TEXANS PRESEASON
11 observations from the Texans' 26-7 win over the Packers
Aug 15, 2021, 8:25 am
TEXANS PRESEASON
The Houston Texans earn a win in Green Bay as plenty of positives jumped off the screen.
1. Despite the depth at tackles being depleted, Tyrod Taylor took care of his work in his brief appearance. The team's top quarterback was perfect on the evening hitting Chris Conley for two of his three completions. The drive stalled out and led to a field goal, but Taylor looked solid in his little bit of work.
2. Chris Conley continued his strong preseason with a handful of catches. The four snags netted him 51 yards. It will be interesting to see if Conley gets on the field with Brandin Cooks and Keke Coutee in the preseason or if that look is reserved for the regular season.
3. Davis Mills got plenty of action as he took over for Tyrod Taylor after Taylor's lone series. The results were mixed from the rookie quarterback. Mills' best toss of the night saw him find Keke Coutee on a nice strike.
4. Mills blew a few easy throws and tossed a red zone interception. Mistakes are to be expected but basically throwing a groundball on a screen and going too high on some easy tosses need to be cleaned up faster than other tosses.
5. Second-year player Jonathan Greenard forced a fumble as he dispatched the Packers offensive lineman and knocked the ball loose from Jordan Love's hand. Greenard would leave the game with what head coach David Culley called an ankle sprain.
6. Wide receiver Anthony Miller has a shoulder injury. He left the game on a cart. Miller has had a nice camp and hopefully isn't out too long.
7. Vincent Taylor continued his success on the practice field in this game. Taylor is a load for defenders but knifes through offensive lines with surprising quickness. Taylor was in on more than a few plays including almost sacking Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
8. Camp standout Roy Lopez did get a sack. Lopez earned it but DeMarcus Walker helped force it. There wasn't a tremendous amount of pressure from the defensive line, but the line was much more solid against the run.
9. Rookie tight end Brevin Jordan had a few nice plays. Jordan also had a drop as well, which is something that has popped up in camp a few times. Jordan should be trusted in the receiving game ahead of every tight end besides Pharoah Brown and Jordan Akins.
10. The linebackers, led by Kamu Grugier-Hill, had a solid night chasing the ball and stuffing the Packers in the running game. Green Bay rushed for just three yards in the first half.
11. Overall, a solid night for the Texans without many gaping holes. Not many, if any, Packers starters played significant snaps. The Texans had a fair amount of their own players set to be starters sitting as well. Preseason game two should see a few more expected starters on the field.
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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