Week 5 Preview with linebacker DeMarquis Gates
Roughnecks are back home on Saturday
Mar 5, 2020, 4:36 pm
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DeMarquis Gates
I sat down with DeMarquis Gates today to get to know him more and preview some of this week's upcoming game. In case you missed it, Gates had the amazing game winning play last week against the Dallas Renegades.
Many players view the XFL as a stepping stone back to the NFL. How has this league helped you?
"It's helped me get exposure, more film and have time to work on my technique, nail down the things I need to work on. Exactly what you said, try to get back into the NFL."
How are you liking the defensive scheme here in Houston?
"It's wonderful. Coach Cottrell and the rest of the defense staff put up a good game plan, a good defensive scheme. We just try to get in and make the plays that we can."
Seattle looked a lot better when they changed QBs. What do you judge them on? The prior three three games or what you saw late against St. Louis?
"You can take all games into account. We feel like they're going to use both quarterbacks. Both QBs have played so we're just going to be ready for both of them."
Preparing to go 5-0 is a big deal. Is there added pressure being the last unbeaten team in the league? Does that add a target?
"It definitely adds a target on our back but I don't think it's any pressure. We just have to take it one day at a time, play by play and come out with the W."
Game at a glance
The Roughnecks' defense had five big turnovers last week. This week they're expected to face both QB's from the Dragons, BJ Daniels and Brandon Silvers. The last time a team switched up QB's on Houston, it caused some confusion. The standards are set high for your Houston Roughnecks this week as they come back home to face the Seattle Dragons Saturday at 1 p.m. Make sure you purchase your tickets here. Let's get TDECU Stadium rockin' to welcome the 4-0 team home!
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Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.
If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.
Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.
Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.
For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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