Hello Texans fans! KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy here. We are off and running to a new NFL season! The fans are back and the games that count have arrived!
The Texans, considered by many nationally as one of the least talented teams in the NFL, sent a statement Sunday that they won’t go down easily. After sixty minutes of football at NRG Stadium they walked off the field a winner. Yes, the Texans earned some respect with the product they sent out against the Jaguars and after week one of the season the AFC South has one team unbeaten and leading the division.
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One down and sixteen to go in the 2021 campaign. Here’s what I saw in the opening win:
TEXANS OFFENSE
- These guys are on the same page. That was evident with the way the offense as a whole played all day. Credit Offensive Coordinator Tim Kelly for a great job of calling plays.
- QB Tyrod Taylor was calm, cool and collected throughout the game. This is year 11 and Taylor was steady while throwing for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns. He protects the ball well and always has.
- Running game averaged 3.9 yards per carry. 160 yards for the game and Mark Ingram led the way with 26 carries for 85 yards. Taylor also had 4 totes for 40 yards. Lindsay was 8 for 25 yards and a TD.
- WR Brandin Cooks was the man on Sunday as he should be. What a day for Cooks who finished with 5 receptions for 132 yards. He absolutely has to remain healthy for this offense to be effective.
- TE Pharaoh Brown is a beast. Big guy with great hands as he showed with that one handed grab that set up a first half touchdown. TE’s are big for this Texans offense and will be all season.
TEXANS DEFENSE
- Defensive Coordinator Lovie Smith has his “Lovie-Ball” rolling into the season. 10 takeaways in the preseason and now 3 more to start the regular season.
- They held the Jags to 76 yards but they came on 16 carries. That’s nearly 5 yards a carry so that will need to be cleaned up. Missed a few tackles on Carlos Hyde.
JAGS ROOKIE QB TREVOR LAWRENCE
- He’s going to be a star when he gets talent around him. He looked like a rookie with the three picks. He also threw it 51 times which is way more than Urban Meyer wants weekly.
- Lawrence improved for the most part as the game progressed. He’s a proven winner at Clemson and same for Urban Meyer. Together they will only improve.
TEXANS HEAD COACH DAVID CULLEY
- The players clearly love and respect Culley and his staff. Culley’s been around a long time and finally getting his shot as a Head Coach. He knows the game or he wouldn’t have been in the league this long. This team is obviously on the lower end of the talent scale which is why few give them much of a chance of winning over five games this season. That said, inside the building they are playing with a chip on their shoulder and believe in one another. I loved the social media post from the Texans inside the locker room when Culley spoke to the team and then Brandin Cooks spoke to the team. Cooks then directly spoke to Coach Culley on behalf of the team and tossed him the game ball.
WHAT’S AHEAD?
- It’s on to Cleveland and a date with a very good Browns team that fell short at Kansas City Sunday 33-29. Two second half turnovers cost them a chance to win.
- QB Baker Mayfield threw for 321 yards on 28 attempts. The more he throws the ball the better the offense was in 2020.
- Top running backs are Nick Chubb (83 yards vs. KC) and Kareem Hunt (33 yards vs. KC). Together they had 21 carries and accounted for 3 touchdowns vs. the Chiefs.
- Biggest question this week? Will WR Odell Beckham Jr. play vs. the Texans? OBJ was inactive vs. KC but could debut. He’s 10 months removed from a Torn ACL.
- Former Texans #1 pick in 2014 Jadeveon Clowney is a Browns DE opposite Myles Garrett who had a sack against the Chiefs.
So one game in the books and now it’s on to week two and a trip to Cleveland! Keep it locked on KPRC 2 Sports all week and of course watch Texans Gameday with David Culley Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. on KPRC 2.
