Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
On the status of T Tytus Howard
"Tytus [Howard], he's still dealing with that [hand injury] and will probably be out for a while. We'll re-address that later."
On what he's seen out of the growth of G Kenyon Green
"Yeah, how's Kenyon [Green] doing? Kenyon is doing a really good job. He loves football. Loves to play football, you can see it. He's excited when he's out there playing, he's competitive, and he's continued to get better. He's grinding through camp, pushing himself, and he's getting better and it's fun to watch. I think he's going to be a really good, important piece to what we're doing up front, and it's fun to see him continue to grow in his second year."
On what happened to T Tytus Howard
"Like I said, Tytus [Howard] will be out for a while. We'll re-address that later."
How long do you expect him to be out?
"I'll let you guys know later."
On how much he plans to play the starters in Thursday's preseason game at New England
"Each person – it'll be dependent upon each person. Right now, as I see it, guys [will be] going out [and] hopefully getting a couple series' depending on how it goes."
On how much QB C.J. Stroud will play on Thursday
"Yeah, we'll see. He [C.J. Stroud] will go out there, as well. Most of our guys will get work."
On how his knowledge as a former player can help his team leading up to the first preseason game
"I think [in] preseason, it's very important because we've gone through the practice process, and we've seen guys make plays out here at practice, but it's different. Some guys rise to the occasion when the lights come on, and some guys unfortunately don't. So, it'll be really good, really interesting to see who continues to shine and make plays in that competitive match against the Patriots. So, I'm really looking forward to it to see which young guy is going to step up and make plays for us."
On what he's seen from DT Sheldon Rankins since he started practicing
"Yeah, what I've seen with Sheldon [Rankins], he's been exactly the guy – Sheldon was a guy I tried to get to [San Francisco] a couple years ago, and he's still the same guy. Explosive, [a] leader, brings great energy to that group. Sheldon has been in this system for a while, so he does a really good job of leading and teaching our younger guys, teaching them the nuances of the technique and how it works for him. So, he's been an excellent acquisition for us, and I'm very pleased with adding him to our team. He's going to be a big time help for us."
On the competition at the open defensive tackle spot next to DT Maliek Collins
"Yeah, we have good competition right now. Sheldon [Rankins] will be the guy for us."
On what the conversation was like with DT Sheldon Rankins when joined the Texans
"Yeah, it was the right situation for him [Sheldon Rankins] at the right time. He's excited to come here and play in Houston and he's excited to be a leader for us in that room, and that's what we want. Veteran guys coming in [and] still have a lot to prove. [He] still has a chip on his shoulder to show that he's one of the best interior defensive linemen in this league, but he's also unselfish enough to help the other men in that room to come along as quickly as possible."
On what he's looking for on special teams when evaluating the roster
"When I look at special teams and what I'm looking for: What sets guys apart in special teams? First off, it's the 'want to.' A lot of these guys are used to being starters coming in from college. It's a 'want to.' I want to be out there and make plays for [my] team on special teams. And if special teams has to be important to those guys, and that's where kind of the back end of the roster – that's where guys separate themselves, because you can only take 46 [players] to the game, and guys have to be able to play multiple roles on special teams. So, it's very important to what we do. Guys can't just be offense or defense only, they have to be able to contribute to a very important phase of the game in special teams. So, this game here, and the next couple preseason games, that's where we'll see guys separate themselves. Who can go out and make plays on special teams? It will be vital."
On the balance between not wanting to show too much of your scheme but still wanting to be able to execute at a high level
"When it comes to scheme for preseason games, for me, it's about our guys getting better and improving at the technique that we've been working. People have tape, they know what we do defensively, so we're not going to surprise anybody, but it's all about how well our guys play their technique. That's going to be the deciding factor right there. So, I just want to see guys go out [and] play with clear minds. I want to see guys play fast, play physical."
On what he wants to see out of QB C.J. Stroud's first NFL game
"From C.J. [Stroud], in this game, I just want to see a guy come out and command the huddle. Command the huddle, command the offense. Get us lined up, get everybody on the same page and just operate efficiently."
