There are so many aspects of a Texans team opener that should get everyone excited. Ask me what I'm excited about in 2019 and I'll go on for days about this roster. But, one aspect of this opener/this season that has me most excited is the on-field reunion of Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V. Our Texans PR department tweeted this earlier on Friday, which caught my attention.
QB Deshaun Watson, WR DeAndre Hopkins & WR Will Fuller have played 11 games together. The Texans average 30.8 points per game and 399.4 yards per game when all three play. Watson has thrown 12 TD to Hopkins & 11 to Fuller while maintaining a 105.6 rating in the 11 games.
Now, having seen all of those 11 games, I knew that it was, shall we say, different when those guys were on the field vs. when they were not all together. The Tennessee game of 2017. Up in Seattle in 2017. Last year vs. Miami on Thursday night football. Those three games might have been the most fun I've ever had watching the Texans on offense. Sure, the 2009/2010 offenses, in particular, were productive and needed to be to win some games, but these three on the field, together, creates a whole different situation for defenses.
The thing that stood out to me most in those games, in particular, was the response from the opponents after the game. The general premise? "We just had no answers for those guys." That's the offense we've been clamoring to see week in and week out. Imagine this 11-game production split over two years for all 16 games in the 2019 season.
Fuller V and Hopkins will be tested in a major way, facing star shutdown cornerback Marshon Lattimore and his wildly-talented partner Eli Apple. But, this Texans trio is not bringing a Nerf gun to a sword fight. This trio is healthy and ready to embark on a full season together for the first time and what a season it could be.
The Houston Texans roster in photos. (Updated 4/16/2021)
TE, Jordan Akins, #88
TE, Antony Auclair
DL, Auzoyah Alufohai, #98
DB, Cornell Armstrong, #30
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
OL, Justin Britt
DB, Terrence Brooks
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
OL, Cohl Cabral, #72
OL, Marcus Cannon
WR, Randall Cobb, #18
DL, Maliek Collins
WR, Chris Conley
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Isaiah Coulter, #82
WR, Keke Coutee, #16
DB, Keion Crossen, #35
LB, Zach Cunningham, #41
LB, Tae Davis
DL, Brandon Dunn, #92
LB, Duke Ejiofor, #53
WR, Alex Erickson
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
QB, Ryan Finley
OL, Hjalte Froholdt, #77
LB, Jonathan Greenard, #52
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill
LB, Nate Hall, #48
DB, Vernon Hargreaves III, #26
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
RB, Dontrell Hilliard, #27
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
RB, Buddy Howell, #38
RB, Mark Ingram
TE, Ryan Izzo
LB, Jordan Jenkins
RB, David Johnson, #31
DL, Jaleel Johnson
DB, Lonnie Johnson Jr., #32
P, Cameron Johnston
DB, Desmond King
LB, Christian Kirksey
DL, Shaq Lawson
RB, Phillip Lindsay
LB, Jacob Martin, #54
OL, Justin McCray
LB, Whitney Mercilus, #59
DB, Terrance Mitchell
WR, Donte Moncrief
DB, A.J. Moore Jr., #33
WR, Chris Moore
DB, Eric Murray, #23
LB, Hardy Nickerson
DL, Charles Omenihu, #94
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis
RB, Scottie Phillips, #40
TE, Paul Quessenberry
DB, John Reid, #34
DB, Justin Reid, #20
DL, Derek Rivers
WR, Andre Roberts
DB, Bradley Roby, #21
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Tremon Smith
OL, Jordan Steckler
OL, Lane Taylor
QB, Tyrod Taylor
DL, Vincent Taylor
LB, Joe Thomas
DB, Tavierre Thomas
OL, Cole Toner
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
DL, MeMarcus Walker
TE, Kahale Warring, #81
QB, Deshaun Watson, #4
LS, Jon Weeks #46
