A little Friday rain wasn't going to put a damper on anyone's fun, but it did have an impact on the Texans seventh training camp practice.
One side of the ball did not have a fun time practicing in the constant drizzle out at the Houston Methodist Training Center and let's just say that it wasn't the defense.
Regardless, we'll dive deeper into the day's proceedings with my Harris Hits from Friday. Let's ROCK!
1. Okay, before we get started a quick apology to my man Jalen Pitre. I credited Derek Stingley Jr. with a punch out for a fumble on Wednesday, but it was #5. Great play, JP, sorry I screwed it up. Alright, NOW let's get to Friday's action.
2. We finally got some 1-on-1's during the practice and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans snuck a 5-minute period at the end of our radio interview with former Texan DL/former North Shore HS star Earl Mitchell. I saw 1-on-1 go up on the practice video board and my headphones were off in a half-second. Before Marc knew it, I was channeling my inner Forrest Gump "RUN FORREST RUN" for field two to see the OL/DL finally going mano-a-mano. I made it for all but two or three reps but as soon as I got there, I saw OG Shaq Mason long arming a defensive tackle in pass protection. I mean, c'mon, that's some strength.
3. I've said this a few times about OC Juice Scruggs throughout his short two years here: he's one strong mother you know what. On the two reps that he faced DT Khalil Davis, Scruggs stood strong, anchoring well against Davis's power. Khalil has that built-in leverage and power, but Scruggs did an excellent job with his pad level to not allow Davis to bull rush effectively.
4. OG Kenyon Green faced one of the more underrated dudes in DT Mario Edwards Jr. As he's known, "Rio" tried to bull rush Kenyon on the first rep, but the former Aggie All-American anchored in and locked up Edwards. But on the second rep, Kenyon was a little tall in his set and Edwards was able to control the rep and win with his power and great hands.
5. Oh, you, Jerry Hughes. The 15-year veteran has pass rush game for days. On his first rep, he went speed-to-power, bull rush and then went straight to his wicked ghost move on the second rep. If I didn't know that was Jerry, I'd think I was watching a young veteran with rush upside and potential. He's just so frisky right now in camp.
6. I'm going to hit on DT McTelvin Agim later for a handful of reasons, but he was a clean winner in his first battle in one-on-ones. Arm over. Win. He's been so impressive. On the second rep, though, powerful OG Kendrick Green was ready and handled Agim's bull rush.
7. From the first day he arrived in Houston two years ago, DT Kurt Hinish has been a menace in pass rush 1-on-1's. He used a bull rush to an arm over that got him clean to the QB.
8. OG Jaylon Thomas is a guy a few fans are now starting to recognize and ask me about during practice. He had a couple of solid reps in the pass rush 1-on-1 period.
9. I thought Jarrett Patterson's two reps at guard v. Davis were as competitive as any in this period. I loved the way each got after it in the two reps. JP won the first and KD won the second with speed-to-power bull rush.
10. Agim, who I mentioned earlier, got the best of OL Dieter Eiselen with a nice, late arm over move to get clean at the end of the rush. On the second rep, though, Eiselen caught Agim going over the top and was able to gain leverage and move Agim away from the QB. Two good reps for each guy.
11. I didn't get to see any of the WR/DB one-on-ones, but I did see QB C.J. Stroud layer a BEAUTIFUL throw to WR Noah Brown, who laid out to snag the ball 1-handed for a TD. That was as pretty a catch as we've seen in this training camp. Stellar stuff.
12. During the next special teams period, K Ka'imi Fairbairn went 4-for-4 on his FG attempts. He hit from 40, 46, 52 and 60 (!!) yards, nailing each…on grass…during the rain…into a small wind. NICE!!
13. On the first play of the team period, LB Neville Hewitt ran down RB Dameon Pierce on an outside toss play just beyond the line of scrimmage. When I tell you Neville was FLYING, he was freakin' flying. When Hewitt can play the run, he's the perfect LB to do it.
14. The next play was a perfect example of how shifts and motion can get a matchup to the offense's liking. OC Bobby Slowik got the matchup he wanted, applying some offensive eye candy, for WR Stefon Diggs and C.J. put the ball right on the money for a completion.
15. But, on the third down play, S Jimmie Ward was a shadow for TE Dalton Schultz and knocked away Stroud's pass for a PBU. Then, Stroud missed Tank Dell on the fourth down play, a combination of bad footing and a wet ball didn't help the cause, to say the least.
16. It was really after that completion from Stroud to Diggs when the offensive wheels started to come off the machine. Two plays into the next series and the offense had consecutive false starts and those weren't the last of the day.
17. Four or five plays into that series, rookie RB British Brooks took a toss and ran right at me…or so it seemed. He was moving and got to the edge, so he got vertical as soon as he got that edge. Immediately, I could see a collision was coming. Brooks eyed fellow rookie S Calen Bullock and neither bull was going to back down. The sound was just WOW and Brooks didn't really slow down after lowering his shoulder into Bullock. The rookie from North Carolina had a solid day.
18. The next play was a wonderful inside run, blocked beautifully, for Brooks who sped forward without getting touched until he was at the third level.
19. A few series later, Brooks was the lone back in a third down situation. The defense brought the blitz, at least six were coming. I saw the guard slide down and the tackle slide out, which meant either the LB had a free run to the QB or Brooks was coming. The rookie didn't forget. Brooks hit the LB right in the face to give his QB time to make the throw without a blitzer in his throwing area.
20. The defense did get a sack after Brooks inside run with a blitz that sacked the quarterback. Whoever was supposed to be the hot receiver didn't appear to run the hot route as Davis Mills tried to throw to him. That turned into a Desmond King sack.
21. The next three plays for the offense went as follows. The first play was a completion to TE Cade Stover, solid gain. The next play was completely swallowed up by DT Agim for a TFL. The third play was a false start.
22. Then, QB Tim Boyle threw a beautiful ball to WR Ben Skowronek on a crossing route. Boyle didn't throw the fastball but he didn't need to do so. He put a little bit of air under it to get over the linebackers to Skowronek and the former Notre Dame receiver made the catch for a first down. A couple of plays later, it appeared the Texans scored a TD on a Boyle-to-Steven Sims pass. But the offense was called for pass interference on what was perceived as a pick play in the end zone, negating the score. The interior defensive line shut down the next run by RB J.J. Taylor.
23. Following the defense's stout stop on the previous series, the number one group coverage-sacked Stroud on the next two plays. DE Danielle Hunter and DE Will Anderson Jr were feasting during the practice and lived in the backfield on those two plays. Stroud then hit Diggs on a screen and the OL worked its butt off to get in front of number one on the run. Stroud then found a wide open TE Brevin Jordan in the flat for the easiest completion of the day.
24. The next series was a no gain run, incomplete pass, incomplete pass and short gain on a sweep. The second defensive crew totally dominated that series of four downs.
25. Boyle checked one down to Taylor on the far side of the field and it appeared as if Taylor might have something up the field. But, as soon as he started up the field, LB Jake Hansen punched the ball out and recovered. Undeterred, Boyle ripped a fastball into the chest of TE Teagen Quitoriano on the next play.
26. RB Cam Akers burst his way through some good OL blocking on the next play with one of the best runs of the day. I liked that the offense got Akers more involved on Friday and it was this run that showed a little more of what he can do. He just slipped and cut and sliced his way through openings to get loose into the secondary.
27. Then, another fracas started. Now, I didn't see this one as I was writing down that LB Max Tooley just missed out on an interception. Then, as I looked down, I heard the crowd and some whistles, looked up and saw the two teams going cats and dogs again. I don't know what happened, but I can only imagine that the offense is just more into existentialism than the defense is and the discussions about it just create mayhem.
28. Before the third team period, the offense spent the last 45 seconds of the break circling up to seemingly all get on the same page. Pumped up and ready to go for play number one and the offense…false started. It was that kind of dirty day for the offense and this was just the unfortunate perfect example of the day that the offense had on Friday.
29. S Jalen Pitre did all he could to hold back on blasting Dell a few plays later. Pitre read a screen the whole way and as the ball arrived on Dell's person, so did Pitre. In a real game, Pitre would've put a receiver in the blue tent after separating him from the ball.
30. Next play, Hunter was so fast on Stroud that C.J. had only one option: check it down to Pierce.
31. Next play, coverage sack.
32. Next play, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, amongst others, stoned Pierce on a run play for no gain.
33. Next play, Hunter threw a spin move to get free inside to bother Stroud on the throw. In short, that series went south fast because of the stellar Texans defense. That group has been good this training camp, but perhaps not as good as it was on that series, my goodness.
34. When QB Davis Mills entered, he handed to Taylor on an inside run and Davis brought him to the ground with one arm. I mean, wow, the strength that's needed to do that to an NFL RB is highly impressive.
35. Mills threw deep to Brown and as soon as I wrote down "GREAT CATCH, O PLAY OF THE DAY!" CB Mike Ford was able to dislodge the ball as Brown and Ford hit the ground.
36. A few plays later, Boyle lasered one to WR Johnny Johnson on an inside route up the field, but as Johnson sprinted upfield, a defender knocked it out. I missed the punch out because, again, I was taking notes furiously and that's no excuse, I have to be better. A defender deserved credit and I couldn't give it!! Inexcusable.
37. On the first play of the last team session, a two minute situation period, Anderson was on Stroud so fast that Stroud could only throw the ball away. On the next play, Stroud made his best throw of the day with a perfectly placed sideline throw to Dell.
38. But Stroud was not done. On the next play, a blitz from the defense, Stroud hit WR Nico Collins on the in route for a significant gain. I also loved seeing Pierce picking up the blitzing LB to give his QB time to throw. That was a GREAT blitz pickup and a solid way to finish the day after some serious struggles.
39. Agim then knocked down a pass at the LOS, one play after Hughes created pressure to force a throwaway.
40. Boyle had three straight completions to end the practice but he couldn't get off one final spike to stop the clock with any time remaining.
So, yeah, the Texans defensive line, led by its two star edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr, plus interior players like McTelvin Agim and Khalil Davis, created mayhem all day long. I know some analysts/fans/followers question the interior defensive line, but keep underestimating them. This DL made life very difficult on the offense on Friday. The rain added to the difficulties as well for the offense, but Saturday is another day. The offense will bounce back, no question, but this defense is on fire lately. See ya tomorrow, everyone.
