John Harris and Marc Vandermeer are live on 95.7 The Fan at 10am and 6pm every day during training camp. Listen and subscribe to Texans All-Access on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The last day of training camp is always a GREAT day, but when the Texans finish training camp with an outstanding performance in a joint practice, it's even better. On the Carolina Panthers practice fields, the Texans flipped the switch from Monday's practice and showed everyone in attendance what type of team this can be in the 2026 season. Let's dive into my last Harris Hits of the season from Charlotte, NC.
I, again, spent the day with the Texans offense and I'm so very glad that I did. Before practice I asked QB coach Jerry Schuplinski if he liked joint practices and he said very much so. I could see why because his QBs, alongside the receivers, TEs, RBs and OL, had a very, VERY good, excellent kind of day.
Don't Post Until It's Over
My nephew, who grew up in Charlotte adoring the Panthers, sent me a tweet from a local Charlotte reporter from early in practice. The gist was that the Panthers were stuffing the run and made two plays on the ball for pass breakups. This is why I never like tweeting or posting until everything is done and over, because after that second pass breakup, the Panthers defense didn't get a hand on another C.J. Stroud or Davis Mills pass. In fact, those two went HAM on the Panthers secondary for the rest of the practice, about 80% of the entire day.
On the second play of the first team period, Stroud kicked off the fireworks, so to speak, with a quick slant to Nico Collins across the middle. Ripped fastball for an easy first down. I was standing on the sideline in my customary sideline position and could hear the offense cheering on nearly every play. A lot of "ATTABOY 12!", "GOOD SHOT, 7!"
ALL DAY TO THROW
Nearly every time that Stroud/Mills went back to pass, they had a pristine pocket. I can't tell you how much I wrote "ALL DAY TO THROW!!" It's all over my notebook. T Blake Fisher got a ton of time at tackle with all the groups and had a fantastic day. I didn't remember seeing Pro Bowl star DT Derrick Brown anywhere near Stroud. Both OL groups were fantastic, which made the injury to Braden Smith that much more difficult to see. He left practice on a cart inside and I hope that he's going to be okay.
Hutch's Best Day Yet
The Panthers did a solid job on run fits early in the team period as David Montgomery did have a little bit of struggle to get going, but in the second team period, he nearly housed one on a beautiful slalom of a run. I'll get to that in a little bit, but it was the pass game that caught fire and it might have been the best practice I've ever seen for Xavier Hutchinson.
Hutch caught everything thrown his way in every area of the field. After the Panthers slowed Montgomery on a run, Stroud threw an out route to Hutchinson on our sideline. That ball was thrown perfectly and Chau Smith-Wade was in good position in his coverage on Hutch. But, Hutch stretched his body out and snatched the catch with vice grip hands for a first down. Just seeing that throw/catch in the back of my mind, damn, that was so pretty. And, the fact that Stroud beat the blitz with that decision/throw was even more impressive.
The thing was that Hutch did that all throughout the day. There will be more, just hold on.
To start the second series in the first team period, the Panthers brought blitz again and Stroud threw a magical dart to WR Nico Collins for another completion. Stroud, the OL, the TE and the RB did a great job picking up blitzers and the WR did a great job getting into open spaces quickly for their QBs.
A couple of plays later on third down, Stroud, again, went to Hutchinson for another completion on another blitz.
QB Davis Mills came into the team period and on his first throw, he scrambled to his right to avoid a bit of pressure. As he neared the sideline, he saw WR Jared Wayne back inside, like WAY back inside and Mills threw back across his body to the former Pitt star pass catcher for another completion.
Montgomery Found a Truck-Sized Crease
The second team period started with the best run of the day for RB Montgomery. He slashed his way through the Panthers with a truck sized opening. He darted through and took a glancing blow from a safety, stayed up and continued all the way down the field. Texans OL snatched souls on that play.
Two plays later, TE Cade Stover hit a beautiful kick out block on the edge and Montgomery darted through for another plus run (as I called it).
On the next play, the Panthers brought a five man pressure and Stroud threw a back shoulder ball to Nico Collins right in front of me. BEAUTIFUL. Pass protection picked up every blitzer/pass rusher and Stroud layered a tremendous throw to Collins as star DB Mike Jackson couldn't gather his balance to defend the throw. As Wesley Snipes said in "White Men Can't Jump" that was "SO PRETTY!" We must be going to Sizzler tonight…IYKYK.
Then, Mills came in and on a third down simulated play, he ran a quick sprint to his right and stuck one on rookie WR Lewis Bond for a first down.
Stroud came back in on the next play and found Montgomery on the same play that the Texans ran against the Chiefs in last year's SNF win in Arrowhead. The linebacker blitzed and was a free runner, but that was by design as it was last year in KC because it left Montgomery wide open. Stroud hit 32 in stride for a big gain.
Then, behind a GORGEOUSLY created pocket, Stroud had time to find Hutchinson, again, on a deep-in route for another significant completion. After the Panthers did a good job stopping a run in its tracks, Stroud hit Jared Wayne with a quick throw and the lanky fourth year receiver sprinted upfield for a big gain before getting popped by rookie S Zakee Wheatley.
Spreading It Around in the Third Period
The third team period started with a Montgomery run that was slowed by a blitzing Tre'von Moehrig. But, Stroud lasered one to Collins on the far sideline for a strong gain. Then, it was time to find Hutchinson again, which Stroud did on a curl route on the next play. Two plays later, Cade Stover threw a great block for RB Woody Marks to get the second year RB out on the edge for a chunk run.
After a scramble didn't yield much on first down, Stroud hit Jared Wayne on second down on a dig route for a big completion. Then, he connected on a beautiful pitch-and-catch with WR Jaylin Noel across the middle for a key fourth down conversion.
Owen Wright Runs North and South
I'll say it again, he just got here, seemingly, but I really like the way that Owen Wright runs the ball. He's low to the ground. Powerful. Runs hard. No dancing. Just north and south with a little wiggle when he needs it. He got the first run in the next series and hit it up inside for a solid five or six yard gain.
Two plays later, Mills completed one to WR Sterling Shepard for a first down - a little quick dart throw to the veteran on fourth down. On the next play, Mills dotted Stover for another completion as Stover settled up between the CB and the LB for another positive gain.
Mills Fires a Fastball to the Back Line
Team period #4 was so close to being incredible. On the second play of the drive, Stroud just missed Montgomery on a long throw up the sideline. Oh, so damn close. Then, Stroud missed a connection with Collins - there wasn't much room to fit a ball into Nico but Stroud got it on his person, but there was just too much traffic. But, on the next play, Woody took a toss and got to the outside in a hurry. Really solid productive run.
Mills then hit rookie TE Marlin Klein on a little short catch-and-run to get down inside the ten yard line, one play after RB Deuce Vaughn got a carry for the first time as a Texan.
Then, Mills had one of his best throws throughout this month-long training camp. He spied Jared Wayne in the back of the end zone and FIRED a FASTBALL to him on the back line. Wayne snagged it easily for another Texans TD.
To start team period five, Stroud and the offense didn't do much on the first two plays. Then, he found Jaylin Noel as the fourth or fifth option on a pass play. Stroud started the play looking to his right, but he had all day so when he didn't find anything there, he turned left. There, he found Noel coming underneath the coverage, dotted him and then Noel got it down to the one yard line.
On the next play, a fourth down play from the one, Stroud faked left and then found Noel in the right flat for a TD.
Two Minutes, Mission Accomplished
Last week against the Raiders, the offense had dominated much of the action, but both two minute situation drives for Stroud and Mills ended in interceptions. Uhhh, not today.
Stroud's two minute situation went like this…
- Completion to TE Dalton Schultz
- GREAT catch on the sideline by Xavier Hutchinson
- Slant route completion to Justin Watson in the face of the blitz.
- Completion to rookie Lewis Bond who sprinted into the end zone from about 20-25 yards out and the sideline went nuts.
4-4, 65-70 yards, the ball never hit the ground. Mission accomplished.
Mills's two minute situation went like this…
- Wonderful back shoulder fade to Jared Wayne - What a damn catch/throw!
- Another deep shot completion to Wayne
- Slant route completion to Watson
- Throwaway INC with no one open - great pass pro, but just no one open.
- Backline SEED to WR Treyvhon Saunders for a TD
4-5, 65-70 yards, the ball hit the ground once, TD to Saunders, Mission accomplished…again.
That was 9-10 for 140 yards or so, the ball hit the ground once, two TDs. Damn good finish.
Hunter and Hawk Went to Work
Reading some posts/tweets from the media that watched the Carolina offense against the Texans defense, it appeared as if Danielle Hunter went to work. Someone had him with four unofficial sacks on the day. Hawk, aka Calen Bullock, had two interceptions. The Chronicle's Jonathan Alexander told me it was a massacre in the Texans favor. I listened to some of the Panthers post practice stuff and it came across as a "lesson learned and opened our eyes to what needs to improve." I had a good friend of mine in the media tell me before practice he was worried that the Texans were going to dominate…all day long. He was right.
Last Call From Charlotte
It's been a tremendous training camp and I hope that you have liked reading my Harris Hits as much as I enjoy putting them together for y'all to consume when you're not physically with me. I like being your eyes and brain for as long as I can. Thank you and see you on Friday night for the finale of the preseason.
