I taught Derek Carr how to throw a football.
(Editor's Note: Fact Check! No. You did NOT, Vandermeer. Just because you and Derek threw the ball around a bit, when he was a little kid, doesn't mean you taught him anything.)
OK. I was just seeing if you were paying attention.
Actually, Derek could sling it, even in the sixth grade. He and I would play catch at practice sometimes back in the early days of Texans history. He asked me to announce his team's games. He had no fear and was respectful and terrific with adults. It didn't work out for his brother here but there was little doubt Derek would get his shot.
Carr left the Raiders as the all-time leading passer in franchise history, racking up more yards than Jim Plunkett, Ken Stabler and Rich Gannon. But he never accomplished his mission of winning a title. Now he's with an offense that has a ton of firepower and they're coming off a blowout win over New England.
If you can't be at the game, here’s your prescription.
To learn more about the Saints, and to get the latest on the team, check out this Texans Radio interview with Executive VP and GM Nick Caserio.
If you're wondering why I'm in a tie it's because I was just MCing an event with cancer survivors. It's Crucial Catch week, presented by Kroger, and it stirs up a lot of emotions from everyone who has had family members (or themselves) affected by cancer, which seems to be just about everybody.
It's been a busy bounce-back week around here. Injuries are always an issue but more players are starting to trend in the right direction and everyone is getting fired up to play in front of the NRG Stadium crowd. Drew Dougherty has your update and you can read it in less time than it takes me to run to restroom at halftime.
Finally, it feels like, other than C.J. Stroud, it's a different player who steps up for the offense every week. Last week Dalton Schultz led the way in receptions with seven. He also had the go-ahead TD catch.
Deepi Sidhu visited with him and asked, among other things, about his relationship with Jason Witten. This is must-see TV.
This is a big game. If the Texans win it, they head to the bye with momentum and a .500 record this deep into the season for the first time in a long time. The Saints are only making their third regular season visit here. Let's make it memorable.
