Tag: Texans preseason

DeMeco Ryans encouraged Texans to stay in contact with cut teammates

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says he told the players to stay in contact with their released teammates during the trimming to 53.

What makes DeMeco Ryans the ultimate players coach is that he was once a player.

The former Houston Texans 2006 second-round linebacker spent six seasons with his original draft team before finishing out his last four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. As Ryans experienced his first cut day as a coach, the experience brought him back to when he was first starting out in Houston.

“Before having to give the bad news to guys, I went back to being a young player and understanding you’ve battled with all these guys in training camp through preseason games, and now you come in one day and the locker room is different,” Ryans told reporters Aug. 30. “It’s a little quieter in the locker room, some guys are missing, and I remember the shock that it gave me as a young player, because everywhere you’ve played — from high school to college — no one ever tells you, ‘No, you can’t be on the team.’ So, it’s hard to deliver that news and say, ‘No, not at this time,’ so I reflect back to me being in that position as a young player, how it affected me.”

Along with any encouraging messages Ryans may have for players lost in the numbers game, the 39-year-old expressed to the remaining players how they could still continue to be good teammates with the players technically no longer in the organization.

Said Ryans: “So, when I talk to our team, I just make sure that guys who are on our team, that they realize, still, we need you to reach out to our other brothers, and make sure we’re connecting, make sure you’re checking on the guys, making sure they’re okay. We’ll have some guys come back eventually for practice squad, but make sure those guys feel that you care about them because of the special bond that you guys have built throughout OTAs and training camp.”

The Texans kick off the regular season Sept. 10 against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601915565]

Why the Seahawks should sign former Texans DT Roy Lopez

If the Seattle Seahawks can afford to wait, they should look into signing former Houston Texans defensive tackle Roy Lopez.

The Houston Texans are adjusting the composition of their interior defensive line as they cut down to a 53-man roster by Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Central Time.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Texans are releasing defensive tackle Roy Lopez with the designation of “waived-injured.” The Texans are expected to negotiate an injury settle with the former 2021 sixth-rounder, which will then allow him to join another team.

Lopez played 38 defensive snaps and four special teams snaps through the first two preseason games. Lopez missed the final game with a hamstring strain, although he should be ready to play in two to three weeks.

One team that should consider Lopez ought to be the Seattle Seahawks.

The NFC West club has two of their three nose tackles on the physically unable to perform list in Bryan Mone and Austin Faoliu. Cameron Young, a fourth-rounder, and Matt Gotel, an undrafted free agent, remain as the only healthy interior linemen on the roster.

Lopez is 6-2, 318 pounds, which is comparable to Young at 6-3, 315 pounds. The Seahawks would be able to utilize Lopez to take up space the same way they ask of their other nose tackles.

The former Arizona product also has considerable time on the job despite entering his third season. Lopez has started 29 games across 33 activations since entering the league, and has collected 67 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 2.0 sacks, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup, and a safety.

If the Seahawks are willing to allow Lopez to get healthy, it could be a mutually beneficial situation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

3 reasons the Texans had to cut LB Christian Kirksey

The Houston Texans cut linebacker Christian Kirksey, and here are three readily identifiable explanations.

The Houston Texans decided to go in a separate direction and cut linebacker Christian Kirksey Aug. 28 as part of their efforts to finalize their 53-man roster.

Kirksey, 30, played 30 games for the Texans over the past two seasons, starting in 29 of them. The former Cleveland Browns 2014 third-round pick collected 137 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, 3.0 sacks, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries.

The 6-2, 235-pounder was a decent fit for the Texans when they deployed their Tampa 2 the past two seasons. New coach DeMeco Ryans wanted to work with Kirksey despite the scheme change, but here three reasons why Kirksey won’t be in Houston in 2023.

CB Desmond King thanks Texans after being cut

Cornerback Desmond King thanked the Houston Texans for the past two seasons after being cut Aug. 28.

For Desmond King, the adventure won’t continue with the Houston Texans.

The former Pro Bowl cornerback was among the Texans’ cuts Monday. King took to X (formerly Twitter) to express gratitude for the city and fan base.

“THANK YOU HOUSTON,” King tweeted.

According to safety Jimmie Ward, King was one of the defensive backs who caught his eye when he signed with the Texans.

“They really impressed me when I got here,” Ward told reporters July 27. “‘Des’ King in the nickel —like, the dude is so athletic. I think he wears like a three-X glove. I knew he was good.”

King generated 127 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, five interceptions, 14 pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries through 33 games for the Texans, 25 of which he started.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Houston Texans cuts tracker: Trimming to get to 53

Here is a look at the cuts the Houston Texans have made as they build their 53-man roster.

The Houston Texans must get their roster at 53 men by 3:00 p.m. Central Time Aug. 29.

In that process comes easy cuts and also some difficult decisions.

“I appreciate guys just their work ethic and how much work those guys put in for us,” coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Monday. “I don’t take that lightly. Our guys have done a great job of doing what we’ve asked them to do. We’ve asked them to work hard each and every day — our guys did that. They didn’t complain, they just worked. So, it’s a hard day. Over the next couple of days — it’ll be a hard few days having to let guys go because I know the work that these men have put in.”

Below are the moves the Texans have made as they build their first regular season roster under Ryans.

DeMeco Ryans pleased with Texans’ run defense against the Saints

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was pleased with how the run defense responded against the New Orleans Saints.

One area that was particularly concerning from the Houston Texans’ 28-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the second week of preseason was their anemic run defense.

The Texans gave up 205 rushing yards, which was more than their 170.2 rushing yards per game from a season ago with a different coaching staff deploying an outdated scheme. Things were supposed to change under new coach DeMeco Ryans, not stay the same.

Houston may still have work to do with their run defense to complete the turnaround, but there was an optimistic step against the New Orleans Saints Aug. 27 in the 17-13 win.

The Texans held the Saints to 91 yards on the ground. No New Orleans ball carrier crested the 35-yard mark.

While keeping teams under the century mark each week may be unrealistic, hitting the target in the last preseason contest was a fitting conclusion.

“To start the game, I thought that our run defense was really good,” Ryans told reporters from the Caesars Superdome. “I thought that the challenge on defense this week was to set edges, to swarm, and to tackle. I think that we did that defensively. We only let one get out with the quarterback, but I am proud of how our guys responded this week to the run defense.”

With 9:14 to go in the third quarter, rookie quarterback Jake Haener scrambled for 26 yards to the Houston 29-yard line, which eventually setup for a Saints field goal to pull within four.

However, the effects from missing expectations against the Dolphins a week ago fueled the drive to demonstrate improvement.

Said Ryans: “We had a bad taste in our mouth last week. That’s not the type of run defense that we expect to play, so, I am happy with how they responded this week.”

Houston kicks off the regular season Sept. 10 at the Baltimore Ravens at 12:00 p.m. Central Time.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Texans QB C.J. Stroud says he worked with WR Nico Collins on TD pass

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud says he practiced heavily the TD pass to receiver Nico Collins in the lead-up to the preseason finale.

C.J. Stroud had his own word for his first preseason touchdown pass: Blessing.

The No. 2 overall pick had not participated in a scoring play through two preseason games, let alone lead the Houston Texans on a touchdown drive. While still in the context of an exhibition game with scant game-planning and paltry playing time, being unable to pop the cork of scoring a touchdown carries its own mood.

On a second-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Stroud found receiver Nico Collins for a touchdown to give Houston a 7-0 lead with 7:22 to go in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints.

While the scoring play turned out to be Stroud’s last of preseason as he was on a two-drive limit, the route with Collins had been in the works for much of game week.

“It was really cool to connect with Nico,” Stroud told reporters after the 17-13 win at Caesars Superdome Aug. 27. “We work hard. Actually, we got that rep after practice on Friday like three or four times, just getting it down. So for it to pay off and for us to get a touchdown off of it was definitely cool to see.”

Stroud finished the night going 2-of-4 for 16 yards and a 100.0 passer rating. Coach DeMeco Ryans named the former Ohio State product the Texans’ starting quarterback for their Opening Day tilt with the Baltimore Ravens Sept. 10.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Houston Texans 53-man roster: Who makes the cut after the Saints game?

Take a look as @johnhcrumpler provides his best guess as to the Houston Texans’ 53-man roster following the preseason finale.

The Houston Texans beat the New Orleans Saints 17-13 in the preseason finale Sunday night at Caesars Superdome.

The next step for the team will be roster cut downs, as franchises around the league are required to be down to 53 players by 3:00 p.m. Central Time. General manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans have had the opportunity to learn a lot about the players present on their team during training camp and throughout games the last month.

Everyone knows the headliners from free agency and the past few drafts that are locks to lead the roster this year. What about the candidates that will be necessary depth to carry momentum through the year?

Here is a look at the last best guess to the Texans’ 53-man roster.

C.J. Stroud throws TD, Texans outlast Saints 17-13

The Houston Texans beat the New Orleans Saints 17-13 in the preseason finale, and QB C.J. Stroud threw his first touchdown pass.

C.J. Stroud threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nico Collins and the Houston Texans prevailed 17-13 over the New Orleans Saints Sunday night in the Caesars Superdome.

Much like his first preseason game at the New England Patriots, Stroud played just two drives. The No. 2 overall pick went 2-4 for 16 yards, and third-year Davis Mills replaced him to start the third drive.

Saints starter Jameis Winston played into the first minute of the second quarter. The former 2015 No. 1 overall pick completed 11 passes on 16 attempts for 93 yards and a touchdown before Jake Haener took over.

The Texans’ Mike Boone led all running backs with seven carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. The former Minnesota Viking and Denver Bronco also caught four passes — tied with rookie receiver Xavier Hutchinson for the team-high — for 26 yards. Hutchinson had two more receiving yards to lead Houston.

New Orleans tight end Lucas Krull caught a game-high seven passes for 106 yards.

Houston’s defense produced two sacks, each from defensive tackle Khalil Davis and cornerback Desmond King. Safety Grayland Arnold procured the Texans’ lone interception of the game. Safety Eric Murray led with six combined tackles on the evening.

While the Texans remain the last team to declare a starting quarterback for Week 1, none would be surprised if the team picked Stroud.

The Texans open Sept. 10 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

New Orleans hosts the Tennessee Titans Sept. 10 at Caesars Superdome for a 12:00 p.m. Central Time kickoff.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

WATCH: Texans RB Mike Boone scores 11-yard touchdown against the Saints

Houston Texans running back Mike Boone scored an 11-yard touchdown on the ground against the New Orleans Saints in preseason.

The Houston Texans may have their running back hierarchy, but that is still no reason to sleep on Mike Boone.

The Texans’ RB3 flashed bell-cow moves against the New Orleans Saints Sunday night at the Caesars Superdome. With the score tied 10-10 with 2:29 to go in the second quarter, Boone took a handoff from quarterback E.J. Perry and sprinted 11 yards for a touchdown. Along the way, Boone used the spin cycle to get out of a few would-be Saints tackles.

Boone, 28, has played 57 career games for the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. Houston signed Boone to a two-year contract in free agency.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]