On the fifth day of Texans Training Camp presented by Comcast, the Texans practiced in shoulder pads and shorts. The heat index again exceeded 100 degrees at the Methodist Training Center.
Quick-hit notes and observations from the practice field:
- Kickers Kris Brown and Neil Rackers began competing in front of the entire team for the first time in camp. They took turns kicking two field goals apiece from 27 yards, 37 yards and 43 yards. Brown was 5-of-6, while Rackers went 6-of-6. Brown's lone miss came on his second 43-yard attempt, which he hooked just left, but both kickers hit the ball solidly on each kick. I'll be writing plenty more about about this soon.
- The Texans were down about 10 players in the morning, including defensive end Mario Williams (hip) and linebackers Zac Diles (groin) and Xavier Adibi (groin). Texans coach Gary Kubiak said that defensive end Pannel Egboh went down in practice as well. "We've got a lot of nicks on our football team that happened in the last 24 hours," Kubiak said. "We're right in the middle of the hardest week of training camp and going through the things you normally go through. We've got to keep pushing and giving other guys an opportunity, and we've got to get some guys healthy."
- It was the team's first morning practice of training camp that was not open to fans, although about 300 children from TORO's Kids Club attended practice with their parents. Rice football coach David Bailiff, who coached second-year Texans tight end James Casey, also was at practice. The Texans' next open practice is this Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
