Defensive tackle P.J. Hall showed up for the Houston Texans in their 34-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.
The former Oakland Raiders 2018 second-round pick from Sam Houston State produced four tackles, including a tackle for loss, in his 17 snaps for the Texans. The disruption in the middle of the defensive line was a welcomed addition as the club seeks answers along the interior defensive line.
Coach Bill O’Brien acknowledged to reporters Monday that Hall “did some good things” against the Chiefs, but stressed he would like to see consistency from the 6-1, 308-pound defensive tackle.
“Let’s see how it goes this week,” O’Brien said. “Different scheme, but, yeah, P.J. definitely showed up on Thursday night and made a few plays. That were good to see. So, let’s see if we can build on that this week in practice and just keep going.”
The Texans have been looking for solutions to replace defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason. Houston has a reliable veteran in Brandon Dunn, and even drafted former TCU Horned Frog Ros Blacklock in the second round. However, the level of disruption has tapered off as the Texans are transitioning from Reader to his successor.