Following an offseason of personnel adjustments on the offensive line, the Houston Texans opened the season final week towards the Los Angeles Rams and regarded like nothing modified.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked thrice and pressured on greater than 41 % of his dropbacks, perNextGen Stats, throughout a 14-9 street loss to the Rams. The Texans, who host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night time, stay a piece in progress when it comes to offering appropriate safety for Stroud. Their vulnerability shall be challenged once more contemplating the Bucs pressured Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on greater than 43 % of his dropbacks in Week 1.
“Their entrance, it actually comes from Todd’s philosophy,” stated Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, referencing Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles. “They’ll carry a whole lot of unique pressures. There shall be stress from safeties, nickels, all people is coming and … they do a extremely good job of disguising it. We simply actually should do a fantastic job as an offense when the image adjustments. How are we reacting and responding?
“Speaking the correct manner when the image adjustments, that would be the problem for us this week,” Ryans added.
With Stroud below excessive duress, Houston receiver Nico Collins had solely three receptions (on 5 targets) for 25 yards towards the Rams. Far and away the Texans’ high choice within the passing recreation, Collins stands a superior shot of being unlocked if the Texans execute higher on offense.
“Offensively, while you return to the sport on Sunday, we now have so many performs the place we’re enjoying behind the sticks and we’re not doing issues that we’re skilled to do,” Ryans stated. “We’re not doing issues which are conducive to staying on monitor, and having the ability to run our offense in that sort of trend, it should be arduous to get the ball to a sure participant right here or there.
“We have to do the issues that we’re coached to do, be certain that we’re staying on monitor offensively, ensuring all people is on the identical web page, and we’re placing ourselves in place to make constructive performs. When we now have these constructive performs, then it opens up the offense for us to have the ability to get the ball to whoever we need to get the ball to.”
The Buccaneers, who received their season opener 23-20 at Atlanta, welcomed left deal with Tristan Wirfs (knee) again to follow on Thursday, a constructive growth for that unit after proper deal with Luke Goedeke was a non-participant.
Bowles revealed Goedeke performed by means of a foot damage on Sunday and that his standing for the rest of the week and Monday night time’s tilt was undetermined. Graham Barton manned left deal with instead of Wirfs towards the Falcons, whereas Charlie Heck changed Goedeke in Thursday’s follow.
Bowles was coy relating to Wirfs’ potential availability towards the Texans and echoed related sentiment relating to receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (ankle), who additionally practiced on Thursday. Wirfs and Godwin may have their game-time standing decided because the week of preparation unfolds.
Ought to Wirfs, a two-time first-team All-Professional, return to the fold, it could present Tampa Bay a measure of normalcy up entrance. That is one thing the Texans are searching for as effectively as a result of heart Jake Andrews (ankle) didn’t follow on Thursday.
“They’re shuffling identical to we’re,” Bowles stated. “Proper now, we’re simply making an attempt to get our toes below us. It is not about benefits, it is about us caring for us and enjoying quick.
“No matter they’ve, they’ve; no matter we now have, we now have. We have to go down there and attempt to win the sport it doesn’t matter what.”
–Area Stage Media
