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 2/18/2019)
S, Mike Adams, 27
LB, Tyrell Adams, 50
S, Jahleel Addae, 37
TE, Jordan Akins, 88
P, Bryan Anger, 9
CB, Cornell Armstrong, 30
OLB, Davin Bellamy, 48
DE, Angelo Blackson, 97
WR, DeAndre Carter, 14
OL, Chris Clark, 77
ILB, Dylan Cole, 51
CB, Gareon Conley, 22
WR, Keke Coutee, 16
CB, Keion Crossen, 35
ILB, Zach Cunningham, 41
DE, Brandon Dunn, 92
OLB, Duke Ejiofor, 53
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, 7
TE, Darren Fells, 87
WR, Will Fuller, V, 15
OL, Zach Fulton, 73
CB, Phillip Gaines, 29
FB, Cullen Gillaspia, 44
S, Tashaun Gipson, 39
WR, Chad Hansen, 85
RB, Karan Higdon, 31
WR, DeAndre Hopkins, 10
OL, Tytus Howard, 71
RB, Buddy Howell, 38
RB, Carlos Hyde, 23
RB, Duke Johnson, 25
CB, Lonnie Johnson, Jr., 32
OL, Roderick Johnson, 63
RB, Taiwan Jones, 34
CB, Johnathan Joseph, 24
OLB, Peter Kalambayi, 58
An image from the Oct. 25, 2018 regular season home game against the Miami Dolphins. The Texans won 42-23.
OLB, Chris Landrum, 42
OL, Rick Leonard, 72
S, Shalom Luani, 42
OL, Greg Mancz, 65
LB, Jacob Martin, 54
C, Nick Martin, 66
QB, AJ McCarron, 2
QB, Alex McGough, 3
LB, Benardrick McKinney, 55
OLB, Whitney Mercilus, 59
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
LB, Barkevious Mingo, 52
WR, Steven Mitchell, Jr., 11
S, A.J. Moore, 33
OL, Elijah Nkansah, 75
DE, Charles Omenihu, 94
NT/DE, D.J. Reader, 98
S, Justin Reid, 20
CB, Bradley Roby, 21
DE, Ira Savage-Lewis, 96
OLB, Brennan Scarlett, 57
OL, Max Scharping, 74
OL, David Steinmetz, 79
WR, Kenny Stills, 12
TE, Jordan Thomas, 83
OL, Laremy Tunsil, 78
NT, Eddie Vanderdoes, 95
DL, Carlos Watkins, 91
QB, Deshaun Watson, 4
DE, J.J. Watt, 99
QB/WR, Joe Webb, III, 5
LS, Jon Weeks, 46
WR, Isaac Whitney, 19
