Tag: Texans passing game

Ravens coach John Harbaugh doesn’t see a hole in Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins’ game

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gives his scouting report on Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Very few wide receivers give defenses as many fits as DeAndre Hopkins does. A back-to-back All-Pro for the Houston Texans, Hopkins has the attention of whoever he plays. The Baltimore Ravens are no exception to the rule.

Hopkins, who is second in the NFL in catches (68), presents the Ravens defense that Baltimore coach John Harbaugh won’t undersell.

“Everybody is on the same page, but number 10 (Hopkins) is one of the best, if not the best, in the league,” said coach Harbaugh on a Wednesday conference call. “He’s right there.”

On the season, Hopkins has 68 receptions for 665 yards and four touchdowns. Recently, he has seen an uptick in targets, receiving at least 11 in his last four outings, as compared to one instance of 11+ in his first five.

In his previous three games against Baltimore combined, Hopkins has tallied 18 receptions for 223 yards. He has yet to face the Ravens with Deshaun Watson taking snaps.

Known for his physicality, Hopkins is often described as a nightmare to defend on the line of scrimmage. He boxes as if he were Mike Tyson to beat cornerbacks. His large catch radius, chemistry with Deshaun Watson and experience rounds out a full-fledged force.

“He’s really tough to cover, he bodies people up, he’s got great body control, he’s got great hands, he’s very strong, excellent after the catch,” continued Harbaugh. “I don’t see one hole in his game, and that’s what we’re confronted with and we’re going to try to do our best against him.”

Though the Ravens boast defensive secondary playmakers, Hopkins could be in-line for a big game against the coach that praises him. Baltimore is 22nd in the NFL in wide receiver catches (125) and yards allowed (1,654).

Harbaugh is prepared to face Hopkins. He has the scouting report. However, on Sundays, a scouting report will only get a team so far.

How much of a fit would Colin Kaepernick be for the Texans?

Free agent QB Colin Kaepernick is having a tryout open to all 32 NFL teams. How much of a fit would he be for the Houston Texans?

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is having a workout Saturday for all 32 NFL teams.

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis power ranked all 32 teams and their likelihood that they would be interested in Kaepernick. Davis has the Texans at No. 8.

Would you rather have Kaepernick and his skill set behind Deshaun Watson or roll with AJ McCarron? From an organizational standpoint, this would have been unthinkable a year ago, but the acquisition of [Kenny] Stills says a lot about the current top-down mind-set.

One advocate Kaepernick would have in the Texans locker room is All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who wore a Kaepernick jersey upon arriving to NRG Stadium for a Texans game on Dec. 2, 2018. Hopkins also said in a recent GQ interview that he was upset with the organization for not giving Kaepernick a workout when sensational rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson went down with a torn ACL on Nov. 2, 2017.

Coach Bill O’Brien wouldn’t get into whether or not the club was going to send a representative to Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta.

“I’ll tell you right now, I’m very focused on Baltimore and I would never talk about anything that’s relating to scouting or personnel, anything like that,” O’Brien told reporters Wednesday. “So, I’ll just tell you, I’m very — like I said to you the other day, if you put the Baltimore film on, we’ve got a lot to work on. We have a challenging game, so we’re very focused on Baltimore.”

Kaepernick has not played a down of football since Jan. 1, 2017, when he started for the 49ers in a Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Kaepernick completed 17-of-22 passing for 215 yards and a touchdown while taking five sacks. The loss sealed Kaepernick’s record as 1-10 for 2016 and left his career record at 28-30 and a career playoff record of 4-2.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson nominated for 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is a nominee for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

The NFL announced their nominees for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and quarterback Deshaun Watson was the representative for the Houston Texans.

A panel of former NFL players including Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler will select four finalists per conference, and the finalists will be on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Dec. 13.

A team cannot vote for its own player; therefore, if Watson were to win it, the votes would come from the other 31 NFL teams’ players.

The NFL created the award in 2014 in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers founding owner Art Rooney, who was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The award goes to the NFL player who, “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to a league statement.

WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014), CB Charles Woodson (2015), RB Frank Gore (2016), LB Luke Kuechly (2017), and QB Drew Brees (2018) have been past recipients.

Other quarterbacks nominated for 2019 include Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson not concerned with MVP talk

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson’s ultimate goal is to win games, not concern himself with his placement in the MVP discussion.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has the fourth-highest passer rating int he NFL at 107.1 and has led his club to a 6-3 mark. With a team that saw a defensive playmaker in Jadeveon Clowney go to Seattle, and J.J. Watt lost for the season, the Texans’ star power has come from under center.

As a result, the former 2017 first-round pick from Clemson is finding himself in the middle of the discussion for most valuable player.

“It’s cool, I guess,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “The only thing I can really control is performing on the field and then everything else is to the voters and whoever decides on that decision. I don’t get too much caught up in that.”

What has helped Watson’s case is his head-to-head performance against other MVP candidates such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. In two of the next three games, Watson will have a chance to add more wins against big names with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson in Week 11 and New England’s Tom Brady in Week 13 on a Sunday night with all the world watching.

“My ultimate goal is trying to win as many games as I can to get to that ultimate goal,” said Watson. “That MVP stuff is going to take care of itself. If it’s deserving for me, then I’ll do it, but if not, then best to whoever wins that award.”

While there are various and sundry most valuable player awards out there from the Pro Football Writers of America to Sporting News, the officially recognized MVP award is the Associated Press. If Watson were to win it, he would be the first Houston NFL player since running back Earl Campbell to take home the honor. Furthermore, a win for Watson would elevate the Texans out of the collection of eight franchises that have yet to produce an MVP (Ravens, Jets, Texans, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Jaguars).

Texans 100: Facts and Figures for Ravens, No. 1-25

The Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens square off for Week 11, and we take a look at the series and Deshaun Watson facts.

The Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens get ready for a Week 11 encounter that is, not only a run for the playoffs, but seeding for the playoffs. If the Texans can get a win over Baltimore, they will have the tiebreaker and move into the No. 2 seed, the last of the first-round byes.

To get ready for the matchup, here are series facts and Deshaun Watson figures.

SERIES FACTS

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

1. The Texans are 6-3 for the fourth time in franchise history. All three previous teams won the AFC South (2011, 2016, 2018).

2. Since 1990, 99/119 teams that started 7-3 made the playoffs with 62 of those teams having won the division.

3. Since 1990, 87/145 teams that started 6-4 made the playoffs with 34 of them having won the division.

4. The Ravens are 7-2 for the third time in franchise history. Both of those teams won the AFC North (2006, 2012).

5. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, 60/62 teams that started 8-2 made the playoffs with 48 of those teams having won the division.

6. The Texans are 2-8 against the Ravens all-time, including playoffs, with a 0-5 record on the road.

7. The Texans’ 2-8 record against the Ravens is their worst against the AFC North, including playoffs:

Browns: 7-3

Bengals: 8-4

Steelers: 2-4

Ravens: 2-8

 

8. The Texans’ 7-11 road record against the AFC North is their second-best outside the division:

AFC West: 8-8

AFC North: 7-11

AFC East: 7-13

 

9. The Texans are 31-55 in the Eastern Time Zone with a 24-43 record in the early time slot.

10. The Texans are 97-114 in the early afternoon slot with a 35-61 record on the road.

11. The Ravens are 140-103-1 in the early afternoon slot with a 96-39-1 record at home.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Texans WR Will Fuller, TE Jordan Thomas return to practice

On Monday, the Houston Texans saw wide receiver Will Fuller and tight end Jordan Thomas return to practice.

The Houston Texans’ Week 10 bye appears to be a gift. On Monday, the team saw wide receiver Will Fuller (hamstring) and tight end Jordan Thomas (ribs) return to practice, per multiple reports.

Fuller, who suffered a serious hamstring pull in Week 7’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, was a possibility to return to the lineup heading into the bye. It appears as if he chances to play in Week 11’s highly-anticipated matchup with the Baltimore Ravens are rising.

In 2019, Fuller has 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns. The team will not issue a report on the details of his practice session. They will mark him as either full, limited or a non-participant on Wednesday.

Thomas has not played in 2019. A second-year tight end from Mississippi State, the 6-6, 278-pound 23-year-old entered training camp as the favorite to start. However, a ribs injury suffered in the preseason derailed that thought.

Houston placed Thomas on the injured reserve on Sept. 1. He has to be activated from designated to return. The Texans have two tight ends on the active roster, Darren Fells and Jordan Akins.

In 2018, Thomas notched four red zone touchdowns while racking up 20 receptions for 215 yards. His imminent return means yet another big-bodied target for Deshaun Watson to target in the red area.

Texans eager for imminent return of receiver Will Fuller

The Houston Texans could be receiving wide receiver Will Fuller back into the lineup again. Naturally, they are excited about that.

The Houston Texans have adjusted well to the absence of wide receiver Will Fuller. Since the speed merchant suffered a hamstring injury in Week 7, Houston has won back-to-back games, averaging 413 yards per in the process.

However, when Houston can get Fuller back, they will. Though oft-injured and prone to drops, his speed, chemistry with Deshaun Watson and route-running adds an extra dynamic to the offense.

“Having a healthy a Will Fuller is no question a positive for the Houston Texans. Helps everybody in the room. Helps the team,” said wide receivers coach John Perry on Nov. 5.

On the season, Fuller has recorded 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns. His 17 deep targets rank second in the NFL, per PlayerProfiler, despite the missed time while his average target distance of 15 yards sits at 12th.

“It’s just good for him,” Perry continued, “because he’s such a good person who’s worked so hard. You just hate to see guys be injured at all. We’re excited to get the opportunity to have him back in the second half of the year.”

Fuller’s hamstring injury suffered in Week 7’s loss was expected to sideline him for a few weeks. However, his time table to return did not warrant a placement on the injured reserve.

Houston has employed the help of Kenny Stills to fill-in for Fuller. In his two weeks in the starting lineup, Stills has eight receptions for 74 yards.

Houston’s Week 10 bye may have allowed Fuller the adequate time to return to the lineup. Before the team went mute for the week, coach Bill O’Brien alluded to him trending in the right direction for his return.

Whether or not Fuller does return for Week 11’s tilt with the Baltimore Ravens will be known throughout the week. The first indication of his availability will be Wednesday’s practice, followed by reports on Thursday and Friday.