Kyle Busch was in the news last week. Photo via: Wiki Commons.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads for the Monster Mile this week at Dover. This track is one of the toughest tracks to pass on, considering it’s a single-groove racetrack. Its abrasive surface also raises a challenge. It will be interesting to see what type of tire wear we will see with the new cars. Over the last few years, usually, the racing here is rather clean. In last season's race, the first incident didn’t occur until 176 laps into the race. When the incidents do come, though, they are hard to avoid with the track being as narrow as it is. More than likely, the winner of the race will be the driver that conserves their tires the best. Last season, we saw Kyle Larson lose the race to his teammate Alex Bowman because his tires went away in the end.
Last week, Ross Chastain went on to capture his second victory of 2022 in a thrilling last-lap pass at Talladega. As the field was coming to the checkered flag, Erik Jones went to the outside to try and block Kyle Larson, and Chastain was able to slip by for the victory. It has been a dream season for Chastain and his teammate Daniel Suarez. Both drivers are in the mix for wins every week, If Suarez can get a victory, they will certainly be contenders in the playoffs.
Another driver who deserves some praise is Michael McDowell. After finally breaking the seal last year and capturing that first career win in the Daytona 500, he’s proven that he can run upfront. And he’s shown that over the past two weeks with back-to-back Top 10 finishes. Since 2018, he has provided a sense of stability to this team and while his future at Front-Row Motorsports is unclear, it has been great to see him find success in these last two weeks.
Kyle Busch was in the headlines last week. During the opening weekend media availability, Kyle was asked by Bob Pockrass about the status of his contract for the 2023 season. He responded by saying, “ask Joe Gibbs.” He then talked about if there was any chance he would go to another team, to which he responded, “Probably not.” These comments can either be one of two things. A ploy for Busch to try and pressure his boss to get a deal done, or the beginning of maybe one of the biggest silly season moves in the history of the sport. In the last decade, only Jimmie Johnson has had more success than Busch has. Joe Gibbs Racing would be absolutely insane to let Kyle Busch walk away from everything they have built. This could be an interesting storyline to follow over the next few months.
The driver that I have winning this week is William Byron. Each season, Byron has continued to improve greatly. He’s gone from a fringe playoff contender to a championship favorite. He’s won two races this year, including a victory at Martinsville. This track has been good to Byron, he’s finished in the Top 10 in three of the last four races, including a third-place finish last spring. He will be fast come Sunday.
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What were the takeaways from the Texans-Panthers preseason game?
We’re getting close to cuts, so the stakes are high with one last chance to make a lasting impression in the final preseason game. In the Texans’ win over Carolina, the biggest takeaway was the offensive line and running game — they looked good. Pass protection held up, and C.J. Stroud put together a nice touchdown drive capped off with a fourth-down throw to Nico Collins. Both rookies Jayden Higgins and Jalen Noel caught passes, and Nick Chubb looked sharp running with the starters.
How did the O-line look?
The line already looks much improved from last season. Pass protection was solid, run blocking was effective, and they were able to grind out yards while giving Stroud a clean pocket. Rookie Aireontae Ersery continues to impress, and there’s a real chance he ends up as the starting left tackle over big ticket free agent Cam Robinson. Robinson is back at practice, but Ersery has looked good with the first unit — and he was drafted to take Laremy Tunsil’s spot anyway, so why not speed up the process?
In practice the starters have been LT Ersery, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Jake Andrews, RG Ed Ingram, and RT Tytus Howard. If Robinson slides back to left tackle, Ersery could move to right tackle with Howard shifting inside to guard. It’ll be interesting to see what combo the Texans roll out against the Rams in Week 1.
Did the running backs impress?
Chubb looked good behind the line, finishing with 5 carries for 25 yards and a reception. He seemed comfortable in the scheme and showed some burst — it’s obvious he knows what he’s doing. If Joe Mixon isn’t ready for the start of the season, Houston should be in good hands with Chubb.
Damien Pierce is still out, which has given rookie Woody Marks more opportunity. He made the most of it with 40 yards on 7 carries against Carolina. He’s also shown he can help on third down with his ability in the passing game, which could earn him a real role.
How did the receivers look?
Rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both caught passes. Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, and Justin Watson each added a couple of grabs too. Based on last year, Stroud tends to funnel targets to his top two options. A season ago it was Collins and Stefon Diggs before injuries hit. This year, Kirk looks capable of filling that Diggs role out of the slot. He just fits.
Reaction to the John Metchie–Harrison Bryant trade
The Texans needed more tight end depth with Brevin Jordan hurt, and Metchie wasn’t going to make the team. Bryant gives them another option, and it looks like tight ends may play a bigger role in the offense after Irv Smith Jr. led the team in catches and yards against Carolina.
Special teams also factored in. Metchie doesn’t play there, while Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson do, which gives the Texans more flexibility. Collins, Kirk, Higgins, Noel, and Hutchinson all look like locks at receiver, so moving Metchie made sense. It will be interesting to see who the final pieces will be in the Texans receiver room. Will they keep Watson and/or Berrios? We'll find out on Tuesday when the final cuts are made. Stay tuned!
What to watch for against the Lions
It’s all about the offense at this point. The defense is expected to be elite, so the spotlight shifts to Stroud and the rest of the unit. If the offensive line holds up against Detroit and the operation looks sharp, the Texans should be well-positioned to open the regular season on the right foot.
There's so much more to break down! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The NFL season is almost upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Texans on Tap podcast, which drops each Thursday during the preseason! More episodes will ramp up when the regular season begins! We'll go live on YouTube after every regular-season game.
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