The Texans conclude their preseason slate of games with a Saturday home matchup against the Rams. The two squads practiced with each other outside Thursday morning at the Houston Methodist Training Center. Last Saturday, the Texans blasted the visiting Giants, 28-10, in a game highlighted by a quintet of Houston takeaways. The Rams, meanwhile, have scored 13 points in each of their two preseason victories. Here are five things to watch when the Texans and Los Angeles kick of at noon CT inside NRG Stadium.
1 )Last chance - Saturday afternoon will be the last time many Texans will suit up for a game at NRG Stadium. It might also be the last time they suit up as professional football players. Roster cuts are looming, and every team in the NFL will cleve its roster from 90 players to 53 by 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
With all that in mind, Head Coach DeMeco Ryans described what he wants to see from his team in the final preseason contest.
"This last preseason game I'm really looking forward to the guys who get the reps and seeing them grow and improve," Ryans said. "Right now it's kind of like that final exam. We've been going for about a month here in training camp and all of the coaching points, and all of the tips we've been giving guys like can you go out and pass this final exam. Like how much have you grown, how much have you learned and can you showcase that on the big stage?"
Ryans also stressed, however, that for many of the players to get cut, it's not necessarily forever.
"You never know what happens," Ryans said. "The roster gets set next week, but that's never the final roster. That's always my message to guys. Even if it's a no on next week, that doesn't mean it's a definite no for the season. You just have to always remain ready and always understand how you're controlling what you can control."
2) Hands up – The wide receiver competition is a fierce one in Houston, with a slew of talented pass-catchers. Don't expect to see the likes of Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs or Tank Dell on Saturday. But there's a long list of contributors outside of that trio who are jockeying for spots on the roster. That long list is very talented, according to quarterback Case Keenum.
"There really is a lot of talent," Keenum said. "It's one of the deeper receiver rooms I've been a part of. I'm excited to throw to whoever is out there at whatever time."
Collins, who led the Texans with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns, has been particularly impressed by a pair of young receivers in Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie, III.
"'Hutch, that dude is special," Collins said. "'Metch, man he's balling too. For both of them, the sky's the limit and I feel like if they keep their head down, which they are, and continuing to take that one percent every day. It's going to be over with. But I'm glad for those boys, for sure."
Metchie caught a scoring pass in last Saturday's win, and also finished with a game-high six catches for 68 yards.
3) Rev up the run game – While we won't likely see Joe Mixon in uniform on Saturday, the competition behind him at running back remains a spirited one. Dameon Pierce's 2022 rookie season was one full of promise. Dare Ogunbowale, Cam Akers, J.J. Taylor, Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks have all shown flashes in preseason action so far in 2024 as well.
With all those back competing for roster spots, the Rams game is one last opportunity to impress.
Offensive tackle Tytus Howard, though, said the linemen must do their job to make it happen for the backs.
"We have some of the best running backs in the league, so we get up there and block who we need to block," Howard said. "It is not just the o-line upfront, it is a collective as an offense. Everybody has to block, even the receivers. That is just what we have to do. We have to work as a collective whole to get this run game going early on in the season. I think we are going to be able to do it."
4)Speaking of the trenches… - The defensive line is another spot with a lot of bodies and a limited number of roster spots available. The pass rush last Saturday was an active one from the outset, and played a big part in the defense coming up with the first quarter picks.
Of the linemen who play in this game, it's a final opportunity to show what they can do.
5) Clean sheet? – So far this preseason, the Texans have come up with eight takeaways. They haven't turned the ball over, either. Last Saturday was a plus-5 bonanza versus Pittsburgh: Houston ended the first two Steelers possessions with interceptions, and then recovered a trio of fumbles in the fourth quarter.
Last year in the regular season, the Texans were tied for fifth in the NFL at plus-10 in turnover differential. They finished the season strongly: from Week 12 through the end of the year they were positive or even in turnover differential in every game.
