The fact that Tank set up that touchdown with a good punt return also spoke volumes. He also should have received a 15-yard flag when former Texans punter Cam Johnston nearly landed a late hit. That tackle almost sparked a brawl, but the damage was already done. Fortunately, Tank was able to get revenge a few plays later.
That was enough from CJ (and Tank, too). When I was asked about CJ’s snap/series count tonight, I was pretty clear. I wanted a long series of points and that would be enough. But when the offense was down three points to start and was out, plan B was to go back in. Go back out, be efficient, and put some points on the board. CJ and the offense followed that plan to a T.
The defensive player that was on the screen all night was Texans DT Mario Edwards Jr. He was ACTIVE! I knew he had a couple of tackles early on, but I didn’t know he had FIVE stops. Then he also managed a sack. You all read my Harris Hits all training camp and I mentioned Edwards several times during that time. He was perhaps the most disruptive DL in camp and it was evident in this PS game.
I was a little concerned before the game about the depth of the OL and how that would translate to some extent into offensive struggles or success. I thought from a pass protection perspective the Texans did a solid job, but the running game still needs improvement.
One of my favorite plays of the night happened in the second quarter. QB Davis Mills moved the Texans down the field and faced a 2nd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 30 yard line. We got tricked by the red hat on the field up top and paused on TV. But the game never paused. So we missed this play on TV, but it still stuck with me for a few reasons. First, the Steelers started a blitz and OL and RB Dare Ogunbowale picked it up BEAUTIFULLY. That coverage bought more time for Mills, who began moving in the pocket and looking downfield. Eventually, he saw rookie TE Cade Stover and threw it wide open down the field to him. Stover gained 16 yards and a big first down. Ogunbowale made it a few plays later, putting the Texans up 14-0.
Stroud was excellent in limited reps, but he wasn’t alone. I’ve said since OTA/minicamp that QB Davis Mills has been steadily improving every day. He was outstanding. He was comfortable in the pocket. He was accurate. He moved into clean windows to make unabated throws. He didn’t throw a touchdown, which lowered his rating a bit, but I thought he played better than his numbers suggested, especially with the run game offering little support.
I mentioned DT Mario Edwards above, but I also thought DT Foley played Fatukasi well. There was one play in the first half where the Steelers tried to corner Fatukasi. They had him run forward and then brought in the left guard to corner him. But Fatukasi saw the guard coming, stopped his advance and redirected the play, stopping the running back without accomplishing anything. He’s the kind of GREAT athlete that DeMeco Ryans has to love in the middle of his defense.
It’s a preseason game, but the Texans’ formula since DeMeco took over was on full display. Create takeaways. Take care of the football. Be opportunistic. Oh, and also, kick you-know-what on third down. They did all of that in the first half of the game. The Steelers had 0% third down shooting, while the Texans had a 50% third down shooting rate in the first half. The Texans recovered a botched punt that led to Ogunbowale’s TD in the second quarter. The formula worked well again.
Man, I don’t know how this running back situation is going to play out. I thought rookie Jawhar Jordan ran a lot more determined than he did in the Hall of Fame game. He led the Texans with 22 rushing yards. Cam Akers was really involved in the second half. He had nine touches for 41 yards and showed some of that energy that has a lot of people excited about what he can do as the season progresses. It’s a great problem to have, but it’s a long way from being solved.
Mr. Reliable, aka Robert Woods, was the team’s leading receiver with 42 yards on four catches. He was also called for pass interference on defense. He was in tune with all the quarterbacks on the field and that helped the offense surge in the second quarter.
