We got a ton of questions in this week's Dear Drew, so I added a few more below and answered them. Thanks for sending, and remember: if you miss the Facebook post from the Houston Texans, you can always tweet to me here.
Take care, and don't forget to brush your teeth.
Justin Studer: Dear Drew, What impact will Will Fuller have in the offense when he returns? And do you think it will assist the development of the other wideouts?
DD: He'll have a pretty significant impact. Because of his speed, opposing defenses have to respect his abillity to go deep. That means opposing safeties will likely cheat his direction, and back up a bit. If that happens, the run game benefits. So do the other receivers, who in theory, should get a little more room to maneuver. Add in Deshaun Watson's running ability, and it's another stressor for the defense.
Chris Robles: Dear Drew, There was a defensive holding penalty on New England that was waived off. I thought defensive holding was a penalty regardless of when in the play it occurred. Could you clarify?
DD: No Chris, I can't. You saw the same thing I did, and I have zero clue why they waved that flag off. Tyler Ervin was clearly held before the ball was thrown, so the penalty should've stood. Very frustrating, and very understandable why Bill O'Brien was angry.
Audrey Owen: Dear Drew, After Sunday's game you think they can keep it up and play every team like they played the Patriots? I know it was a loss but that was a great representation of team effort! Go Texans!
DD: Every matchup is different, Audrey. But the Texans we saw last Sunday are probably more representative of who they really are, than the team we saw in Week 1 against Jacksonville. Plus, Watson looks like he's quickly and continously progressing, which is a big bonus. So yes, they can certainly keep it up, and I believe, play even better. They won't see the best quarterback of all time again this regular season.
Alejandro Mazal: Dear Drew, Is there any possibility that Duane Brown will return before he absolutely has to due to NFL policy deadlines? if so, how much improvement in Deshaun Watson's game do you think we will see?
DD: It's certainly possible Brown returns sometime soon. Not sure when, mind you, but it's possible. The offensive line has improved from Week 1 to Week 2, and from Week 2 to last Sunday. If Brown comes back, it'll be even better. He's the greatest lineman in team history, and a Pro Bowl caliber left tackle. Those are rare. Not only would Watson benefit, but so would the rest of the offense.
I-Min Michael Mau: Dear Drew, when you look at the Titans, did you ever think that "Hey that's our team! Bud Adams stole our team!"
DD: Not really. But seeing Warren Moon and Earl Campbell and other Oilers names up on their Ring of Honor in Nashville is disconcerting. I loved the Oilers when I was growing up. Now I love the Texans.
Ramiro Rodriguez: Dear Drew, That was a hell of game, but almost winning doesn't count…. like O'Brien said there's no moral victories in the NFL. Moving forward to the next game, what do we have to improve on to beat the Titans? And how important is a W in this game considering we're sitting at the bottom of our division and we're facing a divisional opponent???
DD: Thanks for the question, Ramiro. The Texans did a great job of getting to the quarterback and forcing fumbles in the last game. Unfortunately, the ball popped right back to the Patriots a few times, and their offense was able to stay on the field. I think if the Texans continue to pressure opposing signal-callers, the turnovers will up going their way. That happens, and it cascades to great things going down for the Texans.
Chad Lee: Dear Drew, Why dont they give D'Onta Foreman more snaps? He's awesome. Go Texans.
DD: You're right, Chad. Foreman played really well against the Patriots. Bill O'Brien has said the rookie will continue to see more action, and he has. In Week 1, he played two snaps and got a carry. His numbers jumped against Cincinnati and New England, and it wouldn't be surprising to see that continue.
Ricky Jackson: Dear Drew, I love the mixing of plays on offense. Will we see even more new plays implemented this week?
DD: I would think so, Ricky. The Texans will likely continue to add more to Watson's plate throughout the season. Also, getting weapons like Bruce Ellington and Ryan Griffin back last week, and maybe Will Fuller this week, will help expand that as well.
Kevin Stone: Dear Drew, is J.J. Watt at 100% or is Jadeveon Clowney outplaying him or is Watt getting hammered and leaving things open for Clowney?
DD: Watt's finger is injured, but he had a profound impact on the game last Sunday. After picking up a tackle for loss on the first two plays of the game, and adding a tackle for no gain a little later in the opening drive, he routinely faced a tackle and tight end combo at the snap. On top of that, the Patriots sometimes sent a guard or a running back to help. Because of the attention Watt garnered, Clowney and Mercilus and Christian Covington and company were able to consistently pressure Brady.
Watt said Wednesday he was happy to draw attention away from those guys.
Mike Ledesma: Dear Drew, Bruce Ellington has been great so far. How has he produced so quickly?
DD: He was highly thought of coming out of South Carolina in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in three different offensive systems with the 49ers, and then was let go this summer. He made plays in training camp, in the preseason, and on Sunday at New England.
Justin Richmond: Dear Drew, If you had to choose your favorite moment in Texans history, what would it be? More importantly, where were you when it happened?
DD: Tough question. The final drive to take the lead in Cincinnatti in 2011 was a fun one. I was on the field, it was a crisp late autumn day, and the crowd was silenced each time the Texans made a big play on that drive. And there were a lot of big plays.
Shay Simmons: Dear Drew, Deshaun Watson famously said that he's chasing Brady, he wants 6 rings. With his performance Sunday, do you think he'll get there?
DD: That's asking a lot. But I'm not going to doubt Watson anytime soon. Let's just win on Sunday to start things off, cool?
Philip Huddleston: Dear Drew, Benardrick McKinney has been making his impact felt for two professional seasons now. What current NFL player does he remind you of and where do you project his ceiling is in the NFL?
DD: He's a pretty unique player. He's very tall. Very productive. He's really different than just about any linebacker I can think of. He was walking next to Jadeveon Clowney recently on the practice field, and they looked the same size. But they're very different players.
