- 2 days ago
Will the Texans’ growing list of injuries hurt them more on offense or defense?
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00:00Who's going to, what is the injuries going to hurt more?
00:02The offense or the defense, John Lopez?
00:04That should be an easy answer, right?
00:05You would think so?
00:06You would think the easy answer is, well, the offense,
00:09because they're so thin, especially on the offensive line.
00:11Because they already didn't seem all that good.
00:13They weren't that good to begin with.
00:14We were talking about that with B. Scott.
00:17And now you have Ed Ingram and Titus Howard.
00:20And you're thinking, all right, this could get really, really ugly.
00:24I mean, this could get bad.
00:26It's not my answer.
00:28That's not my answer.
00:29I don't know where you guys stand.
00:31I think, especially when you're looking at Jalen Petrie
00:35and Jalen Smith's already out.
00:38I don't know what, I don't know what they, and I'm not sure.
00:41I mean, I know he's got a plan, but listen to Matt Burke
00:44talking about what they're going to do.
00:48I mean, it's.
00:52Just, you know, obviously whatever happens as he's in the protocol
00:55and going through that, like we're just trying to prep all our guys
00:57to get ready and have some, you know, replacing any good player is hard.
01:02And then any player that does a lot for us, like a lot of our guys do,
01:05he's one of them.
01:07It's going to take multiple people, you know what I mean?
01:09So we're just going to have some different packages,
01:11move some guys around if we need to, and go play ball.
01:15To that point, to Jalen, just like what he's meant and how he's adapted
01:20and moved positions and just being willing to do like everything.
01:22Yeah, he's awesome.
01:23I mean, I don't know what else I can say.
01:25I mean, he's just been, you guys probably have some sense of him
01:28as a person and a human being and what he is,
01:30and that just filters out into everything he does for the team.
01:33And, like, never a, hey, go do this, go play here, go play safety,
01:38go play nickel, go play inside the box, go do this, like go play against the run.
01:42Like, yes sir, yes sir, happy, smile on his face,
01:44and does it at an elite level.
01:46So just obviously just enjoyable player to be around,
01:50and he's working to get back on the field for us.
01:53So we know how good Jalen Petrie is.
01:55You just heard him talking about it.
01:56But as a replacement, he's basically saying, well,
02:00we're kind of going to mix and match.
02:02Yeah, and mix and match means a couple of different things
02:05because it seems like they might just kind of go to some different coverages, right?
02:09They play a nickel, and he's the glue of what they typically want to do,
02:13but how much do they maybe turn to maybe like a more traditional nickel?
02:17How much does this just force them into straight-up base
02:20in instances where they would typically trust Jalen Petrie
02:22to be a de facto third linebacker?
02:24Do they just put in that third linebacker,
02:29especially if it's maybe like an EJ Speed or something?
02:32To just kind of maybe cover a little bit,
02:34which I guess a little scary if it's EJ.
02:36Well, maybe not as much with EJ, but Henry Toa Toa,
02:38I know a lot of people get skittish when he ends up having to backpedal
02:41and actually cover in a way.
02:44How much do they then maybe go out and do even like dime-type stuff?
02:48Or what innovative ways do they go into doing this?
02:52I think that this is – you're right.
02:54This is a big one because this is a deviation from the points leader
02:59when it comes to defenses in the NFL.
03:01This has been the reason why you've been able to maintain the assertion
03:05that you were close in these games and that you have all these one-score games
03:07that unfortunately you've lost is that the defense has kept this close.
03:11What is the drop-off when the hinge point of what you do is probably not active?
03:16And I do want to make that clear, like clear up why that is
03:19because the injury report for yesterday had a number of players
03:23still in that same place of not practicing.
03:25Jalen Petrie, CJ Stroud with concussions.
03:27We knew CJ's not going.
03:28We haven't gotten definitively if Titus isn't going.
03:31But it is a concussion.
03:33Concussion and he didn't practice yesterday.
03:35So that feels like that.
03:36We probably have an answer there for Titus.
03:39Actually, we do have an answer there because Blake Fisher will be going there.
03:42So my apologies there.
03:43But Kymie Fairbairn still didn't practice.
03:46And we know he's not going to be going because D'Amico seemed to let that go.
03:50Harrison Bryant didn't practice yesterday.
03:52Ed Ingram didn't practice yesterday.
03:54So now some good things for the defense,
03:56especially in the guys that went from not practicing
03:59to being limited participants yesterday.
04:01Will Anderson Jr., limited participant, which, whew.
04:04Yeah, that was big.
04:05Sigh of relief on top of D'Amico Autry.
04:09That's depth-wise.
04:11You're feeling like you're rounding out with your pass rush,
04:13which is going to be important for you, I imagine,
04:14especially against the Trevor Lawrence.
04:17Nick Chubb and Damian Pierce were limited participants, though, as well.
04:20So offensively, you got those guys back in the full practice.
04:24Well, but again, that's why, you know, the Jalen Petrie thing
04:27and the defense, how it affects that.
04:31That, to me, is a little bigger.
04:33Seriously, what are our expectations with this offensive line?
04:36More of the same.
04:37Yeah, but here's...
04:37You know, maybe they'll have some moments.
04:40Maybe they'll, as Nick Caley said yesterday, you know,
04:42we have been able to run the ball occasionally.
04:45Maybe this, maybe that.
04:46But it's not going to be a force, you know, with this team.
04:49You stay in games because of the defense.
04:51Yeah, but let me try and make the case for the offense,
04:53because any games that you've actually been able to win
04:55is when your offense can actually put something together.
04:57And the few times that they are actually able to put something together
05:01or the instances where they've been able to remain close
05:03is because the offense is working damn near at the highest ability
05:06of what they have actually put together
05:08and what they're putting on the field.
05:10They're missing a lot of the guys that helped make that possible.
05:13And the drop-off after that raises questions.
05:16We've already talked about Titus Howard, a right guard to Blake Fisher.
05:19I don't feel great about that, that you have drop-off there.
05:22The C.J. Stroud to Davis Mills is one that's interesting,
05:26if for no other reason than you're not going to have
05:29as good of ability to pick up yards on the ground with his feet, right?
05:34You're not going to have those in there.
05:36I still have interest in how well Davis Mills is able to dissect
05:41versus zone in the way that C.J. was, right?
05:43How much does that end up coming up?
05:46And then the injury to Titus has that domino effect of
05:52what does your big six-man jumbo package look like,
05:56especially since Harrison Bryant doesn't look like he's playing your second tight end.
05:59So you can't even go, well, maybe we just go with more two tight end sets
06:03to try and create a facsimile.
06:05It might be like Jarrett Kingston.
06:06I think we kind of threw up the B. Scott hypothesis yesterday.
06:10Does that happen and does that work the same?
06:12Does that look similar?
06:13Do you get the same benefit out of that?
06:15All of those things were the things that they were able to get
06:18moderately more impact out of their offense off of.
06:21You're losing those impacts.
06:22And so it might be, okay, your defense is definitely being hampered by injuries,
06:26but they might not have any chance in hell if the offense takes any step back.
06:31Like you're already at a place where you need to get all of the stuff
06:33you've gotten from this offense and you're dealing with less guys to do it.
06:37So where do you feel like you're going to be able to make up the most ground?
06:41Yeah, and that's the question.
06:42That's what you were talking before the show.
06:43I thought it was a great question.
06:44Yeah, let's do this as a mental exercise.
06:467-1-3-5-7-2-4-6-10.
06:48Of the people who are going to need to step up, because Matt Burke talked about it, right?
06:53We're just going to need the guys to step up.
06:54We'll open this up to the entirety of the team.
06:56Let's power rank the guys who have the capability of stepping up.
06:59And I'm thinking, especially because I know the biggest thing that you're thinking about
07:02is the Jalen Patriot.
07:03That's at the bottom of the list for me.
07:05I don't have confidence in...
07:06Of confidence.
07:07But I think let's examine the places where people can step into the void.
07:11The ways that you can handle this, and it's probably going to be a number of these things
07:15and more.
07:16I think you can end up with this place where you slide Kamari Lasseter into the slot.
07:20He's demonstrated the capability of doing that.
07:22He did it last week, although Jalen Smith was the guy.
07:25J-Rock was the guy that you put at that outside of Ville.
07:30Does the next man up become Tremont Smith as a cornerback?
07:32We've seen him very, very sparingly step onto the field and have to play corner.
07:37How much do they trust him?
07:38Because he's very good on special teams, but how much do they trust him actually in coverage?
07:42Do you get some Jalen Reid at safety?
07:44Although he hasn't had as much time this year.
07:47He's a rookie and he missed time this year.
07:49I do wonder, Miles Bryant is one of those guys that play directly behind Jalen Patriot in
07:53training camp.
07:54He's a dude who's been in this system, so he knows that role.
07:58He's on your practice squad.
07:59He might be in elevation there.
08:00So those are all guys that I think, or those are the two guys that I imagine might be in
08:04play for helping you, or three guys, because I mentioned Jalen Reid, that might be in play
08:08for helping you find some level of answer there.
08:10I think there's also something to be acknowledged in.
08:12Christian Harris is dealing with an injury there at linebacker, and again, the Petrie missing.
08:18How much do you end up with, I know Henry Toto still ends up being kind of the starter.
08:22How much does EJ Speed and maybe even Jake Hansen get involved linebacker-wise?
08:27If you get more base, or if you have some instances where, well, actually, yeah, just
08:32more base opportunities, how much do those guys end up in a step-up role?
08:36And then the guys that we were talking about on offense that you know, Jarrett Kingston
08:40or Trent Brown, and then obviously Blake Fisher, those are guys who have opportunities to step
08:45up.
08:46Who do you feel the most confident of?
08:47Some of those guys or any other guys that you think could be stepping up into a role this
08:51week?
08:51Yeah, that's a tough question.
08:52I'm going to have to believe that knowing the Texans, how they operate, they like the
08:58experience, the guys that have been able to do things.
09:01I'm going to say Miles Bryant comes in, comes up, and then Kamari Lasseter, because we've
09:06seen him play a little.
09:10I would probably feel like that's how it's going to end up going.
09:13So you think Miles Bryant probably plays a lot of that?
09:17Do you feel like then, if we're power ranking this, that he has the best opportunity of
09:21stepping up?
09:22Because that feels kind of opposite of what your worries are with the actual issue.
09:25No, that is still my biggest worry, is the nickel position.
09:28And yet you still feel like with the guys that are going to need to step up in this
09:31week, he's the one that you like the most?
09:33He probably would be the best pick.
09:35I might go with my number one being EJ Speed, and I kind of worked him in here, but the possibility
09:39of getting him on the field more.
09:41Now, of course, that's EJ and Henry Toto and Aziz Alshair, but I think that, one, this
09:47team likes playing base from time to time when they can.
09:50And they have.
09:50I think, also, they're going to have an emphasis this week on stopping the run.
09:55We'll talk more about that with win because, lose because, but I think that that is Trevor
09:58Lawrence over there, man.
09:59We talked to Pete Prisco.
10:01He's, like, not seeing it.
10:02We are not seeing it.
10:04He has continued to have his issues.
10:05You've got to force him to beat you.
10:07Yeah.
10:07And I think that, in doing that, you've got a couple of running backs for the Jags that
10:11are really good.
10:12So, actually, maybe having that additional linebacker to establish that physicality might
10:16not be a terrible thing.
10:17I feel like this is an EJ Speed game, and the possibility of him then needing to cover
10:21a little bit then pops up.
10:23But, you know, we know the Jags are missing tight ends.
10:26We know that they are dealing with some injuries with their wide receivers, so maybe they don't
10:30go as deep with their wide receivers.
10:32Like, I do think that this might be an opportunity for you to play a little bit bigger and get that
10:36physicality.
10:37They have added a wide receiver.
10:39We'll see.
10:40And then in other positions, who do you think?
10:42So, I think, for both of us, I think, though, EJ Speed, Miles Bryant, one and two on the
10:45power rankings of dual.
10:48Who will stepping up admirably?
10:51Yeah.
10:51No, I definitely agree with you.
10:52But then you start looking at the offensive line, to me, is just an absolute mystery.
10:59I don't know as much as we've seen him play in this league and have success.
11:03I don't know what Trent Brown is right now.
11:06Buddy.
11:06I don't know what he is.
11:08At all.
11:09Is he in shape?
11:10Is he out of shape?
11:10No idea.
11:11Is he, you know...
11:12And to be fair, if I had to guess, I'd probably guess...
11:14Well, it feels unreal to be like, professional athlete?
11:17Probably out of shape.
11:18But, I mean, I haven't seen him be able to get...
11:21I mean, obviously, we didn't see him in training camp.
11:22He was still dealing with injury.
11:23When he finally gets active, I mean, he's practice squad.
11:26To what level of work is he actually getting in any of these circumstances?
11:30I have no idea whatsoever.
11:32No, I totally agree.
11:33I don't know what he is.
11:34I don't like, as we've long established, I don't like Blake Fisher at tackle.
11:40Yeah, we know.
11:41We know you've been trying to get him out of here for a while.
11:43Ain't that right, Philly?
11:44I think it's going to affect, you know, whatever, quote, jumbo package they have.
11:49What is that going to look like?
11:51Are they going to even use it very much?
11:53And how does that affect the run game?
11:55How does it affect pass protection?
11:57To me, right now, who is going to step up?
11:58Who is most likely to step up in the offensive line?
12:01And that's funny, because one of these guys—
12:03Jared Kingston?
12:04I think he has a possibility in the relatively limited role of being that sixth offensive line.
12:10I am leaning on some of the things that people have said from practice,
12:16from limited opportunities that even they have, where it's like,
12:19hey, this might be a thing that they go for.
12:21I can see the thought process there of making it, right?
12:25Because Trent Brown, just as a big dude, being the—that sixth—
12:31Maybe that works.
12:32Maybe.
12:32Just giant on the edge.
12:34I could see him being it, and it's a limited role where you don't have to be crazy.
12:37You just need to be big.
12:38So maybe that helps, but—
12:39Do you feel like it's a possibility they would take somebody from the defense,
12:43like a Tommy Toji?
12:45That would be—
12:46That would be wild.
12:47That'd be innovative in a way that I almost—
12:49I feel bad saying this.
12:50I almost don't believe them capable of.
12:52Like, I almost don't believe them going to a place where they go,
12:55let's go get one of these dudes on the defense.
12:57Yeah.
12:57Right?
12:58Like, let's have—who would be the guy you look—
13:00Mario Edwards?
13:01Would it be like one of them guys?
13:02Would it be like Mario Edwards here?
13:04Toji, I.
13:05They love him.
13:06He's a—
13:06I think—I can see Toji.
13:08He's almost too big to play at that point.
13:10He is big.
13:10He's one of the strongest people on the team, though.
13:12He's a swarmy kind of guy.
13:14Yeah.
13:14He's a swarmy—
13:16Now you got me thinking.
13:17Daniel Hunter.
13:17Now you got me thinking.
13:18Come on.
13:18Come on, play offense.
13:20Yeah.
13:20I feel like you need to let him get as many puffs as he can
13:23before he gets out there.
13:24Get up there with—
13:25I would be scared to say if I was the defense.
13:27Like, wait a minute.
13:28What is he doing on offense?
13:30He ain't about to block me.
13:31Yeah.
13:32It's kind of crazy that when we talk about who we believe to be able to step in,
13:36it is a couple of guys on defense, and then we go,
13:38I have no earthly idea.
13:41I will say, though, I am incredibly happy
13:43that I don't have to talk about who has to step up and running back
13:45because it seems like Nick Chubb, you know, getting his practice,
13:47I think that you'll have the two guys that you trust to do those things.
13:51I am also happy that it feels like at edge rusher,
13:56you're probably not going to have to have as much step up
13:58as it was looking like it might be
13:59when you see Will Anderson Jr. pop up on the injury report and not practice.
14:03Those are things that I'm happy about.
14:05There's a lot of guys that we just named
14:07that are going to be incredibly well for them to have a chance
14:11to put their best foot forward on Sunday versus the Jaguars.
14:15Who steps up, we will have to see.
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