The Hits got a day off on Friday, so to speak, due to the walk-thru type practice that the Texans engaged in that day. I knew what that meant for today, honestly, especially, ESPECIALLY with a day off on Sunday and fans here on Saturday; this was going to be a long one. Oh, baby, was it ever and the defense asserted its dominance through the team sessions…and I'm probably being nice. I'm going to start right there in my Day Four Harris Hits.
SWARM+++
I've seen some really, REALLY good defenses up close and personal in this building, but I don't know that I've seen one with the talent AND the mentality this one has. DeMeco Ryans' acronym SWARM may not be enough to fully describe this group. It's like SWARM plus plus plus. They don't just want the ball, they want a piece of that offense too.
Once the defense got the offense rattled a bit in team periods and smelled blood in the water, it was ON! They kept pouring it on with pass rush pressure, picks, PBUs and a pair of pick sixes. The secondary threw a blanket over most of the downfield passing game. The rushers were having a day. Every single throw was challenged at every level of the defense. I'll get into particular instances that happened in practice, but the overall mentality is just, uh, DIFFERENT, in a good way.
Special teams has a special standard
I'll get into another high level thought on the special teams and Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross and his crew. I looked at my phone at some point late in practice and my phone said 10:47 am. That means the guys had been at it for nearly two hours when it was time for a kickoff coverage drill. A good number of these special teams guys have been together for a long time - Jake Hansen, M.J. Stewart, D'Angelo Ross etc…add in Nick Niemann too. They know the drill, it's late in practice, they just finished an intense O/D team period, yet when the kickoff returner caught the ball, they were FLYING 1000 miles per hour, full sprint to tag off on the returner.
The standard that they hold themselves is so impressive and obviously the energy and demanding nature of Ross and his coaching staff is answered with A+ effort on EVERY SINGLE REP. Just something I observed today and that's always been there, but impressive to see, nonetheless.
Eyes On Taylor & Hansen
One guy I haven't mentioned too much due to an absence of pads is newly acquired DE Darrell Taylor. I honestly can't believe that he's here. On the first play of a team period, he walked down a power run to the opposite side. Then, on his first pass rush rep, he threw a sick ghost move, slipping right under the right tackle to get clean to the QB. I mean, what? He's slick, smooth and the perfect complement to the power couple Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.
I mentioned LB Jake Hansen earlier as it pertains to special teams, but don't forget about that dude in the defensive scheme. In the first team period, the first offense ran an inside run with RB Dare Ogunbowale and I just saw this white-shirted blur flying to the ball - that was Jake. Really impressive.
The offense had a bit of an ominous start to the second hour of practice in the first team period. QB C.J. Stroud hit All-Pro WR Nico Collins on the first play on a slant route off play action. So, well run, so well exec…and Nico couldn't hang on. I told Marc, I've seen Nico drop one pass in a game in how many years? It felt like the offense rode the wave up and down the rest of the day.
Danielle Can Move, Y'all
I love that the defense has mega stars, NFL Top 100 players who play 100% all out in practice at all times. On the second play of the team period, RB Nick Chubb took a handoff out wide to the left and tried to escape the long arms of DE Danielle Hunter. Didn't happen. Hunter dipped inside underneath the left tackle and then sprinted back out to stop Chubb. So incredibly disruptive and on volume ten all the time.
Stroud then ran play action brilliantly drilling one to WR Xavier Hutchinson settled up in a hole in the zone coverage for a completion.
RBs On Point
RB Jawhar Jordan continues to impress me in practice. Look, with no Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce or J.J. Taylor, Jawhar is going to get a ton of reps and he's taking advantage of them. He's running the ball effectively inside on the varied inside run game in OC Nick Caley's offense. Jordan has bounce ability, but he knows he has to challenge himself to stay on track and use his vision and feel to his advantage for when the pads go on.
He wasn't alone, though, at the running back position on Saturday. Rookie RB Woody Marks runs like a gliding train coming down the tracks. He's built like a tank but he has make-you-miss ability inside and out.
He had two reps during the practice that stood out. The first one was a catch on a little bit of a scramble drill. He was eight to ten yards downfield trying to get to an open space when the QB delivered the rock. Marks was moving to his left but the ball was thrown behind him to his right. Without missing a step, he reached back behind him, caught the ball, secured it and headed upfield. The second one was on a circle route (Texas route) where he was man-to-man with the linebacker. He froze him with the outside fake then dipped back inside and QB Davis Mills hit him with an excellent throw.
Davis Dime Time & Stroud's Best Throw of the Day
Speaking of Mills, I saw him after practice and told him that I couldn't remember him throwing the ball any better than he had in the early start to camp. He's throwing seeds when needed. He's lofting passes into spaces for pass catchers to run into the catch. His touch and decision-making is on point.
He laid a DOUBLE ASTERISK DIME on WR Jared Wayne on an intermediate crosser for a completion on his first team period throw of the day. That ball had some sauce on it and it was right on the money to a stickily covered Wayne.
It was good to see young DT Junior Tafuna make a play early in practice against the run. Got a lot of kudos for that play from his defensive mates.
The first offense had its best period in team period #2. Stroud found what was maybe his third or fourth read WR Christian Kirk for a completion to start the drill.
After hitting TE Cade Stover out in the flat for a clean completion, Stroud made his best throw of the day. He had Kirk pushing up, and across, the field on a deep over route. Stroud layered that throw into the only spot that Kirk could catch-and-sprint up the field. Perfectly thrown pass, great catch, great offense.
Then, the defense went to a different level to end that series with a coverage sack.
D'Angelo Ross' Key Play
After practice, I walked in with DB D'Angelo Ross who had one of the best defensive plays of the day. He was matched on TE Dalton Schultz on a seam route up the field. Mills seemed to lay one perfectly just over Ross' head and Schultz seemed to capture the ball around Ross' arms. Immediately, Ross punched at the ball and broke up the pass to the joy of the white shirted defenders on his sideline.
The defense then "sacked" Mills with DTs Mario Edwards Jr and Tim Settle being nuisances for the Texans offensive line. Mills hit WR Justin Watson on the next rep out in the flat and the former Ivy League star sprinted up field for a solid gain.
I had a chance to interview second year DE Solomon Byrd last week and he's a different player in year two. He's putting together a solid rush plan and he's been difficult to block throughout the first few days. That MUST continue when the pads go on for the former USC star.
Then, the first defense took over their reps for the rest of practice. On the first one, the left side of the defense knocked the ball out of Stroud's hands and big #90 Sheldon Rankins caught it in the air for a takeaway. Then, Hunter destroyed a zone run and the next pass didn't have a chance as the pressure got to Stroud too quickly for anything to develop.
More Mills Magic
Mills kept applying pressure himself, though, which was GREAT to see. He threw his best pass of the day to TE Brevin Jordan. Mills had a ton of pressure in his face and spied Jordan in man coverage. Mills immediately threw to a spot, lofting over the line and away from the coverage as Jordan ran into the far side of the field, snagging it out of the air as he pulled away from the coverage. That touch was beautiful and it was great to see the class of 2021 linking up in that way.
Two Pick Sixes
On the next play, though, the defense was back on it. Rookie WR Jaylin Noel ran a deep dig route but rookie CB Jaylin Smith was on his hip the whole way. Mills ripped a fastball into the area where he expected Noel, but Smith was in perfect shape to knock it away. Then, as if to add injury to insult, so to speak, S Jaylen Reed arrived and delivered an unintentional blow to Noel as the two were breaking on the ball.
Two plays later, DB Myles Bryant struck. Hard. QB Kedon Slovis attempted to hit TE Irv Smith Jr. out in the flat, but Bryant jumped in front for a pick six. Just a wonderful play for Bryant who was playing the nickel a ton today.
So, the ones came back on the field and LB Azeez Al-Shaair repeated Bryant's work, pick sixing the offense on back-to-back plays. Azeez read C.J's eyes and took off for the spot. The ball ended up in that spot and The Zero followed the exact same path, in the same direction for six as Bryant had the play prior.
DE Will Anderson Jr and DT Tim Settle worked a stunt on the next pass rush to earn a coverage sack. Those two worked very well together on their pass rush stuff all day long.
On the next pass, Mills tried to find WR Xavier Hutchinson again, but that man rookie DB Jaylin Smith was right there on the spot for another PBU. Then, Mills was "sacked" on his final throw in that period.
In that third team period, the defense came away with multiple coverage sacks, two PBUs (Jaylin Smith), two INTs and two pick sixes on back-to-back plays. Going back to the first Hit of this article, I was standing on the defensive sideline and I could see those piranhas chomping at the bit to get back on the field. They smelled blood and were in ultra-SWARM mode the rest of practice.
Al-Shaair Looks Strong in Coverage
After last year's playoff game, I heard a bunch of noise about LB Azeez Al-Shaair and pass coverage. He must have heard it too because he was outstanding in that role on Saturday. He had that pick six earlier and then batted down a Stroud pass intended for Nico Collins in the final team period.
I mentioned rookie RB Woody Marks earlier in these Hits and he had a few impressive plays but one that'll stay with me was on a Davis Mills rep later in the final team period. The Texans defense brought the nickel on a blitz and as soon as the ball was snapped, I saw Woody step up in the A gap and I lost him in the OL/DL mosh pit. I remember thinking, DB Myles Bryant is about to blow up this play. Then, out of nowhere, Marks darted back out to intercept Bryant and allow Mills time to throw. What's the old adage? Rookie running backs better know who to block or they won't play. Marks showed he's learning…FAST.
Rookie S Jaylen Reed got his first INT in practice on a tipped pass by CB Tremon Smith. Rookie QB Graham Mertz tried to fit a crosser into WR Braxton Berrios, but Tremon got a hand on it and tipped it up in the air. Reed snagged it and the defense went wild.
The first defense's last four reps went like this - Tim Settle swat down, Al-Shaair run stuff, coverage sack and PBU on crosser.
If not for Jawhar Jordan, Marks and Mills in the last period, the defense would've thrown a complete shutout over the entire last period of practice. Jordan had a nifty rush inside the tackles and Marks had that wonderful circle route reception against man-to-man from Mills.
So, that'll do it for the first open practice of training camp. Look, the defense was balls out good, but the offense will bounce back. That's the way these training camp practices go. Hell of a competitive day, especially for the piranhas wearing the white jerseys on Saturday.
Where Would I Be Without Bob & Janice McNair
Before I go, though, one final Harris Hit, a congratulatory one and one of many, MANY thanks. When the former professional football team in this town left in the mid-1990s, I wasn't sure professional football was ever going to come back to this town but Bob and Janice McNair were steadfast in their belief that this city needed it. Together, they founded the Texans and when that happened in 2002, I had no idea that I'd ever be in this building on a daily basis. Without them, I'm not and I don't even know what we'd all be doing on Sunday afternoons without them.
It was announced that Janice will join Bob (and Andre Johnson and J.J. Watt as well) in the Texans’ Ring of Honor. An incredibly well-deserved honor for the Texans' co-founder, no question, and a huge amount of gratitude for them from all of us for bringing football back to Houston.
