Before the broadcast of the preseason finale at Carolina, I went searching for the last time the Texans went winless in the preseason. I needed to be ready in case it happened again.

It was 2003. Houston went 0-4. Not that those results predicted doom on opening day. The '03 team shocked the Dolphins in week one as Andre Johnson made his NFL debut in his hometown. This was back when it was nearly impossible to beat the Fins in Miami in September.

I'll take much more from this preseason than the record. Not even included in the game action is what got done in two joint practices with the Raiders and Panthers. The Texans dominated Carolina in an intense practice on Wednesday. This was a far better possible indicator of future performance than the three games played this month.

Not that there weren't some nuggets we can take from these outings that test depth and help the staff fill out the practice squad and the back end of the 53-man roster. These games also test the coaching staff, who were tasked with prepping several players who were not Texans when August began, in some cases, before last weekend began!

This group included the quarterback, Brett Rypien, who played the bulk of the snaps on Friday night. Also, the backs, Owen Wright and Deuce Vaughn, who got every carry after hoping they'd get on any kind of NFL roster through one week of camp.

The fact that you had Rypien throw a TD pass to Zay Jones against Carolina and neither player was with the team two weeks ago shows you that one of the big storylines of this camp is dealing with injuries.

Oh, and George Odom, who signed last week, had nine tackles and an interception to put the Texans in scoring range in the first half vs the Panthers.

I need to print out a new broadcast roster every week and keep my head on a swivel during each preseason game. The Texans brass has to grind through all the film, data and medical reports to determine who makes the initial roster on Sunday. And don't write that roster in stone. New players could be added as they become available after being released from other squads.

Now come the games that count. The Texans have two weeks to get ready for another tough opener. The DeMeco Ryans era has so far seen the team open at Baltimore, Indy, the Rams and now at home against Buffalo. There have been no breathers and this year's Bills team has some mystery, with a new head coach and defensive coordinator.

It's been a good camp as the offense has definitely shown signs of improvement and the defense getting even more talent after establishing itself at the top of the league. We're a fortnight away from the 25^th season. And we can't wait.