TEXANS CAMP REPORT
11 observations from Texans training camp Day 6
Aug 3, 2021, 1:43 pm
Chris Moore handled Bradley Roby with no problem. Photo by SportsMapStaff.
Texans' Bradley Roby discusses his biggest takeaway from decision to postpone college football
The Houston Texans had their first day of pads and saw a few players hit the practice field for the first time.
1. Texans Quarterback Deshaun Watson was absent from practice today. Watson was working with a trainer and looking at his foot yesterday, but no official reason was given for Watson missing his first practice. Texans head coach David Culley offered there was "nothing new" on Watson.
2. Defensive backs Lonnie Johnson and Cornell Armstrong returned to practice as did tight end Pharaoh Brown. Those three players, along with defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, had all started camp on the active/non-football injury list.
3. Lonnie Johnson didn't practice the whole time as it seems the team is easing him back in, but he looked quick and athletic on the field. Johnson blitzed in a team rep and nearly got to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but Taylor kept the play alive and hit rookie wide receiver Nico Collins in traffic.
4. It was the first day with pads for the team and veteran running back Mark Ingram made the defense pay with an early rush busting through defenders and barreling forward for a few yards. Ingram has looked young and spry, despite having been in the league for 10 years.
5. The defensive line is far from settled. A lot of different players get work along the defensive front and the team mixes and matches quite a bit. This is a highly competitive position.
6. It has been a good camp for big Vincent Taylor. Taylor blew up a play in the backfield on Tuesday and has been disruptive in darting between, and Tuesday, through defenders.
7. Shaq Lawson has yet to stand out for the Texans. After trading for Lawson in the offseason, there must be more from a player who was expected to fill a need in the pass rush.
8. Wide receiver Chris Moore is having a nice camp. The former Ravens pass catcher had a highlight-reel play earlier in camp, catching the ball with one hand falling out of bounds. His success continued Tuesday as he constantly found himself open. Moore handled Bradley Roby with no problem in two 1-on-1 reps.
9. Rookie tight end Brevin Jordan looked lost early on Tuesday. He had a drop and ran some sloppy routes, but he bounced back in team drills.
10. Davis Mills threw two interceptions right to Vernon Hargreaves. The first one Mills locked onto a target and Hargreaves just stepped right in front of the intended target. The second one saw Mills toss it up in a situational drill and Hargreaves came down with the under-thrown pass.
11. Wide Receiver Anthony Miller had a tougher day than usual. Miller dropped a deep pass over the shoulder which would have been a score. Miller also bobbled a catch that during a live game would have seen him annihilated and not holding onto the ball.
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The Texas Longhorns still believe in quarterback Quinn Ewers despite two poor games from the third-year starter who was briefly benched in last week's loss to No. 1 Georgia, coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday.
Ewers struggled through one of his worst career games against the Bulldogs, completing 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards with an interception and two fumbles. He was 6-of-12 passing for 17 yards on the Longhorns' first six drives, and was replaced by Arch Manning in the second quarter as Georgia took a 23-0 lead into halftime.
Ewers returned in the third quarter and led two touchdown drives. But the overall performance in one of the biggest games of the season was well below what was expected from a veteran quarterback who some predict as a potential first round NFL draft pick.
Texas never led against the Bulldogs and Ewers looked rattled.
Sarkisian has insisted that Ewers remains the No. 1 quarterback going forward.
“We have confidence and belief in him,” Sarkisian said. “I think he's going to come out and play really good football for us here in the second half of the season.”
Texas (6-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) plays at No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1) on Saturday.
Ewers did not meet with reporters on Monday.
He had performed at his best in some of Texas' biggest games the previous two seasons. He was considered a likely Heisman Trophy contender after the Longhorns won at defending national champion Michigan in week two.
But he was sidelined by an abdomen strain in the first half a week later against UTSA, and the injury knocked him out of the next two games. He returned for Texas' 34-3 win over Oklahoma, but had just 199 yards and one touchdown passing and said he needed to play better.
Against Georgia, Ewers appeared hesitant against a fierce Bulldogs pass rush and missed several throws. The Bulldogs recorded seven sacks and Texas never led.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was arguably having an even worse game. He was 23-of-41 passing for 175 yards and three interceptions.
But after Texas cut the Georgia lead to 23-15, Beck answered by leading the Bulldogs on an 11-play, 89-yard drive to the final touchdown of the game.
“I think Quinn definitely can play better. We've got to continue to work on his pocket presence,” Sarkisian said. “But I also think we need to play better around him. You know, our offense isn't about one player playing well.”
Texas rushed for just 29 yards and and managed only 259 total yards of offense against Georgia.
Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. said the Longhorns will rally behind Ewers.
“We're always going to trust Quinn. We're always going to believe in Quinn,” Banks said.