- 15 hours ago
Sean Pendergast and Clint Stoerner analyze how acquiring Marvin Harrison Jr. redefines the Houston Texans' offense around quarterback C.J. Stroud following a dominant 26-3 win over Tennessee.
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00:00And that was it. The game was over after that. It was 19 to 3. That was, I believe, the
00:06opening drive of the second half, if I'm not mistaken, as I go back through the open up the box
00:12score here because we're doing the victory live drive of the game.
00:15So, yes, that was the opening drive of the third quarter. Only two possessions in the entire third quarter, at
00:23least two that began and ended in the third quarter. The Texans, 17 plays, 74 yards. They eat up eight
00:30minutes and 23 seconds of clock, and they slowly smother the Tennessee Titans into a slow death early in the
00:40second half.
00:41It was 12 to 3 at halftime, four Kaimi Fairbairn field goals, providing the margin after two quarters. And then
00:48the Texans, with the opening kickoff of the second half, marched down the field.
00:52Eight minutes, 23 seconds, 17 plays, 74 yards, capped off by that C.J. Stroud rushing touchdown that you just
00:58heard right there from Mark Vandermeer.
01:00That is your victory live drive of the game, victory live, connecting the world of live experiences.
01:07That was nice to see. A nice, long drive to essentially, and once you're up by 16 on a team
01:13with the Titans offense, the way your defense was playing that game, that was when we could officially stop sweating
01:19about anything.
01:19Yeah, look, and that's exactly what this team needs, Sean. I mean, again, it's unfortunate that we're here, but the
01:25reality of it is you're an 0-4 football team that had a lot of things to fix just to
01:29get the season on track.
01:31And a big part of that is coming out of halftime with a plan, executing that plan, chewing up some
01:37clock if you've got a lead, which you did.
01:39And look, I like the way that they've really struggled in those scenarios.
01:45David Montgomery at that point, I believe, had a little bit of a groin issue, or at least was on
01:50the verge of it.
01:51And you say, how can we get this done? Well, let's get a little quarterback run.
01:56That was a design quarterback run. I thought it was a good little design with Cade Stover leading away and
02:02Nico out front blocking some guys on kind of not cracking back.
02:05It's illegal, but picking up a couple of blocks on the inside.
02:09And he was very he once he once he made once he shielded the guy off, he raised his arms
02:13up to say, hey, man, not holding.
02:14I'm going to clothesline this guy so he can't get there. But I'm really asking the ref, don't don't cost.
02:18Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I'm not holding.
02:20But yeah, I mean, it was a great setup. It was a great run. CJ looked good and fluid and
02:25very comfortable doing it.
02:27And I mean, that's another thing, you know, after about three weeks of football this year, Ron and I on
02:32the drive in the afternoons, I mentioned, I said, I don't look,
02:35I'm not one to sit around and want CJ Stroud to run the football more.
02:38I think he's done a really, really good job of scrambling back up in the pushing back up in the
02:42pocket, scrambling, getting north instead of that floating around sideline to sideline stuff.
02:47But I do believe that there's a place in this offense, especially if you're going to struggle to run the
02:51football the way that they have early on is to get CJ involved in a timely manner,
02:56whether that's some kind of zone read where he pulls it and keeps it because they do run a lot
02:59of inside stuff from from the from the gun with that kind of a slow mesh.
03:03You know, there's always a possibility that or something like today where it's an obvious quarterback call it a plus
03:08one run with Cade Stover out there out there leading.
03:11And I like that, man. So that the call was good. The it's unfortunate that we look at that as
03:16it was creative, but it but it was and and CJ executed it really well.
03:21Yep. All right. So that was your drive of the game. Texans win today. 26 to three.
03:24The big news. They have traded for Marvin Harrison, Jr.
03:28The Texans have trading a second round pick in a six round pick in the upcoming draft to the Cardinals
03:33for Marvin Harrison, Jr.
03:34in a seventh round pick. My gut reaction to this, Clint, when I saw this rumored yesterday and practically reported
03:40as fact that the Texans are going to be getting Marvin Harrison, Jr.,
03:43my very first reaction was, OK, the thing that that I know I've been begging for and others have been
03:48begging for is that let's stop with the whole.
03:52We're going to be this physical pound the rock road grading run team.
03:57I think we've learned five games in. I think we learned it three games in.
04:00But I think we've learned five games in that this is not who you are.
04:04Either you don't have the personnel to do it. You don't have the coaches to do it.
04:07You don't have the scheme to whatever the case may be. This is not a good team running the football.
04:11You're going to be leaning into something you do poorly. Whereas this quarterback you've got this CJ Stroud is having
04:17a hell of a season and he's throwing the ball really, really well.
04:20He has yet to have a game this year. We has not thrown the ball.
04:22Well, even the game where they lost to the Bengals 20 to six, no Nico in that game.
04:26I thought CJ actually threw the ball pretty decently in that game. He's had a really, really good season individually.
04:31It has not translated into wins and losses, even though CJ has walked off the field in the final two
04:36minutes in three of these games with with leads that he had just handed the team moments ago.
04:41So CJ's done his job. I feel I feel good in saying that if you are using significant draft capital
04:48and make no mistake, a second round pick.
04:50I know that the Texans second round pick. One of the two of them is inactive right now.
04:53So it doesn't feel that way. But trust me, Houston, second round picks are significant picks.
04:58Kamari Lasseter, second round pick. That's significant draft capital.
05:02If you're using draft capital to go get a wide receiver on a team that before the season said,
05:08we want to be a running team, you know, we want to be a run first, you know, physical football
05:12team.
05:13That tells me they're shifting how they're going to approach this thing.
05:17I don't think you may. I don't think you trade a second round pick at a pick.
05:21Forget about who it is just for a wide receiver.
05:25If especially if, you know, if, you know, we'll see what tank is, but that's the other question I have.
05:30Does this mean that tank there's, you know, that are they are they prioritizing wide receiver?
05:34Because tank, you know, may not be what they think he's going to be if and when he comes back.
05:39That's a secondary topic.
05:40To me, the biggest thing is trading for Marvin Harrison Jr.
05:43tells me they are leaning into C.J. Stroud being the focal point of this offense.
05:48Yeah, this year and beyond, I would argue that there's there's there's layers to this trade.
05:53I think for me, Sean, Marvin Harrison Jr., I love the trade.
05:57I don't care who your quarterback is.
05:58I don't care.
05:59I don't care who your play caller is.
06:00I don't care what schematically you are doing on the offensive side of the football.
06:04For a second round draft pick, you can go get a previous fourth overall pick that you have ultimately three
06:11years control of two and a half years control of here moving forward with Marvin Harrison Jr.
06:17And number one, and I'm not going to I am not one to hold it against the guy to the
06:24to the to the level of I don't want him on my team based on what he kind of his
06:30response to a dysfunctional organization.
06:32You're talking about a player that went from Ohio State, one of the most functional college organizations, programs in all
06:38of college football to one of the most dysfunctional organizations, maybe outside the Cleveland Browns in the last 10 years
06:44in the NFL.
06:46Now, I don't like what we're hearing, the reputation.
06:49I don't I don't like I don't like what we're hearing, but I'm not going to not be interested in
06:54that player because that was his response to whatever the hell was going on in in Arizona.
07:00I mean, we see guys every year now asking out of places because they're so dysfunctional.
07:05So second round pick, you know, for a guy that was a fourth overall talent that your quarterback knows really,
07:14really well and can vouch for.
07:17I'm here for it, man.
07:18I'm here for it on the player.
07:20If you move down to to just what it says about CJ's future here, I mean, I'd be shocked if
07:25Nick Nick Casario and D'Amico Rhines and and the McNairs are listening to CJ Stroud on bringing a receiver
07:31in here and then not going to re up him and not not going to pay him to be here.
07:35Um, so I like that connection and, um, if you're going to be in a system where you got to
07:40distribute the football, Sean, where it's where it's all about distributing the we're not going to feature Nico the way
07:45that the Seahawks feature JSN and and the Rams feature Puka Nukua and we're not going to run Nico's numbers
07:53targets and catches up.
07:54We're going to play within this system.
07:56All right.
07:56If that's the case, then go get me more Nico's or guys that at least potentially could be Nico's.
08:01And so I like it for the system and the, I guess, philosophy that they have offensively to put better
08:09guys in positions.
08:10So when the ball goes there, you got a better athlete on the other end of it.
08:13It's really interesting because if he and we'll hit the phones here in just a second.
08:16We know a lot of people want to weigh in on this.
08:18Um, if he if Marvin Harrison Jr.
08:21Is able to recapture some of whatever the magic was he had coming into the league when he was viewed
08:25as like, as I outlined before, he was the first non quarterback taken in his draft class.
08:30He was the fourth overall pick and, you know, maybe generational wide receiver.
08:35That's that's probably out the door now.
08:36I think if he were a generational wide receiver, then then we might have seen inklings of that.
08:41We've seen good from him.
08:42We haven't seen great from him, but it gets really interesting, not just this season, but long term.
08:48Like like Nico's under contract for another year or two after this.
08:51I want to say another at least another year.
08:53Jane Higgins comes back next year.
08:55Yeah.
08:55You know, now you got Marvin Harrison Jr. in the building for at least this year and next year.
08:59And if they exercise his fifth year option another year after that, I do like that part of it, too.
09:04Like he is, you know, like he this is an audition for him as well.
09:08Like the Texans will have decisions to make on him after the season when it comes to that.
09:11But Nico Collins, Jaden Higgins, Marvin Harrison Jr.
09:14You know, we don't know what tank is going to be.
09:16Jalen Noel made another play today.
09:17Jalen Noel started to really acclimate himself.
09:20It gets to be an interesting group, and I can't see anything other than them just be other than them
09:26becoming a pass first team with a move like this.
09:28Well, if you're going to be I don't think you have an option but to become a pass first team.
09:31But if you look up like today, you know, we early in the game, Nico Collins is it looks over
09:37the sideline.
09:37You're you're you're on a 30 yard line.
09:39One of the field goal drives.
09:40I don't remember which one it was during the 30 yard line going in.
09:42Nico makes a play.
09:43He stands up waves over to the sideline and he waves in Jarrett Wayne and now you got Jarrett Wayne
09:49in.
09:49I think it was first and maybe second eight or something like that, but you in a critical situation where
09:54now you got Jarrett Wayne in the game and I know it's just I'm not banging on Jarrett Wayne.
09:57I'm just that that's where they're at with the injuries that they've had.
10:00You got Jarrett Wayne in a game.
10:01You got Hutch in the game.
10:02Like we've got to get to a point where you're going to real everything's going to be so dependent on
10:09one injury.
10:10Like I think that's what pushed this team over the over the hump on this Marvin Harrison deal is they've
10:15seen in the first five weeks of the season how dependent this offense is on one player.
10:20Yeah, that has that has hamstring problems.
10:22Yeah, and so what what in hopes you've done is bringing in Boutte and bringing in obviously Marvin Harrison Jr.
10:29You could weather the storm of an injury if indeed it does.
10:32No doubt.
10:33No doubt.
10:33They will need a different Marvin.
10:35I mean, I'm not breaking any news here.
10:36They're going to need a different version of Marvin Harrison Jr. to show up for this trade to to, you
10:41know, to come close to being what they hope it is here.
10:44So we'll see.
10:45It is it is a wild day to be a Texan fan.
10:49They get their first win of the season and then turn right around and complete the trade for Marvin Harrison
10:54Jr.
10:54Let's get some folks in on the phone that want to talk about it.
10:57We start off this segment in Fresno with Ace.
11:00Ace, you're up on Texans postgame.
11:01Welcome in.
11:03How you doing?
11:04Good afternoon.
11:05Good evening to y'all, man.
11:06I think that was an amazing move they did.
11:08It was surprising and it's exciting.
11:10I'm glad that we did it.
11:11We got a win.
11:12Everybody feeling better.
11:14We're one and four, but we're still going to do good.
11:16And it's awesome.
11:18Thank y'all.
11:18All right.
11:19Thanks, Ace.
11:19Appreciate the phone call.
11:20So there's one vote in favor of Marvin Harrison Jr.
11:23as a Houston Texan.
11:24We've got a few Texans weighing in on this.
11:26Like, I have to root for a Marvin Harrison now?
11:29A lot of Texan fans feeling that.
11:31Like, Marvin Harrison Sr. tormented the Texans for years and years.
11:36That's going to be interesting, man.
11:37I know how a lot of people feel about the Colts, obviously, here.
11:41When Marvin Harrison is walking the sidelines over there with D'Amico Rines at training camp
11:46and being, you know, obviously at games watching this boy.
11:50It'll be interesting to see how the fans take that.
11:52Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:53It'll be interesting.
11:54We have C.J. Stroud's press conference.
11:57We're going to play.
11:57I think we have it.
11:58We're going to play it later in the show.
12:00So this trade went down right before C.J. took the podium.
12:04So he was asked about it.
12:05And we'll hear from C.J. Stroud a little bit later.
12:08Let's work some of you in, though, on the phones.
12:09If you want to grab a line, a line just opened up.
12:12You can grab it.
12:13713-572-4610.
12:15Let's go to Sharpstown.
12:16Talk to Felix.
12:17Felix, you're up on Texans postgame.
12:20What's happening, y'all?
12:22You know, just trading for wide receivers and winning football games.
12:25What's up with you?
12:27I'm excited, but I'm going to contain my excitement simply because of Nick C.
12:33And this time, Nick Kaley.
12:36Because I feel like I have a problem with him.
12:37But right now, Kaley.
12:40Man, we have to use Marvin Harrison correctly or else it's going to be another booty trade.
12:46And looking all I made, the booty trade was a failed experiment.
12:49We might actually go ahead and call the Patriots and see if we can get Jalen Reed back
12:53the way Jalen Petrie went out.
12:56But Marvin Harrison, we have to use him correctly because if not, it's all going to be for nothing.
13:03We can't just rely.
13:04His separation has gone down since he entered the NFL.
13:07And so we have to scheme up separation for him at least in the first few weeks
13:12until he can get his confidence and chemistry back with CJ.
13:15And that's all going to rely on Nick Kaley.
13:17And I'm not really confident about that right now.
13:20I don't know how you guys feel.
13:21I think that's complete.
13:22Felix, we appreciate the phone call.
13:23I think that's completely valid.
13:25I think it's 100% valid.
13:27Like, yeah, a big part of this trade working is going to be Nick Kaley pushing the buttons.
13:32Scheming things open for Marvin Harrison Jr.
13:34And using him properly.
13:35I think the biggest part of the Marvin Harrison trade is do we see a different guy in Houston
13:41than what we've seen and everybody's talking about right now in Arizona?
13:45If you don't see a different guy, then you're going to get more of the same.
13:48It's going to be disappointment.
13:49It's going to be a wasted draft pick.
13:51It's going to be what the hell was D'Amico and Nick Casario and Nick Kaley doing, right?
13:56The reality of it is you put him on this team.
13:58You got guys.
13:59You got Hutch.
14:00You got Noel.
14:01You got, obviously, Nico.
14:03You got Boutte.
14:04You got guys making plays in games like you saw today.
14:08If those guys are making plays, a former two years ago fourth overall pick is damn sure
14:14going to make plays, right?
14:15But it's do you get the guy that will get here and buy into what the Texans are doing?
14:21Because the crap that he's being accused of or allegedly was doing in Arizona, that ain't
14:27going to fly with this move.
14:27Some of it's on film.
14:29Well, sure.
14:29Yeah.
14:29No, I know.
14:30Like some of it.
14:30He's, he's treating blocking as optional.
14:32Right.
14:32Right.
14:33I'm glad you said it.
14:34Yeah.
14:34Like that's not going to fly here.
14:35Right.
14:36I mean, that from the top down, that's not going to fly.
14:38Yeah.
14:38So that's not a Nick Kaley thing.
14:40That's, that's not going to fly here.
14:41So the, the biggest hurdle is, do we immediately see a different dude in, in a Texans uniform
14:47than what we saw in an Arizona Cardinals uniform?
14:49And, and I, I would bet a house note right now, you see a significantly different dude
14:53to, to the caller's point.
14:55Look, the, the, the create the losing the ability to create separation in two years in
15:01the NFL for a 22 year old, 23 year, however old he is that don't happen.
15:05Like he may not be creating separation according to all the PFFs and all that kind of stuff out
15:10there, but that's because he's lollygagging.
15:12That's because he's unhappy.
15:14That's not because he, he's worse today than he was two years ago when he was drafted fourth
15:19overall.
15:19Right.
15:20Now separation may not be his forte.
15:22I would argue that separation is not Nico's forte.
15:25I mean, if it's zone, he gets, he gets wide open, obviously, but when it's man, he's catching
15:30the ball with guys on his back a lot, right?
15:31He's shedding tackles.
15:32He's running after the catch.
15:33So that, that's that we'll see kind of how that separation piece plays out, but it just,
15:40is he going to be a different dude in a Texans uniform before he ever catches a football?
15:45I think that answer will be, will be at least inside that building will be obvious.
15:49All right.
15:49Yeah.
15:49We're going to find out.
15:50It's a really, really interesting day to be a Texans fan, man.
15:53First win of the season.
15:54Marvin Harrison, junior trade is done.
15:56We want to talk about it with you.
15:59713-572-4610.
16:01One line.
16:01Oh, well, just closed up.
16:03So if you want to get in, keep trying, keep trying.
16:05If you want to get in, a lot of people want to get in and chat with us today.
16:07Understandably so.
16:08713-572-4610.
16:11You're listening to Texans postgame on Texans radio.
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