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.
DL Mario Addison, #56 (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
QB, Kyle Allen, #3
RB, Darius Anderson, #30
DB, Grayland Arnold, #35
TE, Antony Auclair, #83
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
DL, Thomas Booker, #96
OL, Justin Britt, #68
DB, Terrence Brooks, #8
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
RB, Rex Burkhead, #28
WR, Jalen Camp, #17
OL, A.J. Cann, #60
LB, Blake Cashman, #53
DL, Maliek Collins, #97
WR, Nico Collins, #12
WR, Chris Conley, #18
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Davion Davis, #14
LB, Tae Davis, #19
OL, Austin Deculus, #76
WR, Phillip Dorsett, #4
QB, Jeff Driskel, #6
DL, Michael Dwumfour, #98
WR, Drew Estrada, #81
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
DB, Jacobi Francis, #38
RB, Royce Freeman, #26
OL, Carson Green, #62
DL, Jonathan Greenard, #52
WR, DaeSean Hamilton, #5
OL, Kenyon Green, #59
DL, Rasheem Green (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill, #51
LB, Christian Harris, #48
DL, Demone Harris, #94
WR, Damon Hazelton, #86
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
LB, Neville Hewitt, #43
QB, Kevin Hogan, #16 (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
DL, Jerry Hughes, #55 (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
FB, Andy Janovich, #41
An image from the Aug. 21, 2021 Houston Texans preseason game 2 against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Texans won 20-14.
WR, Johnny Johnson III, #89
P, Cameron Johnston, #11
TE, Brevin Jordan, #9
DB, Desmond King II, #25
LB, Christian Kirksey, #58
DL, Roy Lopez, #91
RB, Marlon Mack, #2
DB, Tristin McCollum, #39
OL, Justin McCray, #64
WR, John Metchie III, #88
QB, Davis Mills, #10
WR, Chris Moore, #15
DB, Jimmy Moreland, #22
OL, Jimmy Morrissey, #79
DB, Eric Murray, #23
DB, Steven Nelson (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
DB, Steven Nelson, #21
DL, Adedayo Odeleye, #75
OL, Cedric Ogbuehi, #77
RB, Dare Ogunbowale, #33
DL, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, #45
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
RB, Dameon Pierce, #31
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis, #57
DB, Jalen Pitre, #42
FB, Paul Quessenberry, #45
OL, Scott Quessenberry, #54
TE, Teagan Quitoriano, #84
LB, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, #34 (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
DL, Derek Rivers, #95
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Kendall Sheffield (AP Photo/Kevin Sabitus)
DB, Tremon Smith, #24
OL, Jordan Steckler, #70
DB, M.J. Stewart, #29
DB, Derek Stingley Jr., #24
DB, Tavierre Thomas, #37
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
LB, Garret Wallow, #32
WR, Connor Wedington (AP)
LS, Jon Weeks #46
DB, Isaac Yiadom, #20
