Got a question about the Texans? Life in general? Drew Dougherty's your guy. He's been with the Texans since 2009 and is chock full of meaningful, as well as generally useless, information. Fire away by clicking HERE!
Haleigh Reeves: Dear Drew, When is LB Christian Harris coming back?
DD: Very soon. The rookie's been on injured reserve, but practiced with the team Wednesday morning. There's a chance he suits up and plays as soon as Sunday in Jacksonville, but Head Coach Lovie Smith wouldn't commit to that during Wednesday's post-practice press conference. Smith pointed to Harris missing the bulk of training camp, all of the preseason, and the regular season's first quarter of games and practices.
Darin Pittman: Dear Drew, Why isn't Dameon Pierce used more in the 4th quarter? He's proven he is the only weapon that can break a tackle, yet he's left on the sideline when the game's outcome is in question. And, when is the gang going to start doing radio road shows?
DD: Hey Darin, great to hear from you. Smith maintains that the Texans have a 2-back tandem in Pierce and Rex Burkhead, with Pierce as the starter. Sunday was an odd circumstance: the Chargers burned over six minutes (6:02 to be exact) off the clock in the fourth quarter. So Pierce got the ball and gained three yards the first play after the special teams unit forced and recovered a fumble on the kickoff. Two incompletions later, Houston kicked the field goal. The Chargers got the long touchdown drive, and then Pierce didn't touch the ball again until the game's final play, when the Texans were down by 10.
As far as the radio show goes, there won't be any out on the road this season. But perhaps in the offseason.
Juan Garza: Dear Drew, When are we going to see more of Nico Collins?
DD: Collins had a career high on Sunday with 82 receiving yards. The Texans definitely want to keep him involved. He's a matchup problem because of his size and speed, and Houston's tried to exploit that.
Collins explained how he and quarterback Davis Mills took advantage of what the Chargers' defense gave them on the 58-yard completion in the fourth quarter last Sunday.
"When the defense shows the coverage for the opportunity to throw the post route, you got to take," Collins said. "That's what Davis did. We were talking about it on the sideline, what defensive scheme we thought was going to happen and it was the perfect opportunity."
Quinton Oliver: Dear Drew, Knowing this is the first year for our Head Coach, why do people expect us to be a Super Bowl type team? Give these guys and players a chance to find a grove and get settled.
DD: People want a winner, and you can't blame them. It's been a rough two-plus years, to say the very least. I'm not sure Texans fans expected a Super Bowl contender, but nobody—including Smith, the coaches and players—is content with an 0-3-1 record.
Andrae Thierry: Dear Drew, Are you left or right-handed?
DD: Both. I write left-handed, and eat left-handed. But I throw right-handed and bat right-handed.
James Bowie: With the success of Pierce and Brandin Cooks we can see a possible 100-yard performance from both a running back and wide receiver for the Texans in the same game? When was the last time the Texans had both during the same game?
DD: The next-to-last game of 2020. David Johnson ran for 128 yards and Cooks had 141 receiving yards in a Texans loss at home to the Bengals on December 27 of that year.
Catherine Torres: Dear Drew, How's your day? I feel like you're always asked about Texans but no one ever asks about you! What is it like working for the Texans?! We became season ticket holders last year and love it!
DD: Glad you're loving it, Catherine. I'm having a great day. I'm getting paid to talk and write about my hometown football team.
