Texans Players With Most To Prove In Preseason Game Against Steelers
Which Texans players have the most to prove in their preseason matchup Friday against the Pittsburgh Steelers? In The Loop's John Lopez and Figgy Fig discuss it here.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00All right, I got a question for you guys. 713-572-4610. Figgy, you, Chris, you. We know
00:07now that the Texans are going to play their starters. Maybe, we don't know exactly how long.
00:12I'm thinking a couple series, maybe. We'll see. But we're going to get something out of it, man.
00:16Like, we're going to get something out of it. And there are a lot of guys that
00:21maybe have something to prove. And I'm not talking about those guys right now. I started thinking
00:25about, like, which Texas player has the most to prove, could do the most for themselves
00:31on Friday night. To me, there is a right answer. And I'll give you mine right now. I'm going to
00:35get you guys. Because you can talk about, oh, hell, Kenyon Green. You know, you can talk about
00:44any number of guys on this squad that you'd like to. Hell, Cade Stover. I'd like to see what he
00:49can do. Maybe take a big step. But I'm talking about one guy that has the most to prove. I don't
00:54know if you agree or disagree. We might have the same one. We might. And I'm going to give it away
01:01here. Because Joe Mixon is out. He ain't going to play. Dario Gumbawale, we know what he's going to
01:09be. And he might be even better. He's shown a little bit in the first preseason game. Cam Akers,
01:16maybe. I don't know. We'll see. I don't know how much they're going to use him. JJ Taylor,
01:21I don't know what your expectation would be. The right answer is Damian Pearce.
01:27That's mine.
01:28Chris?
01:30I like that one. But I'm going to go with Jalen Petrie.
01:35That's another one we're going to get to that was on the list. But here's the thing about Damian
01:39Pearce. You know, we talked yesterday about what if this defense is really, really good? Like,
01:43not just good, but really, really good. What if Damian Pearce is 2022 Damian Pearce? And you got
01:51that and Joe Mixon.
01:53I think that solves the running back concerns. Because I've been saying it from the beginning,
01:59I think you need that one-two punch. I think everybody does. To me, I don't believe
02:05in workhorses. Like, this ain't Derrick Henry. I think you need that one-two punch. And if you
02:11had Joe Mixon with 2022 Damian Pearce, I think that's a solid one-two punch.
02:18I think it's more than solid.
02:19Yeah.
02:20Especially with the receivers and CJ and Mixon coming out of the backfield. Who knows if Pearce
02:24is going to improve coming out of the backfield as a receiver or not. But Super Bowl teams have
02:29a one-two punch. Like, a good one.
02:31Yeah.
02:31Cam Akers will tell you all about it.
02:33Yeah.
02:33You know, the Rams had plenty.
02:36Yeah. And even outside the Super Bowl teams, I look at a team like the Baltimore Ravens.
02:40Yeah.
02:41I feel like they have four or five dudes that just come in where I'll be like, who the hell is that?
02:46Yeah. And this dude breaking off a 20-yard run.
02:48Like, who is that?
02:50Yeah. Some days you won't see Gus Edwards or whoever they had.
02:54Yeah.
02:54Somebody else just... I like that type of style, man. I think it's only a few running
02:59bats that you can lean on as a workhorse.
03:02Yep.
03:02But I think, man, I don't want to do that to Joe Mixon, man. I know some people look at him...
03:07And he can do it. He's done it in the past.
03:10He could.
03:10But boy, if he doesn't have to...
03:12Yeah, man. If I can last longer in the NFL just by having a number two behind me who can...
03:19Take the load off of me, pause. And I think that's a good thing to have.
03:24Yeah. I mean, if it's third and one, and Pierce can be a reliable guy.
03:29Fourth and goal, and Pierce can be a reliable guy.
03:33Like, everything...
03:34Obviously, we're going to be watching everything on Friday night.
03:37And we're going to, you know, take our notes and see who's doing...
03:39You know, who's up, who's down, who looks good, who doesn't look good.
03:42I'm going to be watching Damien Pierce more than anybody else.
03:45This was D'Amico on Damien.
03:47Damien has done a great job since the spring.
03:49I just see a guy who has a clear mind, fast feet.
03:53He's playing decisive, right? I mean, he's explosive.
03:56So you're back to seeing that rookie Damien who can gain a lot of yards for us.
04:01And he has a physical mindset to him that I really love.
04:05Love how he finishes the runs.
04:06I'm excited to see him play on Friday to see...
04:09So everyone can see, right?
04:10Right.
04:11This new slash old Damien, how he was his rookie year.
04:15Dude, like he can't...
04:16I mean, that's almost over the top.
04:19Like he's going to be...
04:21I could see that rookie Damien Pierce, the new slash old Damien Pierce.
04:26I mean, that flat out, I heard that yesterday.
04:28And I'm like, okay, I'm excited.
04:30Yeah, no, that would be the perfect Damien Pierce.
04:32And I know in 2022, Damien Pierce was doing his thing.
04:37But like, I was scared to kind of lean into Damien Pierce
04:41because that was a fourth round pick.
04:44He wasn't like this first or second round pick.
04:50And he didn't play that...
04:51He didn't play that many snaps or had that many carries at Florida.
04:55Yeah.
04:55So I think this role is the perfect ideal role for Damien Pierce to be that number two
05:03and probably knock off about 10, 12 carries, man.
05:07And take the load off of Joe Mixon.
05:10And if he can be that 2022 Damien Pierce,
05:14It's on, man.
05:15I'm not really worried about Joe Mixon as much.
05:18Of course, I want him healthy.
05:19Yeah.
05:20But I don't want to lean on Damien Pierce when Joe Mixon is not healthy.
05:24And we got 2023 Damien Pierce.
05:26That's not good.
05:28He got benched.
05:29Yeah.
05:29Or he got out of the starting lineup.
05:31Yeah.
05:32It was rolling with Darre.
05:33They were rolling with Darre in key situations.
05:36So like, that's it for me.
05:38We're going to get some other possibilities here.
05:39But Damien Pierce says he's feeling better, man.
05:42How's the body feel?
05:43You're not getting tackled and taking the ground, but you are taking shots.
05:45You're being blitzed.
05:47Who ain't getting tackled?
05:48We're tackling out here.
05:49We tackle every day.
05:50I go to the ground every day.
05:53So how does the body feel once you're getting tackled?
05:55My body's fine, man.
05:58I guess I'm going to call it brotherly love, man.
05:59They showing me some tough love out here.
06:01You know, getting my body ready for the season.
06:03So Friday won't be too much of a soccer, I guess.
06:06I guess that's the only good thing I get from it.
06:07But yeah, man, my body feeling good.
06:09Anytime I feel anything, little happens, whether it's a bruise, whether I'm sore.
06:13You know, I'm on top of it with Roe and the staff.
06:16They do a great job of making sure, you know, they're on top of things.
06:18And we got a great communication line with those guys.
06:21So, you know, the training room is always open.
06:23They're always here for us.
06:24Same thing with Coach Mike and his staff.
06:25You know, we're always doing, we're always taking preventative measures.
06:28You know, we're doing stretches.
06:29We was in the pool the other day.
06:30Like, the way we work out.
06:31Like, and they always track our steps.
06:33Like, hey, DPU was a little high today.
06:35You know, we're going to look out for you in the lift.
06:37Or, you know, we're not doing these jumps S-Y-Z.
06:39You know, they always cater to us.
06:40And that's one thing I can appreciate from the strength staff and the ATR guys.
06:44You know, they take care of us.
06:45And they let us just go out and play ball, man.
06:47They take all the thinking out of it when it comes to our body.
06:49Because they are not out of that tent.
06:50They already got something planned for us.
06:52And we just follow their rules.
06:53And we should come out here and play fast, man.
06:55All right.
06:56You probably don't want to tell the NFL PA about all that tackling stuff.
07:00But that's Texans All Access.
07:02Obviously, John Harris.
07:04And, you know, he's talking about the physical thing there and feeling right.
07:08But it's a mental thing with him.
07:10It's grasping the offense.
07:12And D'Amico, you know, talking about what he's seeing out there.
07:15That tells me he's grasping the offense.
07:17Yeah.
07:18Yeah.
07:18And this will be year two for Damian Pierce in this offense.
07:23And I think he said last year or earlier this year how
07:28last season was the best season of his career, I guess, from a mental standpoint.
07:34Yeah.
07:34He learned what he had to do.
07:35Yeah.
07:35And so if he learned this offense, if he's okay mentally and accept his role as a number two,
07:44I think that's a good thing, man.
07:47And I don't think he have to have the same exact year as his first year.
07:52But if he can be playable and somebody that we feel comfortable with
07:57back there when Joe Mitzen is on the side or if Joe Mitzen had to miss a game,
08:02then Damian Pierce is starting.
08:04And we're fine with that.
08:06I think that's a great thing, man.
08:08Yeah, it absolutely is.
08:11One more from Damian Pierce here, though, because
08:14this is about Friday night's game specifically what we want to see.
08:18Oh, man.
08:18I think I'm speaking on behalf of everybody, man.
08:20We're ready to, you know, get out on the field and just go live.
08:23Just have some live reps like Coach Mikko said, man.
08:25It's kind of hard to prepare for the season if you haven't got, you know, real life football,
08:29real life speed, game reps, and just seeing how that timing looks in real time
08:33and seeing how those cuts look, how those run lanes feel, how pass blocking feel.
08:37You know, I think it's a good opportunity for everybody to get those live reps
08:40and, you know, prepare for September.
08:42That's the story.
08:43That's the story.
08:44How's he going to read the blocks?
08:45How's he going to make those cuts?
08:47It's a different world.
08:48Any player will tell you when they get into that zone blocking scheme.
08:52And he lived it.
08:53Like, he couldn't do it last year.
08:54So if he can do it this year, like, no question, I'm going to, you know,
08:58all eyes on Damian Pierce on Friday night.
09:00But if he can do it, you know, total game changer.
09:03Who are you more confident in having a better bounce back season?
09:06Petrie or Pierce?
09:09Uh, Pierce.
09:10A hundred percent.
09:11Me too.
09:11How about you, Chris?
09:13I'm gonna go with Pierce.
09:14Yeah.
09:14Just, just feel like the running back position just,
09:17it just seems a little bit more easier for him to, you know.
09:21I think also he's, he's admitted it.
09:24Like, like he, he, earlier when we had him on and we talked to him during training camp,
09:28he's like, yeah, man, I, I had to learn my lesson last year.
09:32Yeah.
09:32That's a big step.
09:33Yeah.
09:34Just knowing it.
09:34I agree.
09:35And he mentioned it during the season.
09:37Remember it was after a post game show.
09:39He was on the, he was on the post game show with Sean Pendergast and
09:43he, he had probably one of the greatest quotes.
09:45Um, I seen the Texans player have, and he admitted he, he was completely honest with
09:52himself during that, about that season.
09:54So, um, I, I have more faith in Damian Pierce right now than Jalen Petrie.
10:00I'm not sure what they're doing with Jalen Petrie.
10:01They moving them to the nickel and all that stuff.
10:04So to me, I felt like Petrie is more of a man without a country right now.
10:10It's like, like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, if it got a Lonnie Johnson feel to it,
10:15where they move them from safety to nickel and then back to safety and all this other
10:21stuff, it seemed like they trying to find a fit with him.
10:24And I think Damian Pierce knows his fit and he just got to execute it.
10:30I think Damian Pearson, this is where we're going to talk about other candidates like
10:33Petrie.
10:34Chris says he thinks Petrie, you know, might be the guy with the most, uh, who has to show
10:39the most on Friday.
10:41Uh, I think Damian Pierce, it's all about upside.
10:44I think his upside is legitimately really, really good.
10:47We've seen it.
10:48We've seen him really, really good at his best, you know, whatever, however many yards
10:52eight, 900 and something, or whatever it was as a rookie, but Petrie's on the list.
10:57Uh, I don't know if I have the confidence that, and we've seen him make plays.
11:01I mean, you know, obviously the, you know, all the big plays he made as a rookie and
11:04all that, but I don't think it was the same as Damian Pierce.
11:07Like I, I know Petrie would be on this list and he is for me too, Chris, but, uh, but
11:12I don't expect him to like, take that big leap, you know?
11:17Yeah.
11:17I don't, I don't know who else would be on the list.
11:20Like, like, and somebody on the text board mentioned John Medjie, no expectation for
11:24John Medjie other than make the team and maybe contribute.
11:28Yeah.
11:28He's not going to help you win big time.
11:30Yeah.
11:31I do think if he, if he do step up, I do think that's found money right there, but you got
11:37a lot of people ahead of him.
11:38And does he have to, does he have the most to put?
11:40No, because they've got, they got, they got their guys.
11:44Yeah.
11:44So with, or without him, they're going to be fine.
11:46I don't think you depending on John Medjie, but you, I think you are depending on Damian
11:52Pierce, especially if, um, if, if Joe Mixon is not fully healthy and it looked like he's
11:59not really fully healthy right now.
12:00So you're going, you're going to have to depend on Damian Pierce at some point, even Petrie,
12:05you don't have to depend on Petrie at some point, but I don't, I don't know about Mitch.
12:09I think they'd be fine without Mitch.
12:11I actually have one go ahead, Chris, with the, with the Pierce things, especially if
12:14you want to make a deep playoff run, you're going to want to have healthy running backs
12:19and you want to have another guy that can contribute like Pierce.
12:22So that's why, I mean, I, I understand with, with the whole Pierce thing.
12:25So I I'm with y'all with Pierce as well.
12:28Yeah, no.
12:29And you know, somebody had put up a Petrie though, even because it's so important,
12:34especially in this offense.
12:36And that's, uh, that's cased over like, like, uh, by the way, I guess yesterday, uh, Brevin
12:42Jordan and Katoriano did not practice.
12:45Um, like the most to prove you could obviously argue Brevin Jordan too.
12:51Cause he's been up and down.
12:52He's had some, some signs of, of this or that, but I think the biggest upside, the guy that
12:56could be like a big time contributor, like a, like a Damian Pierce, like if he's real
13:01good, all of a sudden everything changes.
13:03I think that's cased over.
13:04I think so too.
13:05And that's somebody they kind of missed last season because, uh, Katoriano wasn't healthy
13:11last year and Brevin Jordan, he was, he was up and down and I wouldn't even put him in
13:16that position of, uh, uh, I guess a traditional tight end.
13:20Yeah.
13:20But if you could get, uh, some decent production from a case over, I think that's really good,
13:26man.
13:27If he's another option and you go to tight ends and then you got, let's say it all, it
13:31all comes together.
13:32You got those three wide receivers.
13:34You got Pierce, you know, being something of a monster, like it was, uh, uh, as a rookie,
13:39then you got two tight ends.
13:40Yeah.
13:40Like that.
13:41Yeah.
13:42I mean, no, we cooking now and we're having some fun.
13:45Yeah.
13:46Yeah.
13:46No, I think Stover, I think that's a, um, he can be kind of like, I want to say like
13:51Pierce was in his rookie year, but somebody you drafted in the four for a fifth round,
13:56whatever round he was drafted and who can be another option, like a good option.
14:02Yeah.
14:02I think that's, that's a good thing.
14:04Even Kenyon green is not a must.
14:06Like, you know, he's not a must.
14:09You, you, you've got options.
14:11Uh, it would be great, but I don't think it's in the same category as like Pierce.
14:15No, it's not.
14:16I think right now with, uh, Kenya green, if he could just hold his side and just be available
14:22for 16 games, 17 games and, and just be decent.
14:27I think that's a good thing.
14:28Like I said, early, I threw out the first round pick.
14:31I threw that out the window.
14:33Yeah.
14:33If you could just be available and just do your thing right there, you ain't gotta be
14:37all pro.
14:38You ain't gotta be make no probos.
14:40If you could just be there and just, you know, handle your business, then I think that's,
14:45that's a win right there.
14:47I got one more, uh, that I think is a must, but I don't know his name.
14:52I'm serious.
14:53Like, like, I think there's a must out there, but I don't know his name.
14:57Some linebacker, give me a linebacker, give me a Blake Cashman.
15:03But like, we didn't have expectations for Blake Cashman.
15:06Is it Neville Hewitt?
15:07Doubtful.
15:07Uh, is it toe toe?
15:10Maybe, maybe, uh, is it Jake Hanson?
15:15Maybe.
15:16Yeah.
15:16Like to me, it's a must.
15:18You get another linebacker that steps up.
15:20Yeah.
15:20Maybe that's where the D'Amico Ryan's pixie dust can come around and maybe he could use
15:25it on a toe or Jake Hanson.
15:28Maybe Jamal Hill.
15:30Jamal Hill.
15:30Maybe that sixth rounder.
15:32Yeah, that could, that could be, but you need one of these guys to step up.
15:35I feel way more comfortable if we can find a Blake Cashman out of one of these dudes.
15:41Yeah.
15:41Christian Harris still in practicing, but you know, I don't really worry about that too much.
15:46Uh, we know I'll shy ear is going to be that after that.
15:49Yeah.
15:51Uh, I don't know.
15:53Question marks, man.
15:54Yeah.
15:55That's all it is.
15:56It's a tough.
15:56So Damian Pierce cased over top two on my list.
16:00And number three on my list is somebody.
16:05Anyone LB to a player to be named, uh, later, uh, is on my list for sure.