on third-down conversions while recording 220 total yards.
Immediately after the game, first-year head coach David Culley attributed a bulk of Houston’s offensive struggles to the Cowboys’ blitz defense. But after a lengthy film review, Culley became aware of more intangibles that made the Texans’ offense appear subpar.
“As we went back and looked at the video, there were mental errors that we had,” Culley said prior to Thursday’s practice. “It had nothing to do with them [the Cowboys] blitzing us more than what we have seen. We worked on them this week to make sure that doesn’t happen [again]. It was more us than them.”
The Texans’ run game struggled the most in Dallas. They recorded a total of 89 yards on the ground, one week after they rushed for 170 during their exhibition victory over the Green Bay Packers. According to Culley, the Texans’ drop-off in their run game was the result of Tim Kelly — Houston’s offensive coordinator — experimenting with different personnel for evaluation.
Presumed starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor says communication and execution are the keys to improving the Texans’ offense. It’s the two elements the Texans will focus on the most during their preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, at NRG Stadium.
Houston Texans coach David Culley says left tackle Laremy Tunsil is still on the COVID-19 reserve and won’t be available for the preseason finale.
The Houston Texans won’t get to see how their two-time Pro Bowl left tackle plays alongside the retooled offensive line.
According to coach David Culley ahead of Thursday’s training camp practice, Laremy Tunsil is still in the COVID-19 protocol.
“He’s doing well,” Culley said. “He’s feeling better. He will not play.”
The Texans take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday night at NRG Stadium. The next game after that is the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 12, also at NRG Stadium.
Culley says the team’s approach with Tunsil is to take it “day by day.”
Said Culley: “The protocol, when he’s feeling better. Right now, we’re just reconditioning him because he’s been away for a while. We’re not going to put him out on the field again until we feel he’s conditioning wise ready to play.”
Tunsil has played 28 games for the Texans since 2019, missing two games per season.
Houston Texans running back Phillip Lindsay is still getting use to his new teammates as the last game of the preseason is upon them.
There may be one game to go in the Houston Texans preseason, but running back Phillip Lindsay is still getting adjusted to his new teammates.
After the Texans host the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium, the exhibition campaign will be over. All of the games will count starting Sept. 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium.
Heading into the preseason finale, Lindsay is working on strengthening the cohesion with his teammates.
“I think that for me, I’ve got to just continue to get used to it, get used to each other, and I think that over time we’ve done a great job, and I think that we’re still not finished yet,” Lindsay said. “We’re going to get into these games and we’re going to have longer periods of time, and we’ll be able to set things up.”
Ultimately, Lindsay believes the new-look perimeter players of running back Mark Ingram, receiver Chris Conley, and even quarterback Tyrod Taylor can help the Texans find success with existing pieces, such as receiver Brandin Cooks and running back David Johnson.
“It’s going to end up being really good for us,” said Lindsay. “I think as a whole unit, running back unit and offensive line, that we’re doing great things and we did great things in camp. I think that you guys will see it this year.”
Lindsay has produced nine carries for 16 yards on his 14 preseason snaps through two games.
Houston Texans cornerback Desmond King says that the ability to gather multiple takeaways begins with the mindset.
When it rains, it pours.
It takes money to make money.
In the same vein, when turnovers come for a defense, they typically come in bunches.
For Houston Texans cornerback Desmond King, the key to getting takeaways starts inside the heads of each defensive player; it isn’t a magical turn of events.
“It’s more of a mindset,” King said. “It’s how we approach the field. That’s our message each and every day. We want to get the ball. We want to take the ball away from the other offense and win the turnover margin.”
The Texans have done a fabulous job through two preseason games with six takeaways, leading the NFL in the preseason. It is encouragement, even though it’s been in the exhibition season, given Houston recorded just nine in 2020 in a 16-game season, the fewest in the league.
“The more take-aways you get as a defense, the better chances for your team to win,” said King. “That’s our message, and every time we take the field, that’s what we want to do.”
The Texans have even scored immediately off of their takeaways with safety Lonnie Johnson returning an interception for a touchdown in the 20-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 21. If the Texans are able to carry such momentum with turnovers into the regular season, it should keep them competitive each Sunday and not be the weekly doormats pundits predicted in the spring.
The Houston Texans defense was horrendous at stopping the run last season, but new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith wants to fix that.
Houston Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith is all about the takeaways. It is the number one message he preaches to the team throughout every practice, every meeting at Houston Methodist Training Center and the meeting rooms at NRG Stadium.
Although the Texans have procured six takeaways through two preseason games, the most in the NFL, there are other aspects to playing sound defense that Smith wants to see out of the unit.
“It always starts up front, stopping the run,” Smith said. “And we are about a gap-sound defense, playing hard, getting 11 guys to the ball. That’s the first thing we talk about. Once you have good gap control, you’re flying around to the football and you have 11 guys at the point of attack, takeaways come then.”
Takeaways and stopping the run do seem to go hand-in-hand. Not only were the Texans the worst in the NFL at takeaways with just nine through 16 games last season, but they were the worst run defense in the NFL, giving up 5.2 yards per carry.
Even though it is just preseason, the Texans are giving up 72.0 rushing yards per game, the fourth-fewest in the league. However, Smith is constantly looking for improvement and not resting on any type of laurels at this point. The 95 yards on 30 carries against the Dallas Cowboys in the 20-14 win on Aug. 21 should have been fewer.
Said Smith: “We had a couple breakouts, believe me. We gave up a few plays last week. Not satisfied with how we played third downs. We had some opportunities we let slip away, but hopeful we can take another step this week.”
The Texans allowed the Cowboys to convert on eight of their 16 third down attempts. Houston was able to come up with four takeaways in the game: three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery.
Houston Texans fullback Paul Quessenberry is making a compelling case for the team to consider keeping the endangered position alive on the roster.
Fullback is a dying breed in the NFL, but the endangered position may find a preserve on the Houston Texans’ roster.
Tight end Paul Quessenberry has been taking snaps as a fullback in the Texans’ offense. The former Navy Midshipman has caught one pass for three yards throughout the preseason. Quessenberry has tallied 33 snaps on offense and eight snaps on special teams.
Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly told reporters after Wednesday’s practice at Houston Methodist Training Center that Quessenberry has done a decent job of following orders from coaching.
“He’s done a good job being physical,” Kelly said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked. Today, we’re out here and he’s been running different positions. He’s smart, he works his butt off, and we’re pleased with Paul. He’s done a really good job for us.”
Quessenberry’s brother, David Quessenberry, was a former 2013 sixth-round pick for the Texans who beat cancer and played two games for the team from 2013-17.
The Texans last had a true fullback on the roster from 2019-20 when Cullen Gillaspia, a 2019 seventh-round pick from Texas A&M and Katy Taylor High School, played 23 games for the club. Gillaspia was also a key part of special teams.
Quessenbery, an undrafted free agent, does have familiarity with general manager Nick Caserio as he was on and off the New England Patriots’ practice squad last season.
