Grading The Texans After Their First Win of the Season
Landry Locker Grades the Texans From Their Game Against the Titans
Landry Locker will post his grades for the Texans each week. Here are the grades for week four. Follow Landry on YouTube.
Not all the problems are solved, and there are still reasonable concerns on the offensive side of the ball, but could a youth movement spark Nick Caley’s offense?
The Texans won’t play a worse football team than the one they faced Sunday (until they play the Titans again in Week 11), but perhaps getting that first win could lead to this team looking more like they were expected to look during the season.
Here and the Land Lock week four grades…
Quarterback: B-
C.J. Stroud made two of his best throws of the season, the 2nd and 30+ completion to Nico Collins at the end of the third quarter and a touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins in the fourth.
He also appeared to handle pressure better than he had in the previous weeks. Yes, it was against the dog-butted Titans, but it was a much-needed performance, regardless of the opponent.
He did miss a touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz early in the game, which is a throw he needs to make once the competition increases.
Running Backs: A+
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Woody Marks was the best back on the team in training camp, and we are finally seeing him get the opportunities to show it in a game.
His performance alone is enough to get a perfect grade.
His ability to catch the ball gets a lot of attention, but he also runs between the tackles better than he gets credit for.
Nick Chubb is a nice compliment to Marks, but it’s also somewhat frustrating that the depth of the position is so thin with Dameon Pierce not being active and Dare Ogunbowale not being someone who should play much, if at all, on offense.
Wide Receivers: B+
Collins made the play that turned the game upside down and gave the Texans much-needed momentum. Higgins had his first career touchdown, and the wideouts took advantage of the opportunities they were given.
It was a solid effort for the group.
Tight Ends: B
There isn’t much expected from this group.
Schultz should have had a touchdown, but Stroud missed him, and he had a team-high five receptions.
The other guys are just there.
Offensive Line: B
Two sacks allowed and 129 yards on the ground is something you will take from this offensive line any Sunday, regardless of the opponent.
Defensive Line: A
Danielle Hunter went off again, and although the defense only had two sacks, they made Titans quarterback Cam Ward uncomfortable throughout the game.
Linebackers: A
E.J. Speed saw a significant increase in defensive snaps, and less might be more with Henry To’oTo’o at this point.
There weren’t any significant mistakes made by the group. It was a solid effort overall.
It will be interesting to see what the rotation looks like moving forward and if we see Christian Harris find his way into the mix later in the season.
Cornerbacks: B+
Derek Stingley gutted it out and played despite dealing with an oblique injury, and had an interception. Kamari Lassiter was solid and could have had an interception of his own if Ward hadn’t skipped the pass.
The corners looked like what they are, one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL.
Safeties: A
M.J. Stewart did a solid job in the starting role, and it was the first time there weren’t significant mistakes made by the position group.
DeMeco Ryans praised the communication and performance by the defensive backs, which I read between the lines as satisfaction with the group minus C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Special Teams: C
Another missed Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal and an up-and-down performance by Tommy Townsend, with nothing explosive in the return game on both sides. Not up to the standard this unit has set, but could have been a lot worse.
Coaching: A-
The defense pitched a shutout with defensive coordinator Matt Burke calling the plays. The offense exploded with 20 fourth-quarter points. It was the most well-rounded coaching effort of the year.
From a personnel perspective, we finally got to see a larger role for Woody Marks, which is better late than never. The decision to throw the ball deep on 2nd and long instead of tapping out was also encouraging and not something we had seen from Nick Caley early in the season.
It will be intriguing to see how Ryans handles defensive play-calling duties when they play teams that are better than the Tennessee Titans.
Hope he finds that groove again… anticipation, and leading the receiver. If he does that, Texans will be fine.
Wide receivers: I thought Hutchison had two nice catches, especially the one across the center of the field at the markers. Stroud looked right, turned and hit Hutchison in stride, expecting the receiver to be there. It reminded me of rookie Stroud with anticipation throws, an element missing last year and, until Sunday, this year.