Notes on Schultz and Taylor

When QB Davis Mills began throwing, he quicklky layered one over the linebackers to WR Xavier Hutchinson on the deep over route. Hutch had a step on his defender and Mills put in the exact right spot for Hutch to make the catch.

On that play, TE Dalton Schultz got matched one-on-one in pass protection with DE Darrell Taylor (more on him in a second) and held up long enough to allow Mills a chance to hit Hutch for the completion. Then, he went and did ten push-ups because he had originally false started on that play. Accountability. Love it.

Now, Schultz was one of the few guys to get the best of Taylor today because the newly signed Texan edge rusher was a monster off the edge all day long. At one point, he went past me with an ice towel over his head and I thought that was it for the day. I’ve seen that look a lot in my 19 years at practice. But, when they called his group, he was back on the field to wreak even more havoc. On two consecutive plays, he put pressure on Mills, forcing one throwaway and a hurried fourth down throw that rookie WR Jaylin Noel somehow caught for a first down. Taylor’s length and power can be felt on every rush. He’s fun to watch for sure.

It’s tough to see inside the formation at all times, but I saw DT Tommy Togiai get free a number of times. There was one series where he made a tackle or got pressure on three straight plays.

Togiai forced a hurried Mills’ throw down the seam to TE Irv Smith Jr. LB Jake Hansen was in perfect position but Mills had to airmail it because of Togiai’s pressure.

Another Taylor, and some strong offensive plays

It was great to see RB J.J. Taylor back at practice after being on early season PUP. He had one of the better runs early in practice, taking a cutback on a zone play before a gang of defenders hit him four or five yards downfield.

On Saturday, WR Daniel Jackson uncharacteristically dropped a great Graham Mertz throw and I knew that had to eat at him. On Monday, Mertz looked up his guy Jackson on an intermediate route. It looked like S Russ Yeast was going to pick it off, but Jackson reached up and snatched it before Yeast could do his best Calen Bullock imitation. Good ball. Good catch. Great to see a couple of young guys make a play when the offense certainly needed it.

Eyes on 82

Once the first offense came back on the field, it faced a third down situation drill. On the first play of the drill, C.J. Stroud got great pass protection and found TE Cade Stover wide open for a nearly walk-in touchdown.

I thought WR Jaylin Noel was terrific all over the field on Monday. Just after Stroud hit Stover, Mills found Noel on a quick in-route for a completion.

Three plays later on a 4th and five situation, Noel ran the deep over behind everyone and Mertz threw deep to the only spot where Noel could make the catch clean from everyone. Touchdown Cyclon…I mean, Texans.

When the Texans moved into a red zone 7-on-7 drill, Noel made one heck of a move to get inside the nickel covering him for a touchdown. Mills DRILLED that ball to him, but Noel held on after winning that one-on-one coverage fight. Now, on the final play of that series, Noel got open but couldn’t hang on, running before he caught it. So, it wasn’t a perfect day, but 82 was certainly noticeable throughout the practice.

Another nice Jordan run

During the earlier situational drill, the Texans offense faced a fourth and one and handed to 6-3, 235 lb RB Jawhar Jordan. Okay, I’m kidding, but to prove a point, so to speak. Jordan, all of 5-9, 195 lb (maybe?), took the handoff from Mills and started into the line. At the very last second, he jump cut to his left and got vertical again for a key first down run. It was a tremendous short yardage run for a guy that isn’t typically a short yardage back. LB Jake Hansen showed so quickly in the designated run hole yet Jordan reacted so quickly to get free outside and pick up the first down yardage.

On his second series in the third down situation drill, Stroud threw a laser shot to WR Xavier Hutchinson on the out route to pick up eight of the ten yards on third down. As I mentioned earlier, Bullock then knocked down the fourth down pass…I mean, dropped it.

DB D’Angelo Ross continues his run of BEAUTIFUL pass breakups. He knocked one away from WR John Metchie on a throw from QB Kedon Slovis. Ross is such a pest in coverage and has a knack for playing the ball late as he did earlier in training camp against TE Dalton Schultz.

Metchie came right back on the fourth down play and made a solid catch for the first down.