Got a question about the Texans?
Life in general?
Drew Dougherty's your guy.
He's been with the Texans since 2009 and is chock full of meaningful, as well as generally useless, information. Fire away by clicking HERE.
Monty Lombardozzi: Dear Drew, Will we actually play Diontae Johnson at wide receiver now that the playoffs are starting?
DD: Yes, Monty. The Texans threw to him four times on Sunday in Nashville, and he wound up with two receptions for a total of 12 yards. He'll likely get some more targets this Saturday, and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said Johnson "has been a pleasure to work with" and was encouraged by what he saw from the Pro Bowl pass-catcher.
"I thought he handled himself really well," Ryans said. "We will start to continue to feed him more to see how he can help us. The skillset, the talent is there it is just a matter of him integrating into our offense and making sure we put him in positions to where we can accentuate his talents because he is a talented player."
Homer Castillo: Dear Drew, Watching the way Dameon Pierce ran on Sunday, will we use the 1-2 running back system to wear down defenses?
DD: Pierce's performance in the win over the Titans was a reminder of his capabilities. He was one of the few bright spots in 2022, when he gained over 900 yards through 13 games. On Sunday in Nashville, he showed his power and speed off, and did a great job finding holes and wiggling through for gains.
Integrating him more with 1,000-yard rusher Joe Mixon would give the Texans an intriguing dynamic, and another thing to concern opposing defenses.
***Homer, congratulations: your question won you Texas Lottery Scratchoffs. Someone from the organization will soon be in contact with you.***
Cornelus Anthony, Sr.: Dear Drew, Can we expect any of the players that were injured back for the playoffs?
DD: We'll know more as the week progresses, but I think you'll likely see defensive end Will Anderson, Jr. (hand) and linebacker Christian Harris (ankle) on the field Saturday against the Chargers. They were inactive last Sunday in Nashville, but those two, along with defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (ankle), have a good chance at taking the field this weekend.
Mike Henry: Dear Drew, Will the roof be open for Saturday's game?
DD: No.
James Garcia: Dear Drew, Do you think that proximity of division teams like the AFC North all being so close together, distance-wise, has any impact on wins and losses? Does jet lag/time zone change, impact players?
DD: I'm sure it probably affects some players. But I don't think you can blame jet lag or time zone changes on whether or not a team wins Super Bowls. Think about it: the last AFC North team to win a Super Bowl was the 2012 Ravens. Since then, the Patriots and Chiefs have won multiple Super Bowls, and other teams like the Buccaneers and Seahawks have also hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. All four of those franchises likely have total air miles per season that are higher than the teams in divisions that are bunched closer together, geographically.
