Three headlines, two questions, and one bet after the late loss to the Saints

Colvin's rough day highlighted in loss

Cody Stoots
Sep 10, 2019, 1:03 pm
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Happy to be at the Watson magic show

Deshaun Watson was amazing on Monday night. Not much else can be said. He survived another poor performance from the offensive line, he escaped far more pressure, and he made big throw after big throw.

"He's a very instinctive, great player, plays with poise, always looking to improve, and he's a winner," said head coach Bill O'Brien. "I think that's what I was saying after the game and that's what I told our team."

Watson is a little banged up according to O'Brien but it isn't anything too serious. He said it was "normal bumps and bruises" for his star quarterback.

Watson added another bump and bruise in all likelihood on his big strike to Kenny Stills. O'Brien praised him for his toughness in that moment.

"To hang in there and take a hit and to deliver that ball with the accuracy that he delivered it – that one play kind of says it all about the guy."

Watson's potential is through the roof for the Texans right now.

Running back duo impresses in debut

I have to be honest, I didn't expect much out of Carlos Hyde. He was on his fourth team in less than a year and his stats that matter have been just dropping and dropping over the past few seasons.

That ain't the Carlos Hyde who played in New Orleans last night. He had plenty of juice and took care of business.

Hyde and his running buddy Duke Johnson combined for 140 yards on the ground on 19 carries. That's 7.3 yards per carry. They don't have to be that but the running game can be effective especially as the line continues to gel going forward.

Howard and Coutee almost ready

Tytus Howard and Keke Coutee didn't play on Monday but they were close to playing.

Bill O'Brien said both players were very close and "there's a chance" both will be playing on Sunday when the Jaguars come to town.

Where was Watt?

No tackle. No sack. Not even a quarterback hurry.

Ryan Ramczyk won handily against Watt on the right side of the Saints line. He graded out as the second best tackle in the opening weekend on NFL action with the majority of his work coming against Watt.

Bill O'Brien made it clear Watt is an impact player even if the box score doesn't show it.

"So, I think that they did a good job," O'Brien said. "Give them credit, but I also think that he still impacted the game. I know that he didn't show up on the stat sheet, because we're all so used to him showing up on the stat sheet because of what just a great football player he is, but that doesn't mean he didn't impact the game."

The natural idea is Jadeveon Clowney could have helped and we'd all be foolish to not think that is the case. Clowney, however, is a Seahawks defensive player and not on the Texans. Houston needs some help and in a hurry from the pass rush standpoint. Yes, Drew Brees gets the ball out quick and rarely gets sacks, but there has to be some success up front. The players added in the Clowney trade need to figure out how to help fast.

Can Aaron Colvin bounce back?

Aaron Colvin gave up too much space on the last offensive play for the Saints and he gave up too much other stuff as well. He was picked on all night by Drew Brees.

Pro Football Focus had Colvin down for allowing eight of nine completions for 117 yards and a touchdown. The one that wasn't a completion was a drop.

Colvin has to be better if he is going to be the slot option on this team. He hasn't flashed any of his success from his time in Jacksonville. There may not be better option on this team right now for the slot so Colvin and the Texans have no choice but for him to bounce back.

UPDATE: Colvin was cut by the Texans Tuesday

I bet Gardner Minshew is going to have a tough time this weekend

Despite being upset with Romeo Crennel and his defense, the longtime defensive coordinator is stellar against rookie quarterbacks.

Last year Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen struggled while Sam Darnold, who was one of the best quarterbacks late in the year, succeeded against the Texans defense. Crennel should have plenty dialed up for the Jaguars new starting rookie.

Minshew will be getting the ball out quick. He made some big plays in defeat when he came in for Foles. This won't be a cake walk but history should stay on the Texans side.

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Here’s why Houston Texans team strategy is becoming increasingly divisive

The Houston Texans approach to the offseason has caused quite a bit of controversy among Texans fans and media. Some really like what the team is doing in free agency, while others are underwhelmed.

But the argument that keeps getting thrown around is whether the Texans are ready to win this season, or if the team will have to suffer through another disappointing season. Most would agree the Texans roster has a number of holes, but how will that roster look after the NFL Draft and hopefully a new franchise QB is taking snaps for the team?

The great thing about the NFL is how fast teams can turn things around and start winning. When we looked at the teams coming off a bad season and drafting around the Texans in 2021, many of them showed a huge improvement the following season.

The Lions were 3-13-1 in 2021, last year? 9-8. The Jaguars went 3-14 in 2021. Last year they won the AFC South and notched a playoff win over the Chargers. Look at the New York Giants, they went 4-13 in 2021. They improved to 9-7-1 and also won a playoff game just one year later. And don't get us started on the Jets. They went 4-13 in 2021, improved to 7-10 with bad QB play, and now Aaron Rodgers wants to play there.

The point being, most of these teams hired new coaches in the last couple of years, added some talent through the draft and free agency and started winning. Why are Texans fans and media so convinced they're in for another season of losing? Why can't the Texans be the team that turns things around and competes for a division title? Especially if they land a franchise QB as expected.

The AFC South isn't a very tough division. In fact, the Texans beat the Jags, Colts, and Titans just this year. Shouldn't we expect them to take a step forward with better players and DeMeco Ryans leading the way?

Be sure to check out the video above as we break it all down!

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Listen to The Bench with John and Lance weekdays from 7-10AM on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5.


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