Chubb brings the power
RB Nick Chubb had one of his best runs of camp on the next play. He took a zone handoff, headed right at DE Danielle Hunter. The Texans star edge disruptor had beaten the tackle and tight end and was ready to tackle Chubb. However, the Texans newest running back had different ideas. He nearly came to a complete stop and then hit the gas up the field to avoid Hunter. That was an excellent, and powerfully impressive, run.
Anderson Jr. continues to impress
On third down, Hunter’s partner in defensive end crime Will Anderson Jr. forced Stroud to have to get rid of the ball way earlier than he wanted and incomplete.
On the very next play, Anderson Jr ran down a run from the backside to slow Chubb for no gain. I mean, dude…WHAT?!?
When Mills came onto the field for his series, he initially hit RB Jawhar Jordan out in the flat wide open. That was a good read, good catch. Positive yards in red zone to start the drill
The DL then completely stuffed an inside Jordan run, led by DE Dylan Horton.
A few plays later, rookie RB Woody Marks squirted through for a solid four-to-five yard gain without getting touched. Then, Mills threw to WR Justin Watson at the goal line, only to have CB Tremon Smith knock the ball away. GREAT PBU!
On the final play of Mills’ series, he attempted to quickly put the ball on TE Brevin Jordan, but it got tipped a couple of times and CB Jaylin Smith was able to eventually gather it in for an end zone INT. That was a heck of a concentration catch on the pick.
As the drill moved inside the ten yard line, rookie QB Graham Mertz went under center. He immediately looked for fellow rookie TE Luke Lachey in the back corner of the end zone. Mertz threw a beautiful ball, but second year LB Jamal Hill got a hand on it for the PBU.
I mentioned RB Nick Chubb earlier for a great run that he had down in the red zone, but when the team moved the drill out beyond the goal line, Chubb had an equally impressive play on a pass play. S Jalen Pitre blitzed QB C.J. Stroud from the edge and it appeared that he might have a free run to the QB. But, Chubb spied Pitre and slowed him before he could even get close to Stroud. LOVED that pass protection.
Before the series started, LB Azeez Al-Shaair slammed himself on the helmet a few times to hype himself up. It must have worked because on the very next play, Al-Shaair flew into Chubb at the line of scrimmage on a run play.
Five locked down at once
The very next play was the secondary at its best. Five pass catchers out in the route and Derek Stingley Jr and company had EVERY single one on lockdown. LOCK FREAKIN’ DOWN.
A few plays later, K Ka’imi Fairbairn DRILLED a 56-yard field goal to end that series.
LB E.J. Speed made the running backs, in particular rookie RB Woody Marks, feel his pain today. On the first play of the next series, Speed stopped Marks in the hole for no gain. A little later in the team situational drill, Speed blitzed and, let’s say, introduced himself to Marks, quite rudely I might add, if you catch my drift.
A few plays later, Mills found rookie WR Jayden Higgins and LASERED one to him for a first down. Then, Mills followed that up with an excellent pitch and catch with TE Luke Lachey. Two plays later, Fairbairn finished that drill up with a 56-yarder that split the uprights. Two for two.
The offense struggled down the stretch of practice in the situational work, however – down three, 1:05 left, no TO, from the -38 yard line.
Anderson Jr. created pressure on Stroud which forced him to have to throw before he was ready and the routes had been completed. Al-Shaair knocked away the pass intended for Kirk.
Stroud hit Brevin Jordan on the next play, but barely missed him at the first down stick on the next rep. That would’ve been one heck of a throw. I wrote bad words on the next play because Anderson Jr. was in Stroud’s lap for another practice sack. A few plays later, Fairbairn hit AGAIN, this time from about 59-yards.
It was great to see DE Solomon Byrd show up and force QB Davis Mills out of the pocket during Mills’ situational opportunity. Casey Toohill had another sack, this time rushing from the outside.
CB Tremon Smith had another pass breakup during that drill and CB Jaylin Smith forced an incompletion as he was in brilliant man-to-man coverage down the field.
After missing a field goal attempt for the first time in this year’s training camp, Fairbairn rocked one from 50-yards right between the uprights to finish practice.
What a day! Defense did some more positive things and that secondary is *chef’s kiss*, but the offense had a few moments as well. The competition will ratchet up one final time in Houston before we head to West Virginia. Can’t WAIT! See y’all tomorrow and thanks for reading!