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Hello! This is KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy checking in with this week’s Texans newsletter.
HELLO PRESEASON!
Time has flown by since training camp officially opened July 29 at NRG Park. Since then, the team has gone through 10 days of workouts to begin preparations for the preseason. Remember things changed last year with the addition of a game to the regular season that meant the preseason games would shrink by one game. That means only three games for teams leading up to the regular season. The Texans will open with the Saints on Saturday, travel to LA to face the Rams next Friday, and then will return home to NRG Stadium the following week to host the 49ers. The team will make some final cuts and then it’ll be go time September 11 against the Colts at home.
SAINTS COME MARCHING INTO H-TOWN
The grind of training camp gives way to actual football games and that is a good thing! Now we finally get to see these guys in uniform and on the field in game conditions to begin evaluating what kind of talent the Texans have in 2022. You know us media types when it comes to football and roster - We always like to act like we know more than we really do. Very few media folks know the evaluation process and have that keen eye for things on the field. I’m one that freely admits I’m not an expert and leave it to the coaches who know what they are doing far more than any of us. They eat, sleep, and breathe football -- tackling film breakdowns, player evaluations, and all that goes with building a roster. They are the experts.
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY
Saints are here Saturday night and we won’t see many of the starters play much as is normally the case. No sense risking injury. We’ll see them more in game two vs. the Rams and some against the 49ers. The player I’m most excited to see is rookie RB Dameon Pierce who has had a great camp. He’s a bulldozer out there who will run you over in a heartbeat. The Texans need to ramp up their running attack and need Pierce to produce along with veteran Marlon Mack. Look for both Saturday. I also hope that 2nd year WR Nico Collins gets some extended snaps. He’s looked solid as well and with the added weight to his frame, look for 2022 to be a big season for Collins. Defensively, I want to see rookie safety Jalen Pitre in action for the first time. The Stafford High School and Baylor Alum is excited about his debut and will have close to 30 family and friends in the crowd.
TOP QUOTES FROM THE WEEK: JALEN PITRE AT THE PODIUM
How has your transition been to the NFL?
“I have a great coaching staff that’s teaching me the game, that helped me understand the playbook very fast, and also I have great teammates that lend a helping hand when I need it. So I’m grateful for that.”
At what point of this training camp did you notice your instincts line up to your knowledge?
“Yeah, I would say I’m still growing. I’m still understanding the playbook, understanding what offenses like to do in the NFL, and I love the game of football, so I love learning every day, and I feel like I’m doing that. I’m just continuing to go up. I feel like I haven’t really reached any plateau yet. I’ve got a long way to go.”
Does it seem like your game translates at this level? Is it sort of a confidence booster to see the plays you made in college and the plays you’ve made here?
“Yeah, coming in I just wanted to make sure that I was confident from the start. I understand that I don’t know what I’m doing fresh off, and I think that when you approach something you’ve got to start with confidence in order to grasp the material and be able to go out there and make the plays when it’s needed. I try to approach everything with a confident mindset, and I think that’s helped me.”
Some of your teammates have mentioned you in their interviews - how impressed they’ve been with what you’ve been able to do in camp. What’s that respect mean to you, that you’re being noticed?
“Definitely, it means the world to me. I’m trying to gain those guys’ respect and I’m trying to show them that I belong. That’s big that they feel like I’m doing a great job, but I want to continue to grow and continue to match their intensity.”
What are the things that have stuck out the most so far about the pro level?
“I would say the quarterbacks, their decision making is very good. They’re very patient. The offense is doing a great job at giving us different looks and showing a lot of different things, so I enjoy going against them. Just the overall intensity of the defense, every day they come out, they’re ready to compete, and that just makes me want to go harder. Just the overall atmosphere of the NFL, it’s second to none.”
So start the countdown to the new season. Inside a month to go, but for now we have three weeks of preseason games to find out who will stand out and earn the coveted roster spots.
Watch and enjoy and see you soon at NRG!
