A recipe for success
Former Texans safety Jonathan Owens proud of wife Simone Biles' performance at Olympics
Aug 7, 2024, 4:28 pm
What a feeling! Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
Chicago Bears safety and former Houston Texan Jonathan Owens returned from Paris full of pride in what his wife, Simone Biles, accomplished and showing off her Olympic pin.
Owens is back practicing at Bears training camp this week after getting time away to go to Paris and watch Biles win three gold medals and one silver.
“It was amazing to watch,” Owens said after Tuesday’s practice. “My wife is a warrior. That’s the one thing I tell people because I equate it to how we are in football.
“You limp around and it will hurt a little bit right before. But as soon as you go, it’s like you forget about it. Just pain tolerance and the way she was able to go out there and, like I said, look graceful with everything. People really didn’t have a clue what was going on. I’m just so happy and proud for her.”
A calf injury didn’t seem to stop Biles.
“Her resilience, and when she did decide to come back she accomplished everything that she set her mind to,” Owens said. “Just being able to witness every day, the training you go through.
“Obviously, the first day when she had the injury to her calf and just her ability to persevere through that and go out there and still dominate.”
Owens has the customary Olympic pins, including one of his wife.
“My favorite pin would be the one I went there with and that’s the Simone Biles pin right here,” he said. “Yeah, that’s my wife. It was especially made with her autograph on there so you can only get it from her or a family member."
It was a much sought-after pin.
“I had to make sure I kept a few of those on here to tease people," he said. "Like ‘No you can’t get it, I’m sorry.’ “They’re in high demand. Everyone, they would come up to you and be like ’Do you have a Simone Biles pin? Do you?
"So I would only trade some if it were like a super, super cool pin but most of the time people would see you and just want to give you one. It was a cool experience.”
While away, Owens watched the Bears win 21-17 over the Houston Texans in a Hall of Fame game shortened to less than three quarters by a storm.
“I just feel like it was one of those things where the stars just aligned,” Owens said. “I still have a job here at the end of the day, my coaches were calling me to see how I was doing, making sure I was getting rest. Obviously, they want to congratulate Simone and everything but they were also just keeping me up to date on what’s going on.
“I had my iPad so I was able to watch film of any practices that I missed and when they did play, I think it was 2 a.m. in the morning Paris time, so I stayed up and watched the game until the rain delay just to support the guys. Like I said, I was happy they allowed me to go.”
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Miami (6-7) at Houston (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM Odds: Texans by 3.
Against the spread: Dolphins 5-8; Texans 5-6-2.
Series record: Texans lead 8-3.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Texans 30-15, on Nov. 27, 2022, in Miami.
Last week: Dolphins beat Jets 32-26 in OT; Texans were off, beat Jaguars 23-20 on Dec. 1.
Dolphins offense: overall (19), rush (24), pass (14), scoring (23).
Dolphins defense: overall (9), rush (7), pass (11), scoring (T14).
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (16), pass (17), scoring (11).
Texans defense: overall (5), rush (10), pass (7), scoring (T12).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-2; Texans plus-10.
Dolphins player to watch
QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at throwing with anticipation and accuracy since he returned from a concussion in Week 8. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion rate and threw for 300 yards for the third straight game last week vs. the Jets. Tagovailoa is the first player in NFL history to have at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for at least 225 yards in each of his six home games this season and is 11-4 in 15 starts in Houston, including the playoffs. He has thrown for 3,117 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. Miami’s run defense. Mixon ran for 101 yards in Houston’s previous game for his seventh 100-yard game this season. He ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game. This week he’ll face a run defense that ranks seventh in the NFL by holding teams to 105.6 yards a game.
Key injuries
Miami LT Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury that limited him to just five snaps last week. He did not practice Wednesday… LBs Bradley Chubb (knee) and Cameron Goode (knee) could make their season debut, depending on how this week of practice goes, coach Mike McDaniel said. … WRs Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (hamstring), RB Raheem Mostert (hip), and LB Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) were among those limited in practice Wednesday. … Houston S Jalen Pitre is expected to miss a second straight game with a shoulder injury. … DE Denico Autry was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Series notes
Houston won the first seven meetings in this series. … Miami didn’t get its first win against the Texans until a 44-26 victory in 2015. … The Dolphins have won the past two meetings. … These teams first met in the season opener in 2003 when Houston got a 21-20 win on a late field goal.
Stats and stuff
Three of Miami’s final four games of the season are on the road. … K Jason Sanders needs 13 points Sunday to reach 800. He also needs one field goal to reach 177, which would give him the second-most field goals made in franchise history. … TE Jonnu Smith needs 100 yards receiving to reach 792 and set a franchise record for most yards receiving by a tight end in a single season. Smith had three catches for 44 yards, including the game-winning TD vs. the Jets last week after having no receptions during regulation. … Tagovailoa needs a completion rate of 70% or better on Sunday to reach eight consecutive games completing at least 70% of his passes. That would tie him with Joe Montana (1989) and Drew Brees (2017-18) for the longest streak in NFL history. … The Dolphins gave up a season-high 402 yards to the Jets last week. Aaron Rodgers burned Miami’s pass defense for 319 yards, and Miami’s secondary allowed a combined 223 yards by Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. … Houston can clinch the AFC South title for the second straight year with a win and a loss by Indianapolis Sunday. … The Texans rank second in the NFL with 84 tackles for loss. … Their 42 sacks also rank second. … WR Nico Collins had eight receptions for 119 yards for his fourth 100-yard game this season in Houston’s previous game. He has had at least 75 yards receiving and a TD reception in each of his four home games this season. … TE Dalton Schultz had five receptions for 61 yards and a score in Week 13. He has had at least five catches in two of his past three games. … LB Azeez Al-Shaai will serve the first game of a three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of QB Trevor Lawrence Sunday. … DE Danielle Hunter is one of two players in the NFL this season with at least 15 tackles for loss (15) and 10 sacks (10 1/2). It’s his sixth career season with at least 10 sacks. He has eight tackles for loss and five sacks combined in his past three games. … DE Will Anderson has had a sack in his past two home games. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has had at least five tackles in four straight games. … CB Derek Stingley had his third interception of the season in his previous game. … CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high eight tackles, including a tackle for loss in Week 13. … S Jimmie Ward has had an interception in his past two home games. He also had an interception in his previous game against Miami in 2022 while with San Francisco.
Fantasy tip
Collins has 456 yards receiving and four touchdown receptions in four home games this season.