Tytus Howard and Matt Kalil remain out for the Texans but get success from their fill-ins

4 observations from Texans practice Aug. 20

4 observations from Texans practice Aug. 20
@EdClarke03/Eddie Clarke

If you missed the observations from Monday you can find them here

Matt Kalil is the starting left tackle and might be hurt but might not be

Bill O'Brien hates questions about injuries but this one really set him off. His defensiveness about Matt Kalil is interesting. Roderick Johnson has played well recently and arguably better than Kalil the last time Kalil saw the field. If Johnson is better he should play and someone else can backup Johnson and Kalil can be gone. If Kalil is truly better then he should start at left tackle but he hasn't looked solid in weeks.

O'Brien getting defensive leads credence to the thought Kalil is dealing with an injury. If he is injured, Johnson might and maybe even should pass Kalil on depth chart.

Howard's left hand injury

Tytus Howard has a cast on his left hand. It covers his index finger and middle finger on his left hand. It seems he has a broken finger. He likely won't play and might not practice until the week of the Saints game. Depending on how it heals, and how painful it is, he shouldn't miss regular season time.

1-on-1 winners

Roderick Johnson won a solo rep against Whitney Mercilus.

D.J. Reader worked center Nick Martin.

Max Scharping stuffed his defender.

Seantrell Henderson did an admirable job against J.J. Watt but I would say Watt won the rep.

The offense and defense split the 2v2 reps.

Offensive line projection

Starters in bold. Positions I believe they are comfortable playing and have at least seen them have some success at during camp. I projected eight players. They kept eight players last year in a more dire offensive line situation. I don't see why that can't be the case again.

Matt Kalil (LT)

Tytus Howard (LG)

Nick Martin (C)

Zach Fulton (RG,C,LG)

Seantrell Henderson (RT)

Max Scharping (RG)

Roderick Johnson (LT,RT)

Greg Mancz (C)


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Welcome to Houston, Nick! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.

The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.

For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.

“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”

As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.

Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.

He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.

Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.

It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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