Strong play at DT, running back thoughts, more notes | Harris Hits (2024)

Gotta love a win any way that you can get it and the Texans finished up the ten day trip to Ohio/Pennsylvania with a 20-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. So many great things came out of this game, so let's dive into my Harris Hits from the eight point win over the AFC North Steelers.

How great was it to see C.J. Stroud linking up with WR Tank Dell? The two hadn't seen game action together since Tank broke his leg in the mosh pit at the goal line early in the win over Denver. That was the type of play that will give teams nightmares. Play zone coverage. OL gives C.J. time to throw. Dell knows exactly where to work into the void in the coverage.

Fastball. Catch. Run. TD.

I've said it so many times, Tank is as tough as a $2 steak and feeble arm tackles aren't going to bring him down. So, when he made that catch, he immediately faced the defense and turned into a 5-9, 165 lb. version of Earl Campbell. He ran through the safety's tackle attempt near the goal line and scooted into the end zone. Up in the booth, N.D. Kalu and I both gave a little fist pump as he scored. That play was so wonderfully executed and it put the Texans in the lead 7-0.

The fact that Tank set up that touchdown with a quality punt return spoke volumes as well. He should've also gotten a 15-yard flag on a very-close-to-being-a-late-hit from former Texans punter Cam Johnston. That "tackle" nearly set off a fracas but the damage was already done. Fortunately, Tank would get his revenge a few plays later.

That was enough from C.J (and Tank too). When asked about C.J.'s number of snaps/series tonight, I answered pretty clearly. I wanted one long series with points and that would be enough. But, when the offense went three and out to start, going back in was Plan B. Go back out, be efficient and get some points on the board. C.J. and the offense followed that plan to a T.

The defensive player that popped off the screen all night long was Texans DT Mario Edwards Jr. He was AC-TIVE! I knew that he had a few tackles early, but I didn't realize that he had FIVE stops. Then, he got a piece of a sack as well. Y'all have read my Harris Hits all training camp long and I've mentioned Edwards numerous times during that time. He may have been the most disruptive DL in camp and that was evident in this PS game as well.

I was a bit worried heading into the game about the depth on the OL and how that would manifest itself, to a degree, in offensive issues or success. I thought from a pass protection standpoint, the Texans did a solid job, but the run game still needs work.

One of my favorite plays of the night came in the second quarter. QB Davis Mills moved the Texans down the field and faced a 2nd and ten from the Pittsburgh 30-yard line. We got duped upstairs by the red hat on the field and took a break on TV. But, the game never took a break. So, we missed this play on TV but it stood out to me, still, for a number of reasons. First, the Steelers brought a blitz and the OL and RB Dare Ogunbowale picked it up BEAUTIFULLY. That protection brought more time for Mills who started to move in the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield. He eventually saw rookie TE Cade Stover and fired to him wide open down the field. Stover picked up 16 yards and a big first down. Ogunbowale punched it in a few plays later to give the Texans a 14-0 lead.

Stroud was excellent with limited reps, but he wasn't alone. I've said since OTA/minicamp that QB Davis Mills has improved steadily every single day. He was outstanding. He was comfortable in the pocket. He was accurate. He moved into clean windows to make throws unabated. He didn't throw a TD, which kept his rating down a bit, but I thought he played better than his numbers indicated, especially with the run game struggling to provide any support.

I mentioned DT Mario Edwards above but I also thought there was good play from DT Foley Fatukasi. There was one play in the first half where the Steelers tried to trap Fatukasi. They let him get upfield and then brought the left guard over to trap him. But, Fatukasi saw the guard coming, stopped heading upfield and redirected back into the play, stopping the running back for no gain. He's the type of BIG athlete that DeMeco Ryans must love having in the middle of this defense.

It's a preseason game, but the Texans formula since DeMeco's taken over was on full display. Create takeaways. Take care of the football. Be opportunistic. Oh, and also, kick you-know-what on third down. They did all of that in the first half of that game. The Steelers were 0% on third down, while the Texans were 50% conversion rate on third down in the first half. The Texans recovered a muffed punt that led to Ogunbowale's TD in the second quarter. The formula worked well again.

Man, I don't know how this running back situation is going to work out. I thought rookie Jawhar Jordan ran with much more decisiveness than in the Hall of Fame game. He led the Texans with 22 rushing yards. Cam Akers really got involved in the second half. He had nine touches for 41 yards and showed some of that burst that's gotten many excited about what he can do as this season progresses. It's a great problem to have but it's nowhere near being ready to figure out.

Mr. Reliable, aka Robert Woods, led the team in receiving yardage with 42 yards on four catches. He drew a defensive pass interference call as well. He was in sync with all of the quarterbacks on the field and that helped give the offense a boost in the second quarter.

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How about S Brandon Hill returning to his college stadium and sealing the game with a pick!! That was one heck of a pick too. The throw was low and he had to go down and get it, making one heck of a catch for his first pick as a Texan.

My man Sosa, aka McTelvin Agim, had a solid ball game as well. He had a couple of tackles, but had a sack, a TFL, a QB hurry and a FF. He's been that disruptive throughout training camp and it showed in game action on Friday night.

The play that really had us buzzing in the booth was one that didn't even count. Steelers QB (former Texans QB) Kyle Allen threw deep down the field on the Steelers sideline. It seemed to be man coverage and that throw - deep, outside the numbers - is THE throw to make in that situation. Throw it deep and hope your WR wins the rep against the DB. But, out of freakin' nowhere, S Calen Bullock flew over the top and caught the throw from Allen. Now, he didn't get two feet in bounds, but the RANGE, the SPEED and the CENTERFIELD skills were wildly impressive on that play. I can't wait to see the full play from an All-22 angle because I want to confirm how far Bullock ACTUALLY ran to get over the top of that throw. Incredibly different from any safety the Texans have had in this defense in the past.

Alright, it's time to fly HOME, yes sir, HOUSTON, we're coming back and ready to be there. See ya on Sunday, everyone!