RB Carlos Hyde needs the Texans’ run game to do ‘a better job’

Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde needs the team’s running game to do a better job after loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Carlos Hyde scored the Houston Texans’ lone touchdown of their 41-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, as if it mattered. His 41-yard touchdown scamper did not hide hyde the fact that the Texans’ otherwise great run-game struggled mightily in the embarrassing loss.

The Texans rushed the ball 22 times for 120 yards and a score against Baltimore. Without the touchdown, that goes to 79 yards on 21 carries, good for 3.8 yards per carry. That’s not going to cut it. As Hyde says, playing the Ravens is about controlling the tempo with the run.

Houston did not do that. The Ravens’ stout run game helped them win the time of possession battle 36:19 to 23:41.

“It was going to be about who could sustain drives, who can protect the ball, who can run the get their run game going,” said Hyde on Sunday. “We did not have a good run game. So, we have to do a better job.“

Hyde has been a pleasant surprise for the Texans in 2019, that sentiment did not change on Sunday. For the year, he has 769 yards and four touchdowns on 158 yards. Nevertheless, he isn’t here for stats. Houston is his home because he wants to win.

Hyde and Co. can rebound quickly; they face division rivals Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. With the important game — with playoff implications — on the horizon, there isn’t time to dwell on the loss and the lack of a run game.

“We have a short week,” said Hyde. “We have to put this game behind us and get ready for Indianapolis. We are all here playing to win.”

Last time Hyde faced the Colts, he had a game to forget. He rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries. Perhaps the fuel of losing added to his fire will get him over the hump to having a standout performance against the division rivals.

Report: Texans release T Seantrel Henderson off non-football injury list

On Monday, the Houston Texans released offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson off of the non-football injury list.

The Houston Texans are releasing offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson off of the NFI list (non-football injury), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Henderson, 27, was dealing with a slight back injury. He is now healthy, according to Rapoport.

The Texans signed Henderson to a one-year deal in the 2018 free agency period. He started the season-opener at right tackle before suffering a season-ending broken ankle.

Houston resigned Henderson to a one-year contract extension on Jan. 19. Again, the team started him at right tackle in Week 1, before losing the job to Roderick Johnson the next week and rookie Tytus Howard from Week 3 onward.

Henderson should field some interest in the open-market due to the lack of quality offensive tackles available. He has 29 career starts to his name split between the Texans and the Buffalo Bills.

Without Henderson in-fold, the Texans have four tackles on the roster in Howard, Johnson, Laremy Tunsil and Chris Clark.

CB Johnathan Joseph: Texans didn’t do enough defensively against the Ravens

Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph said that the defense did not do enough against the Baltimore Ravens in a blowout loss.

When the opponent scores 41 points, the presumption is that the defense did not do enough against the offense. On Sunday, that notion is applicable to the Houston Texans defense against the Baltimore Ravens, as they were outscored 41-7.

“We just didn’t execute the defense as a team. When you come on the road in a tough environment, you know it’s going to be tough, but, at the end of the day, we didn’t do enough,” said cornerback Johnathan Joseph after the loss. 

The Ravens recorded 25 first downs to the Texans’ 16 on Sunday. Their 491 total yards doubled the 232 from Houston. On third-down the Ravens converted 56% of their attempts (nine) to 20% from Houston (10).

The Texans could not get off the field. Even worse: Baltimore’s 41 points came after a first quarter in which Houston allowed none and did a relatively good job of shutting down quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“We got off to a hard start on defense,” continued Joseph. “We got two fourth-down stops if I remember correctly and then, I wouldn’t say things spiraled out. But third downs, we had them a couple of times and let them get out. There were several second-and-longs, and they made a couple catch and runs and moved the chains.”

Houston’s defensive performance was one to forget. There aren’t any individual places to point the blame to. The loss was a group effort. The pass-rush couldn’t get to Jackson; the secondary struggled; the run defense wasn’t there; the linebackers were exploited in coverage.

“There were a lot of things throughout the game, said Joseph, “but it wasn’t any one thing in particular other than Lamar Jackson at quarterback.” 

The culmination of a defense that struggled in most areas and couldn’t contain Jackson is their worst loss in recent memory. Luckily, they will be able to shake it off quickly, as Houston plays host to the rival Indianapolis Colts on Thursday.

Kenny Stills: Texans need to move on from 41-7 loss to Ravens

After losing 41-7 to the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills says the team needs to be professional and move on.

The Houston Texans disappointed on Sunday. By losing 41-7 to the Baltimore Ravens, they watched their winning streak, top AFC South ranking and excitement vanish.

However, dwelling on the blowout loss won’t help anything. The Texans have to face the rival Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. As wide receiver Kenny Stills said, the team needs to move on.

“It is tough, but we are all professionals,” said Stills on Sunday. “At the end of the day, we have to continue to go out and do our job. Keep trying to execute. We have to put this one behind us and get ready for Thursday night.” 

Stills recorded four receptions for 27 yards on Sunday. He, like the entirety of the team, did not perform as expected. The best way to rebound? Execute and put all their focus on beating the Colts.

Stills knows that. The question is, do the rest of the Texans?

Texans’ 41-7 loss to the Ravens spells an eight-letter word: Disaster

The Houston Texans 41-7 loss o the Baltimore Ravens spells an eight-letter word: disaster. Things can only get better, correct?

Advertised to be the game of the century, Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans was supposed to be a thriller, a playoff preview and a matchup between two MVP candidates.

Supposed to be. The Ravens ran away with a 41-7 win.

A first-drive sack-fumble from Deshaun Watson set the tone of a sloppy game for Houston. After a field goal miss, a noticeable pass interference non-call reaffirmed the worst for the Texans: it won’t be pretty, not from Houston’s end, the officiating one or for their health.

Disaster.

Following two second-quarter touchdowns thrown by Lamar Jackson, the Texans rushed for a two-minute scoring drive. Only to see another apparent defensive pass interference non-call and a Ka’imi Fairbairn missed kick.

Even worse? Ravens defender Jaylon Ferguson landed on Watson’s ankle. Though he propped himself back up, gingerly, the impact of so was all too noticeable.

Following Houston’s failed two-minute drive — where momentum was brewing — the Ravens ran away with the win.

Mark Ingram scored a receiving touchdown on a non-call pick play, Jackson gashed the Texans defense with his legs, to the tune of 263 yards; Houston lost their health going into the game; the offensive line struggled to keep Watson up-right (seven sacks allowed); Watson threw an errant interception; Mark Andrews, Ingram and Gus Edwards helped run up the score; Watson was beaten and bruised; the Texans left Baltimore miserable.

A positive? Carlos Hyde helped avoid a shutout with a 41-yard touchdown. Good for you, fantasy football owners. Another positive? For Baylor fans, Robert Griffin got reps with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter. For Alabama fans, A.J. McCarron did too.

A negative? Watson had his worst game as a pro. He went 18 for 29 for 169 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and a fumble, suitable for a 63.7 passer rating. Jackson left the game with four touchdowns and a 139.2 passer rating while taking just one sack.

The Texans squandered an opportunity to solidify their status as a contender on a game with the nation watching.

An eight-letter word is applicable and defining: disaster.

Rather than head into Thursday night with the Indianapolis Colts with excitement surrounding the Texans, it’s all question marks.

  • Can the Texans rebound from the worst loss in the Deshaun Watson-era?
  • Are the Texans still a playoff team?
  • How will their now-battered defense respond without the depth they once boasted?
  • Is Deshaun Watson’s ankle okay?

Legitimate questions. Legitimate questions that were not asked hours ago. After losing 41-7, they should and will be.

Summary

The Texans suffered their worst loss of 2019, and it wasn’t close. After a solid first question, without points, they folded to the Jackson-led Ravens. The Texans allowed (SIX) stats while losing the time possession and yardage battle in an embarrassing loss.

Turning point

In the first quarter, on 4th-and-2, Watson threw an endzone bomb to Hopkins. That bomb was broken up by Marlon Humphrey. Not without obvious defensive pass interference, however. Despite a challenge on the play, the officiating crew did not overturn it. Twitter was not happy.

Unique sheet

Texans: If there was a positive to gain out of the loss, it was DeAndre Hopkins. With 8:22 left in the first quarter, Hopkins recorded his fourth reception, making him the second-youngest player in NFL history to do so (27 years, 164 days).

Ravens: The Texans had not allowed a player to rush for more than 100 yards in 25 games. Gus Edwards, with a garbage-time 63-yard touchdown, changed that. He finished the game with 112 yards.

Scoring summary

Baltimore Ravens — 0, 14, 13, 14 — 41

Houston Texans — 0, 0, 0, 7  — 7

Second quarter

BAL — Roberts 15 yard pass from Jackson, 5:46

BAL — Andrews 18 yard pass from Jackson, 2:18

Third quarter

BAL — Ingram 25 yard pass from Jackson, 11:40

BAL — Tucker 34 kick, 6:54

BAL — Tucker 46 kick, 1:35

Fourth quarter

BAL — Ingram 12 yard pass from Jackson, 9:56

HTX — Hyde 41 yard run, 7:18

BAL — Edwards 63 yard run, 4:12

injury report

Texans: 

  • S Mike Adams – concussion
  • S Justin Reid – shoulder
  • CB Lonnie Johnson – foot

Ravens:

  • None

up next

The Texans will host the 6-4 Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football, Nov. 21.

The Ravens will travel to Los Angeles to face the 5-4 on Monday Night Football, Nov. 25.

Games to watch for Chiefs fans in Week 11

Pay attention to these games during Week 11 of the 2019 season if you’re a Chiefs fan.

The Kansas City Chiefs will play during Monday Night Football in Week 11.

That means you can spend your entire football Sunday watching other games across the league. As the end of the season gets closer, you’ll want to keep a closer eye on the AFC West and the rest of the AFC. You can check out the box scores or watch the RedZone Channel on your Fubo.tv account (try it for free).

Here are the top games for Chiefs fans to keep an eye on in Week 11:

Steve Flynn–USA TODAY Sports

Texans at Ravens – noon CT

The most important reason to watch this football game is because it’s likely to be one of the best of the regular season. You’ve got two high-powered AFC offenses going toe-to-toe with some big-time implications in the AFC playoff picture. That last part is also important for Kansas City Chiefs fans.

If the Ravens lose, it puts the Chiefs one game closer to the No. 2 seed again. On the other hand, if the Texans lose it also helps Kansas City because they hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs. Could the football gods bless the Chiefs with a draw in this game? Probably not.

Texans looking at the near-future by resting Will Fuller, Bradley Roby vs. Ravens

The Houston Texans are resting wide receiver Will Fuller and cornerback Bradley Roby vs. the Baltimore Ravens. They are doing so for their future.

The Houston Texans will be without an offensive and defensive starter for Sunday’s AFC showdown with the Baltimore Ravens. Both wide receiver Will Fuller and cornerback Bradley Roby did not travel with the team on Saturday, as they are nursing hamstring injuries.

The Texans’ decision to rest the two — despite being limited in practice all week — comes with eyes set towards the future. Houston will host the Indianapolis Colts four days after battling the Ravens.

The Texans would prefer to have two of their best players for a critical divisional matchup rather than rush them into a series of two games in four days prematurely.

“Look, you have a situation here where you have a game on Sunday, which is an important game — they’re all important games — then you turn right around and you’ve got a game Thursday night,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Friday. “So, you have to weigh all that. You have to weigh where they’re at relative to what our medical personnel are telling us and where they’re at, how they feel.”

Though the availability Fuller and Roby for a big-game would be ideal, Houston is looking at the big picture. Rushing a player back off of a hamstring injury rarely warrants positive results, as they tend to be lingering ailments.

The Texans saw the lingering nature of a hamstring injury in 2018. Then-rookie Keke Coutee missed most of the season for a non-major hamstring injury that aggravated itself seemingly every time he returned.

Rest is a proven method to avoid re-injury with hamstrings. The Texans will not make the mistake of not giving two of their best players rest.

On Sunday, the Texans will trot out Kenny Stills in-place of Fuller and likely the duo of Gareon Conley and Johnathan Joseph at cornerback. They are doing so to ensure that in a Thursday rivalry game, they will get to trot out Fuller and Roby — not their backups.

Texans WR Keke Coutee has good week of practice before Ravens matchup

Heading into their Week 11 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans wide receiver Keke Coutee had a good week of practice.

Keke Coutee may be clawing his way out of the dog house. After a good week of practice, the Houston Texans wide receiver may not be a healthy scratch in his third straight week.

“He did a good job. Yeah, he did a good job,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Friday on Coutee’s practice, “it was a good week.”

Before Houston’s Week 10 bye, coaches alluded to Coutee’s lack of attention to detail being a catalyst for his recent inactive status. Since dropping a critical pass in a Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the second-year slot specialist has not played a snap.

Coutee has recorded 13 receptions for 154 yards on the year. In 2018, as a rookie, he amassed 28 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown.

The Texans’ coaching staff has not indicated whether or not Coutee will play on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. However, with a good week of practice behind him, his chances of doing so are rising.

Texans WR Will Fuller, CB Bradley Roby ruled out for Week 11 against the Ravens

On Saturday, the Houston Texans officially ruled out wide receiver Will Fuller and cornerback Bradley Roby against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Houston Texans will not be at full strength for their much-anticipated Week 11 bout with the Baltimore Ravens. On Saturday, the team announced that wide receiver Will Fuller and cornerback Bradley Roby will not travel with the team to Baltimore, as each deal with hamstring injuries.

Fuller sustained a significant hamstring pull early in Houston’s Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He has not played since. He returned to practice on a limited fashion after the Week 10 bye.

Fuller has tallied 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns on the year. The Texans will attempt to negate his lost presence with Kenny Stills, Keke Coutee, DeAndre Carter and Steven Mitchell.

In the third quarter of the Texans’ Week 6 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Roby suffered a hamstring injury. He has not played since; instead, practicing in a limited fashion since the injury,

Roby is the Texans’ top cornerback, allowing an 88.3 passer rating in coverage in 2019, per Pro Football Reference. Gareon Conley, Lonnie Johnson, Johnathan Joseph, Vernon Hargreaves, Keion Crossen and Cornell Armstrong round-out the rest of their depth chart at the position.

Report: Texans work out former first-round OL Joshua Garnett

On Friday, the Houston Texans worked out free agent offensive guard Joshua Garnett, who was a first-round selection in 2016.

The Houston Texans continue to try-out former first-round selections. On Friday, the team worked out former first-round offensive lineman Joshua Garnett, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans did not immediately sign Garnett to a contract.

Garnett, 25, was a San Francisco 49ers first-round pick out of Stanford in 2016. The team selected him at No. 28 overall before starting him for 11 games as a right guard in his rookie season.

Injuries have hampered Garnett’s young career. He missed the entirety of his second season with a knee injury, followed by surgery. In the 2018 season-opener, he suffered a toe dislocation, causing him to miss six games. Later in the same season, he broke his thumb — ending his season.

San Francisco declined Garnett’s fifth-year option in the offseason. The 49ers released him on the cut-down day (Aug. 31, 2019). Since he has received little interest.

Currently, the Texans have three guards on the roster in Max Scharping, Zach Fulton and Greg Mancz.