NFL PRESEASON
Some Texans players gave it all they had for a shot at the roster in preseason game 4
Aug 31, 2018, 7:03 am
Bruce Ellington (left), Alfred Blue and Sammie Coates hopefully earned roster spots. Zach Tarrant/Houstontexans.com
The Texans enjoyed the comfort of home as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 14-6 at NRG Stadium for the fourth and final game of the 2018 NFL preseason Thursday night. The game was a defensive battle between players from the bottom of each roster. No significant starters from either team took part in the action so it’s with a grain of salt that the stats can be analyzed. But the players desperate to make the final 53-man roster? Their effort and the plays they made are all important in the next few days when the coaches will make their final cuts.
The name that stood out the most early was Joel Heath. The third-year defensive lineman was in the backfield almost every play. He is only credited with two tackles, one of them for a big loss; but the pressure he put on the Cowboys’ quarterbacks was instrumental in getting his defense off the field in three or four plays every drive. Heath is probably not a borderline player but the Texans front 7 is loaded with talent and the final game was about playing time. If he can be a disruptive force like his counterparts Watt, Clowney, Mercilous and Reader; then he will see more action and keep the rotation on fresh legs.
Offensively, the Texans weren’t that great. The deeper players on the depth chart couldn’t get on the same page with the rotating tandem of Brandon Weeden and Joe Webb playing quarterback. They got a break on the Cowboys’ second drive when pressure up front forced an interception to rookie safety Justin Reid. Houston had a short field to work with and they took advantage getting a touchdown run by Alfred Blue. A big play on that drive was a first down pass to rookie tight end Jordan Akins that put the ball at the 3-yard line. Akins was able to get just enough separation and make a great catch for 16 yards. Plays like that are going to get him on the roster behind Ryan Griffin and give Houston another option in the passing game.
Braxton Miller was someone else trying to find his way on the bottom of the depth chart at his position. He hauled in 2 passes for 28 yards, most of that on a 22-yard catch and run. On both of his receptions he looked like a pro who was going to make the team. He probably did with his effort in the last two games. Special teams will need him but hopefully the offense won’t.
The biggest question mark on the entire roster is the cornerback group. Injuries are piling up and the talent just doesn’t seem to be good enough for an NFL defense. But if the only game you watched was this final preseason game you saw an all-out effort and some good play. Names like Dee Virgin and Andre Chachere are longshots to make the roster, but you couldn’t tell.
Virgin had eight tackles, one of them for a loss and two pass break ups. He still wasn’t great in coverage, but he managed to close on the ball and get his hands in there to break it up. He was flying all over the field and getting to be ball. Not to be outdone, Andre Chachere had four tackles and two passes defensed as well. He is probably an even longer shot to make the roster. But the special teams need to be filled out too. These guys might have worked their way on the team with sheer effort and will power.
Safety Ibraheim Campbell, cornerback Bryce Jones, and running back Terry Swanson are three more names who showed up with their best effort. Campbell and Jones were around the ball a lot too. Each had six tackles to finish the game. A really pleasant surprise was the play of Swanson, particularly the 37-yard touchdown run he had in the fourth quarter. He hit the hole hard and with one cut he was into the secondary and down the sideline for the score. He showed off his quickness and speed, and with depth necessary at running back right now for Houston it may be enough to get him on the team. He finished the night carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards and the score.
Overall, the Texans had the look of a team ready to play. The final game of the preseason is always about effort. These players had one last shot to keep their name on the mind of the coaches. Some will make the team because depth is needed, others will make it because they did just enough to earn a role on special teams. Whatever way it happens for them they will be glad they were able to put together one final good game. The roster will be set on Sept. 2 and the Texans will be at New England on Sept. 9. The make-up of the roster is going to be a factor in how well the Texans do in the regular season and beyond.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
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