Wild Card Round

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Speaker 1: Let's light side touchdown here. It's Texans All Exus Texans All Access presented by dyke In, keeping Houstonians comfortable with the latest cooling and heating products designed to save energy and to improve indoor air quality inside your home. Check out their outstanding limited warranties and financing options that your local dealer and learn more at dyke In loves Houston dot com, d ai k i N loves Houston dot com dyke In. Here's the show. Welcome in, Everybody to a Friday edition, a playoff Friday edition of Texans All Access from the Honday Texans Radio studio and each and every Friday and on the way out all the way through is going to be a playoff Friday edition of Texans All Access because then once we get to the off season, all the off season Texans All Access. So welcome in, everybody. I am your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans, preparing for Saturday afternoons matchup with the Buffalo Bills Wild Cards. Saturday is nearly here. We are less than twenty four hours away. Basically, in twenty four hours we'll know whether the Texans will move on or pack up and have moving day out of the locker room on Sunday, which is a depressing day. I mean depressing. The only time that locker clean up day was halfway enjoyable was in twenty seventeen because you wanted, you wanted twenty seventeen to be over and done. Just put it away, put it to bed, go gone, don't want it. That's pretty much about the only time, because that season just went. We couldn't wait to get twenty eighteen because we knew we were getting a bunch of guys back off injured reserve for twenty eighteen. So it was like, Okay, we just gotta get clock clean up day over with and then we'll move on this one. Not really, especially with the talent in that locker room. I know this team, this organization has been thinking about bigger things, but you got to take care of business on Saturday against a very good Buffalo Bills team, a young team still, it's a team know went to the playoffs a couple of years ago. But of the twenty two guys that started the game for the Buffalo Bills, only five in two years remain only five. I think the Texans from the twenty twelve playoffs. They have Whitney JJ J Joe. They've got three guys from twenty twelve, this is two years ago. They've only got one start of that remains as Deon Dawkins left tackle. And they've got four defense to starters that remain. Jerry Hughes a defensive end, and then the three secondary guys, Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Mike hud Those guys have those the only guys remaining. So what Sean McDermott and Brandon Bean did was get to the playoffs, find a way to get to the playoffs, build up the momentum at Town, and then they essentially said, here's our foundation, tear it down and build it back up. They went got a quarterback, they went and got their inside linebackers stud in the first round last year, and then they added a ton of players this offseason, guys like John Smoke Brown, They drafted Cody Ford. Those two guys have been instrumental on the offense. Dawson Knox was drafted at tight end, Devin Singletary has taken over at running back. They then supplemented what they had on defense with a tremendous, tremendous editions on offense in twenty nineteen. Now, they've not scored a ton of points lately, but they're capable of putting up enough with that defense to beat you on any given day. Where the Texans have been inconsistent, the Bills have been very consistent. I'm not gonna score a ton of points, but they can put pressure on you offensively and defensively. You're gonna see one of the best units in the entire league, no doubt, and it will continue to get better with a secondary that should be together for a while with tradevious White Employer in Hide. As I just mentioned, those three guys are as good as it gets. White arguably the best corner in the league. Hide Employer maybe the best safety duo in the league. Tremaide Edmonds is a small forward playing linebacker who in his second year has now taken over as the shot caller, the guy in the middle for that defense. Matt Milano is one of more underrated linebackers in the league. And the front. They can go eight deep on the front, eight deep on the front, and all of them they just keep firing them at you. Trent Murphy, Jerry he use, Lorenzo Alexander move up in rush, Corey legit At Oliver, who we all know in the city of Houston. Then you've got the big guys Starlotulea, Jordan Phillips. They can throw waves at you, and that's very difficult because in the fourth quarter, when you're tired, you've been banging pads all day. Here they are rolling a fresh four up front, Like, oh my gosh, that gets tough. That's why that defense has been so very good. I think. I think the start of the units, the secondary, the linebackers take a backseat to No. One, and that defensive line has depth, versatility, and a lot of ability that will make this a true playoff competition. Two very good teams, both ten and six, both kind of going through hills and valleys at certain point to Texans more so than the Bills meeting in Houston three thirty five on Saturday. So let's talk a little bit more about that matchup through this show. We're gonna go behind enemy sidelines in our next segment with Chris Brown, not kicker, Chris Brown, not rapper, singer Chris Brown. Chris Brown, Buffalo Bill's Insider with our good friend, Deep City, I will give you my keys to the game on both sides of the ball and special teams. I also their playoff games this weekend. There are three other playoff games, and I've got to play for you perhaps the worst weather forecast you've ever heard in your life. I'll play that for you in our predictions segment because I Drew Doherty sent it to us and I wanted to just puke. I mean I wanted to vomit, and then we will have an Our final word this week is with Whitney Merciless. He has been a tear in the playoffs every single year. I mean even the year the Texas lost to the Chiefs thirty to nothing. Here he had three sacks in a game. He was dominant. Next year against the Raiders, he was back there, Sack and Connor Cook. So we'll hear from Whitney Merciless and have a little Texas juwbox here with the locker rooms. Got to say about a few things. We'll hear from DJ Reader. He spoke in the locker room on Fridays today Friday, Thursday, I think he was in there. So we'll hear a little bit from DJ. We'll hear from Zach Cuttingham. Brent Scarlett talked about Josh Allen, so we'll have a little bit of that in our Texas Audio Juwbox in the final segment of the show as well. But to get started with eating our hot reads, and they have brought to you by Geiko fifteen minutes can save fifteen percent or more on motorcycle and or car insurance. In each and every Friday, we start off with the head coach of your favorite football club, he said, Texans. It is Bill O'Brien coach. Here we go. How has the week of preparation been for you in the squad? It's been good. It's been good. These guys have been very locked in. They know that it's going to be a very tough game, challenging game. But I can't ask any more of what these guys have given us this week, no doubt about it. I know you want to get off to a great start, but you have a good team that rolls with the punches, and you credit the shot for much of that. But they all seem to have that attitude that no matter what happens, it'll work out. They do, they really do. It's a mentally tough team. It's a team that plays the next play, plays the next game. Um, you know, I think that there's no doubt about that. There's a good mixture of veteran leadership in the locker room with some good young players. And obviously we've got a quarterback that, uh, you know, the game's never over with, so you know we're we're that type of team. How do you get ready for the off scheduled nature of Josh Allen and what he does. It's a big challenge. You've got to be very discipline in your past rush lanes. You've got to do a good job of understanding that you know, you can't rush by the quarterback, You've got got to rush to the level of the quarterback. I think that's a that's gonna be a big part of the game, is being being very disciplined in our rush lanes, being disciplined with our games up front, all those things that will be a big part of the game. They are a top ten running team and he's a big part of that. But the backs are talented as well. Absolutely. I mean, you've got Singletary and then one of the best backs of all time in Frank Gore. I mean, you're gonna have to do a good job tackling. Tackling is gonna be a big part of this game. Whoever is the better tackling team will be the team that wins. And you know, I think that think that their running game is especially with Josh. I mean, Josh's rushed the five hundred yards. It's got nine rushing touchdowns. I mean, so you're talking about a lot of threats running the ball. So we gotta do a great job, all right. Their defense, a couple of weeks ago, you face that tough front in Tampa. Is it similar upfront with them? How is it different? You know, look, I think it's a different defense. I think it's more comparable to the Colts. I think that that's the type of defense, and it's a very disciplined defense. They do what they do, they do it very well. You're gonna have to earn every yard. You're gonna have to be disciplined. You're gonna have to break tackles. They're gonna be there. They're gonna be there to tackle. You're gonna catch the ball, They're gonna be there. You know, you're gonna have to get your pads down in the running game, and you're gonna be a very discipline team. I think that's a big thing. You gotta feel like in the playoffs, the field position part of things. The kicking game is bigger than ever. Kicking game will be big. I think, you know, they have a really good returner and Andre Roberts kickoff. You kick it in the end zone, he'll still bring it out. Our punting is gonna have to be big when we when we have to punt, we've got to do a good job of flipping the field. Brian's done that all the year. That's gonna be a big part of the game. So yeah, that field position is a big part. All right, Final factors, What do you think is gonna take to advance? Yeah, I think, look, I think it's the team that takes care to ball the best. I think it's a team that limits the pre snap penalties and really has none of those, you know, And I think it's the team that tackles well. And then special teams will be a big factor in the game. So I think, you know, taking care of football is gonna be big for us. We're we're eighteen and one when we don't turn the ball over, So let's be nineteen and one. You know, let's take care of the ball and let's let's make good decisions for the team. Coach takes a lot. Good luck, Thank you, Annie. I always try and engage how the Texans will fare over the weekend. Kind of judging by coaches demeanor through the week. He's at a poker face all week long. I mean all week long, he's at a poker face. Haven't been able to read him, which I know, maybe he's good. I kind of like it, to be honest with you. So there's coach O'Brien with Mark Vanerby. All right, let's get to our next hot read and that will be the status report. Give this out each and every Friday. And it came out late yesterday, so it's time to get into who's gonna be there and who is not. Playoff football is a little different. Typically you don't see guys out of a matchup, and that's the case in this one. There were no DMPs yesterday at the final practice. There's nobody listed as out for either team. For the Bills, Real Fast Shack Lawson Tie and Secky, Andre Roberts and Levi Wallace. Wallace starter Shack, a very key piece of that defensive line, one of those eight deep on the defensive line, tight Zechi a backup offensive lineman, and Andre Roberts a very good kick returner. Those guys all very important to the Bills. You don't recognize those names, in particular Wallace being a starter. If Wallace is not able to go, that means Kevin Johnson more than likely is gonna play at that other corner spot opposite tradevious White. If you're gonna wait, I know that named Kevin Johnson. Well, yes, he was a former Texan and I hate seeing him over there with the Buffalo Bills. It was one of my favorite dudes locker room. I guarantee that Kevin Johnson's cue rating in that locker room was very, very high. He was the guy that everybody loved in that Texans locker room and now played for the Bill. So we'll keeping on that with Levi Wallace. But those are the four, No Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, nobody like that listed now for your Texans. A couple of key things to remember. Number one, JJ Watt was activated to the fifty three man roster, and it has been well documented this week that he is gonna give it a go. In fact, on Thursday, he was moved to a full participant in practice along with Jacob Martin, who's in. That's great news. Kenny Stills, he's in, that's great news. Jordan Thomas, who was sick on Wednesday back on Thursday, he's in. Laramie Tunso with that ankle is in. And if somebody has that experience going against the Bills as Laramie Tunsil, he's seen him twice for the last four years, three years, six and seventy eighth. Yeah, they faced him six times now, once they guarded and twice over at tackle, multiplied by two because he faced him in the AFCs touncils in And what a full participant in practice he is in now? How much JJ plays? Yeah, that we can't answer that, we do not know. But my gauge on it is essentially that JJ will bang of pads a little bit early. I don't know if he'll start, but I'll bang of pads early, kind of see where he is coming to sideline and say yes or no or hey, I can do this, I can't do this. I feel good about this, that's good about this, or I can go one hundred percent. That's when I think we'll see either what maybe on a pitch count play count, or he'll be in there, as Coutcher Bryant said, a little bit more than anybody expects. Now that leads us to the questionable category for Saturday. You got Bradley Roby, Jonathan Joseph both corners. Now, my guess is that j Joe will be ready to go for sure. Robie remains to be seen. I don't know the last we saw him in Tampa Bay. I believe he played that entire game, but then we didn't see him against Tennessee in week seventeen, So hopefully that week of rest was good for him. But both of them are questionable. Jordan n Aikins was moved to the injury report, limited with a hamstring. Now hopefully that's not something that had happened on Thursday halfway through and ends up being a lingering thought on Saturday and he's not able to go, because that would be a big loss for the offense. Considering that I think he could be a guy that does have some success. He did possibly the running backs in the receiving game. And then Jalilla died. Now Jalila Die becomes very important. He's also questionable because of the news this week about Deshaun Gibson to Sean Gibson placed on IR as JJ Watt moved to the fifty three man roster. Now, he gap had been playing with a myriad of injuries, a ton of things, his wrist, hand, whatever he had going on there. He had a cast on his hand, his back that he hurt against indian Apolis. He'd been playing with I think a transverse break process breaks something like that in his back since the Indianapolis game and really gutting it out. So they placed him on IR and your natural thought as well, Jalil steps up into the safety spot. He plays next to Justin Reid, third safety Mike Adams A J. Moore also in there as well. Okay, we'll survive, We'll be okay, love that t get but we don't. We'll survive. Well, now you gotta deal with Jalil, deal with that achilles. He went down in that game against Tennessee, got off the field by himself, and at that point I don't remember seeing him go back in, So that one is worth keep an eye on a die. Aikins Jonathan Joseph Bradley Roby, and then, of course the one everybody wants to know about, his Will Fuller. Trust me when I tell you this one is going to be a true game time decision. We will all find out an hour and a half beforehand. I have no read on it whatsoever, but will Fuller truly questionable for this one and our final hot read. And oh I love this one because he's my dude. DeAndre Hopkins makes first Team All Pro, third time first team. He had a second second team in twenty fifteen. That's phenomenal stuff by DeAndre Hopkins. First team All Pro for twenty nineteen DeAndre Hopkins. He was the only Texan to earn honors on first or second team. DeAndre Hopkins third time first team All Pro. He and Michael Thomas the two wide receivers on the team. That is just great stuff. All right? Those are hot reads brought to you by Geico fifty miss say fifteen percent more on car and or motorcycle insurance. We get back, I will give you my first Community Credit Union first Bands, Keys to Win or the Buffalo Bills on Wildcards Saturday. That's next on Texans All Access let's dive right back into this Friday edition of Texas All Access from the Honday Texans Radio Studio. I am your host, Sean Harrison. It's time for this week's first Community Credit Union First Glance Keys to the Game ACCU, the official credit union of the Houston Texans. It's time to learn a little bit about the Buffalo Bills and how to beat this team on Saturday. Let's start with facing the Buffalo Bills defense. I don't think there's anybody stepping into that building on Saturday that doesn't think the matchup is going to be the Texans offense against the Bills defense. So let's talk about that Bills defense and how the Texans will move the ball effectively against them to help them get a win. Now, the Bills defense is tenth in the league, giving up one hundred three point one yards per game. They're fourth in the league and giving up one hundred and ninety five point two yards per game through the air, less than two hundred total offense less than three hundred two d ninety eight point two yards per game. That's third in the league. They've generated about this twenty three turnovers fourteen interceptions. Have talked about that secondary and how good that secondary is. They are very very difficult to prepare for. They've got fourteen interception, not all by the secondary, but a good majority of them. They're plus four in turnover margin. Now key number one. I'm gonna give you some Pop Warner stuff, but it applies more maybe than ever against this defense. Offensive line tight ends even receivers downfield. You cannot quit on blocks. The Bill's defense will take it snap to whistle, all of them. They are relentless. The rushers don't stop coming. The guys up front don't stop fighting off blocks until the ball is until that whistle is blown. They will bring four, five, six guys to the football attack. When Carlos hide Duke Johnson, any ball carrier, and when they rushed the quarterback Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy, they just keep coming. They never quit, Ed Oliver, that was a hallmark his game. Givers Houston never stop so offensively, you've got to block them until the whistle. I know a lot of times the offensive line sometimes they're like they got a clock in their head, like okay, the ball should be gone. They stopped. They turn around and Sean still out the ball. So it's kind of twofold. This week. You got to against a team that is as relentless as any you're gonna find. Stay on those blocks. Simple sounds like Pop Warner stuff. Sometimes pop Warner stuff. Not doing Pop Warner stuff gets you beat. Stay on blocks against the relentless crew. Give the Shawn Watson time to throw the football, give your offense, give your ball carriers opportunities. Because one thing I think that the Texans found against Tennessee when the run game really got going, Carlos Hide was really good at kind of Levion belling the thing, being very patient. You see Levion belly gets very gets kind of get it up in the line and he kind of waits and then waits for the blocks to develop, and then food he goes. And so it sort of helped out the offensive line. They just knew if they stayed on a block that Carlos would make the cut off of it, and he did. That's what they got to do in the run game. In the past game, They've got to stand those blocks. If they feel like they've run the Jerry Hughes or Try Murphy by the Sean, they got to stay on it because those guys will work right back to him. They are relentless and as in the side as they attack the ball carrier, they attacked the ball. I don't know how many times I saw guys, said Jordan Poyer do this on Rex birkehead. They punch at the football, the peanut tilman punch the peanut punch. They will punch the ball out. If they're coming from behind, they're gonna punch it out. If they're coming from your side. Anytime that you don't see them, they're gonna punch it out. And even if ball carry do see them, they're gonna punch the ball out. Ball security ke number two. It's just kind of interesting. In watching the Patriots game, the Patriots fell behind the fourth quarter after Josh Allen hit John Smoke Brown for a long touchdown. The Patriots were down, but they didn't just go to the passing game. They went actually the complete opposite direction. They went in twenty one personnel, a fullback and a running back, and one of the affirmation impounded the football. Now, I said earlier, the Bills give up one hundred and three yards per game on the ground. That's a good number, a really good number. But the Patriots when they had to have it. They went to that twenty one personnel and pounded the rock. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bill O'Brien do that against the Bills as well, Keen. Number three, the Bills do a great job of staying discipline. They play responsibility football, and when I saw him against the Baltimore Ravens, they did a great job of playing responsibility football. So the Texans are gonna have to find some wrinkles off of some of the zone reach stuff, some of the RPO stuff. There's gonna have to be additional wrinkles that they've brought in to capitalize on the Bills being that discipline in what they do. It's almost like you know where they're gonna be because they're gonna be that disciplined against you. So if you know where they're gonna be, come up with a wrinkle where they're not simple right. Number four, the pass catchers. I'm talking running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, DeAndre Hopkins, Kenny Steels, anybody who plays hopefully will Fuller. They have got to be ready at the catch point to battle for every catch for Davious White, Micah Hide, Jordan Poyer, Levi Walls, Kevin Johnson. They will be in phase all game long. I want to talk about being in phase basically in position to make a play on the ball when the ball arrives. These Texans receivers have got to be strong to catch point. They got to go up and get it, hang on, and then do something after the catch at the catch point. They've got to be super strong. In number five and maybe the most important thing, how can the Texans stretch this defense vertically? Whether will full or place or not? Stretching them vertically, moving those safeties back just a bit. With such length of the linebacker positions from and Edmonds in particular, they can cover some ground on the interior. Edmonds can move and he covers like ten yards in three steps, and he's got this huge wingspan. Milano is great in past coverage. But if you increase the area in which they have to cover, because the safeties have to move back to cover some deep routes and help on deep routes because they're scared of getting beat deep, then you've got an opportunity to find open area is in the passing game. But if you get to a point where you can't stretch him vertically, and the safeties are camped down somewhere between twelve to fifteen and they're really not even backpedaling. Those safeties are the linebackers that length, They really kind of take away your passing lanes. There's really nowhere to throw the ball in the intermediate areas of the field. So stretch them vertically. Now, if you have Will, then obviously that's what Will does. Will is very very good at that. But you may not have Will. So you've got to find a way to do it. Whether a top whether it's Stills, whether it's one of the receivers we saw on Sunday, maybe it's Qt or Steven Mitchell or down at Carter that can do it. But somebody's got to stretch them vertically and back them up a little bit so you can hit those intermediate areas with your tight ends, maybe with your running backs, and definitely with your wide receivers. All right, let's flip it over. Let'll talk about the Bills offense and how to slow that group down. Now, running the football, they can do that one hundred twenty eight point four yards per game or eighth in the NFL. Josh Allen is a big part of that. He's run for over five hundred yards this year. Five ten, I think is the number. He did that in fifteen games. He playing the sixteenth game, so you're talking about thirty five to forty yards, kind of like Deshan for the Texans that Josh Allen brings to the mix. So running backs under one hundred yards, but the eighth in the NFL running the ball just over two hundred yards. Throwing the ball in twenty sixth in the league. Total offense three hundred and thirty yards per game. That's twenty fourth in the league. They've lost nineteen turnovers, twelve interceptions, and they have lost seven fumbles. Now Allen has put the ball in the turf fourteen times, they've lost seven fumbles, so he's gotten some of them back, but at some point he could cough one up. You gotta get on it. Number one key to stopping the Bill's offense, kind of similar to the defense. You got to realize that with Josh Allen in particular, no plays over a guy like Devin Singletary running the football, and no play is over until that guy's on the ground. You cannot think that you're gonna throw a shoulder in Devin Singletary, he's going down. You can't think that you throw a shoulder into Josh Allen, he's going down. You can't think that if you've turned to sling Josh Allen to the ground, he might because he's athletic enough, he might just stand right up and run. You've got to wrap them up and bring them to the ground. Key number two forced the ball out of Allen's hand before he's ready to throw it. In other words, make sure that his decision making is happening Boom boom. You're not let him sit back there and get in rhythm. Rax got to show him a different picture play after play after play. And then teams that had success against the Bills, the Browns, the Ravens, they had success when they brought some heat. That might mean you've got to put guys on islands cover an these fast receivers, but you've got to bring some heat that will hasten the decision making process for Josh Allen. You've got to be able to do that other thing about Josh Allen real fast when he rolls right, he's not rolling the run. He's looking to throw when he goes right, especially to the right. When he goes right, he's looking to throw, so secondary do not relax when that happens. Number three Singletary, number twenty six, to me, is the key and everything they do. They have really amped up his touches against New England. I think he was gonna no Baltimore. He had fourteen carries and he had eight catches or eight targets, six catches. They want him to have the football. He's a rookie, but he is tough to bring down. He's quick to make him missing a phone booth. He is very difficult to stop. Singletary is a key, but he Number four Cole Beasley is an issue, a major issue. When he gets in trouble. Josh Allen looks for Cole Beasley in the slot. Think Julian Edelman and whatever you did against Julian, it gets to the point where Beasley's hurting you, you might have to go to that similar scheme to slow down Cole Beasley last. Its certainly not least the deep threat I mentioned for the Texans. The Bills have it. They have a guy named John Smoke Brown. They will throw him the football down the field. Now Allen's down the field, accuracy has not been great lately, but against the Patriots, he dropped one about fifty yards right on a dime for a key touchdown. And with a defense like the Bills, they don't need much. So Josh Allen makes hits one deep ball, that's one too many, especially to a guy like Smoke Brown. Keep him in front and then go up and challenge at the catch point. He's not a big guy, so go up at the catchpoint get that ball out of his hands. He got an opportunities to slow down on this Bill's offense. All right, there you go. Tho's your first Community Credit Union First Glance Keys to the Game was brought to you buy First Community Credit Union, Official Credit Union of the Houston Texans. We get back. Let's go behind the enemy sidelines with deep city with Chris Brown. Look about flow bills right here in Texans all Access. This is one of the toughest time of year for some of my favorite people, and those are the teachers in this fair city of Houston. Now you know why is this so tough, Well, you've been most of them been off for a couple of weeks and a lot of them got to go back to school on Monday. So they're like, oh man, last weekend, I gotta go back to school. But it's okay. I'm gonna help you out. This is for all my Houston teachers out there. You want to bring a little Texas football to your classroom and sign up for Toro's Mathros was sented by Conico Phillips. Toros Matros. The video series is signed to help third and fourth graders learn how to tackle math in the classroom. Go to Houston Texas dot com slash Toros Matros to learn more. So when you get back on Monday or maybe even Tuesday, got you covered, go to Toros Matros telling you you want to teach math. You want to see your kids light up. Start bringing this Shaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt into the classroom. I mean virtually speaking, they'll love it and they'll learn. Trust me, I've done it. I did it with older kids. I did it with my kids teaching them calculus. It can work. So just telling you all right, So I'm gonna behind enemy sidelines with dpcity and this week from Buffalo bills dot Com. He's covered the Bills for a long time. It is cz Brown deep be taken away. I know the mood in Buffalo. How does this compare to twenty seventeen, because I remember when the Bills made it then that town went crazy, But this year they locked up their spot a little bit earlier in the season. Is the mood about the same? What our emotions like in the city? Yeah, I mean I think it was different in twenty seventeen because it was completely unexpected. It was year one under coach McDermott. The team was kind of rebuilding itself, rebranding itself, but to get in with a good deal of luck, they needed some help to do it. And the fact that it had been a seventeen year playoff droughte it just set off fireworks here in Buffalo. I still remember coming back from Miami to the airport in what was New Year's Day, and it was two degrees in Buffalo, snow on the ground, and you had about seven hundred and fifty one thousand people at the airport going absolutely bananas at one in the morning. So it was pretty nuts back then. This year, I think people were hopeful this could be a playoff team. I think a lot of people viewed it as this is a team that's building towards something and really going to go for broke in twenty twenty. So some are of the opinion that this kind of happened a year earlier than anticipated in terms of win total and success. But people are soaking it up for sure. Yeah, the Bills turned their season around last year, they finished six and ten. This year they finished ten and six. A lot of the same playmakers because these two teams faced each other last year. But what do you see as the biggest differences from last year's team to this year's team underhead coach Sean McDermott. Yeah, I mean, I think after the twenty eighteen season, they knew they had to get some support for Josh Allen on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line was abysmal. They could not win at the line of scrimmage in almost any game last year, and so they knew they had to retool that. They knew they were devoid of competent weapons at the receiver position, so they knew they had to make some additions there and that's where the majority of their free agent acquisitions were, you know, John Brown, Cole Beasley, and then on the offensive line, you know, you added Mitch Morse. You added players like Clinton Spain, guys that have playoff experience, not just game experience. Even a veteran like Tie and Secy kind of platooning at the right tackle spot with the rookie Cody Ford. So they really retooled their entire offense. I mean week one, there were nine new starters. The only holdovers from the year prior were left tackle Dan Dawkins and John Allen. Everybody else was new, and so it took some time for that side of the ball to gel. But you know, as they came down the stretch here, you could kind of really see the offense gain an identity and that's really been probably the biggest difference from last year's spot. Yeah, Josh Allen in his second season, he's really turned around that touchdown to interception ratio. Last year twelve interceptions at ten touchdown this year twenty touchdowns in just nine interceptions. Where have you seen the most growth in his development now in year two, Yeah, I think it's his short to intermediate passing game. Obviously, Josh game into the draft class, you know in twenty eighteen as this supremely gifted, physical player who could throw the ball a mile and everybody said, oh, well, that's what the Bill's offense is going to be. He's just going to chuck it down the field and run around and buy time with his legs because he's an athlete. And I think a lot of credit has to go to offensive coordinator Brian Dable and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey for recognizing that the way to be efficient in this league is with a competent short to intermediate passing game and then when the opportunities present themselves, take a few shots down the field. And Josh, to his credit, has improved his short to intermediate accuracy, which had been a problem for him in his rookie season. Now I'm not saying his ball location is perfect every time, but being a fifty two percent passer as a rookie, I thought if he could get somewhere between fifty eight and sixty percent and a second year, this offense would function a whole lot better. And that has proven to be the case. But what we cannot dismiss is, yes, you know, you look at his passing touchdown total, but he's got another nine touchdowns rushing, which led the league among quarterbacks. I know Deshaun had seven himself for Houston this year. But he is unquestionably the best athlete on the offense for this Bill's team, and they don't ignore that and don't dismiss it. So while he has improved in the short intermediate passing area, there are still designed runs in the offense for Josh Allen to make a difference with his life. Se I'm glad that you mentioned that the nine rushing touchdowns, it's outstanding leads. It leads the Bills right, and rushing touchdowns this year, what about Allen? Now, last year, for Deshaun Watson, that was his first playoff appearance. This year it'll be the first playoff appearance for Alan. What do you think the biggest challenge is going to be as he makes his playoff debut against the Texans. I think the key thing is for him not to be too jacked up. There were a couple of games earlier this season where he was just way overhyped for a football game. I go back to Week four against the New England Patriots. You know, everybody's all hyped up. The Bills were off to a three and oh start. Everybody's so anxious to see the Bills or anybody for that matter, finally slay the dragon, so to speak, in terms of the Patriots that I think Josh put too much of that on himself and the result was four turnovers in a game that they absolutely could have won but ended up losing sixteen to ten. And there were some other games this season in the first half where you could just tell he was too jacked up. He's airmailing balls over the heads of receivers because there's just too much adrenaline flowing through him. And I think down the stretch this year he was able to internally calm him himself down, be strict with his internal clock and with his own adrenaline rushing through his veins and just settling down. So I really think the key for him is to have a sense of urgency, but balance that out with being internally calm in his head. And if he can get off to a good early rhythm in the passing game, take the easy completions, and keep his offense on the field, I think that will go a long way toward him and the offense having success against the Texas well. Chris, it seems like everyone has been talking about the Bills defense this year. There was a lot of buzz surrounding them. Even midway through the season, it started getting a little bit louder and louder. It's been under construction, it's now revamped. It's so dangerous. There's a mix of young players plus some seasoned veterans. Is this the most talented pass rush that you've seen with the Bills? And what makes them so DIFFICU? Well, what's gonna be the biggest challenge for a guy like Deshaun Watson that's facing them? Yeah, I mean it's a competent pass rush. I don't think there's any question about that. I think they're somewhere in the top ten in sacks this year, but it's not what they necessarily hang their hat on. I mean, if you look at this defense from front to back, it's built to stop the pass. And the strongest part of their defense is unquestionably their secondary. You've got Micah Hi, Jordan Poyer, who might be the most underrated safety in football, along with Tredavious White, you know who's going to the Pro Bowl. Those three guys have played together for three seasons. They know each other like the back of their hand. They have nonverbal communication. They can improvise because of that, and because they know the system so well, and they really are the lynchpin of the team. But I think people forget because the Bills were unsuccessful last year as a team, going six and ten. So's the top five defense last year. So their top five again this season. And you know, they were number two against the past in twenty eighteen. I think they're number three this year. So you know, you look at it and how it all shapes out. This is a complete team defense. It's not a defense that is riddled with you know, star power that are household names across the league. But what they have are a bunch of strong, above average players that embrace the grind and are selfless. And you saw what you have is a pass rush where you really can't necessarily key on any one guy because everybody across the front is capable of making a play. And then you have linebackers who were brought in here to stop the pass. They can run and hit. You've got Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmonds who are three down linebackers who can run around, cover line or cover running back, cover tight end, even cover certain receivers in a pinch. So you've got, You've got versatility and team speed, and that's really what makes all the difference in the world for what is again a top five defense with the Bills. Yeah, you mentioned the secondary. Tredavious White, Bill O'Brien said in his press conference this week, one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He's got six interceptions this season. What makes him such a standout in that secondary? I think he is a very cerebral player. A lot of players, especially young ones that we see in this league, often make the mistake of relying solely on their athletic ability to carry them, and Tredavious from day one never did that. He is a film junkie. He will gobble up tape until his eyes are ready to follow him the head because he knows it gives him an advantage. And what he uses that film study for the most is to give him the opportunity to take a chance at the right time. He's not a risky or reckless cornerback that's always trying to make an interception, but he uses his film study to find the exact right time in a game to make a play when his team needs it the most. Other than that, he is fundamentally sound. You are not going to get anything cheap on Trudavias White ever, and it's why he's had almost six hundred coverage snaps and has not given up a touchdown. Now, I know the Bills last year against the Texans largely had Trudevia's shadow, DeAndre Hopkins, and for the most part he held DeAndre in check. Now, he did have a touchdown late, but if you watch that play, it's just a beautifully executed back shoulder throw from Deshaun Watson to DeAndre Hopkins. Trudavias has good coverage, it's just a better throw and a better catch and better execution by the offense. And on plays like that, you just kind of tip your hat. So it's going to be a supremely intriguing matchup on Saturday, for sure. I can't wait to see that matchup. I think that's going to be a lot of fun to watch DeAndre Hopkins and White or whoever White has to a cover. I want to ask you real quick about Kevin Johnson, because we saw what he was able to do his rookie year. There was so much potential. He was so physical as a cornerback, but unfortunately with all the injuries that he's dealt with over the last few years. Things just didn't work out with him in Houston. How is he doing in Buffalo? How is Sean McDermott using him in that defense in the secondary right now? Yeah, So he was battling all through training camp with Levi Wallace for the right starting right cornerback position. Levi came in as an undrafted rookie twenty eighteen and was just phenomenal, really impressed people and is a perfect fit for this defense, which is based on a lot of his own concepts. So he's just such a smart player. He held onto that starting job. It wasn't that Kevin Johnson had a poor training camp or a poor preseason. Levi Wallace just had a better one, and so he wound up being the starter on the outside opposite to Davious and they used Kevin a little bit in the slot, but ultimately tarn Johnson, the incumbent there, held on to that job, and so what Kevin became was the first guy off the bench in the event of an injury or if opponents decided to spread the field and go five wide or go with four by one receiver sets. He would come on the field there and then whenever somebody had to miss a play or somebody got nicked up and missed time, Kevin Johnson replaced him. And that's what happened last week against the Jets in the season finale when Levi Wallace suffered the ankle injury. But I will tell you this, around mid season, Kevin Johnson's play in practice was so good that they started platooning Kevin with Levi Wallace, and so Levi would start the game play the first two series defensively, and then they would rotate Kevin Johnson in because he earned that opportunity. And Kevin, you know, knock On Wood, has been able to stay healthy. He raves about the sports science and the load management and the athletic training staff that they have here in Buffalo. He thinks it's going to help him prolong his career and put the injury bug behind him. And you know, to this point, knock On Wood, it's done so great stuff there from Chris Brown, who covers the bills from all angles TV radio. He does it all. They're in Buffalo for that organization and great stuff there. Appreciate Deepcity stopping by with her behind Enemy Sidelines Interview of the week. All right, when we get back, the Voice of Texas, Mark Vanimer, is going to join me to talk all about this one on Saturday. When I'm next on Texans Access, we'll go back to a Friday initiation of Texas All Access from the Hounday Texans Radio Studio. I am your host, football analysis silo reporter Jean Harris getting ready for Saturday afternoon three thirty five kickoff. Three thirty five kickoff on ABC thirteen or ESPN. It's the Night Football Crew Joe Tessa tour and Booker McFarland and Lisa Salters covering the game. Texas have been in this one a few times before, but the Texans at three thirty five, three thirty five, make sure you got that locked in. Looking for a noon game Like last week it was three twenty five, This one's a ten minutes later three thirty five sou looking forward to the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. There is also as you're listening to this, going to be we're gonna have, oh man, the guests that we're gonna have on Texas and Limited tomorrow for a pregame show. Oh Baby, It's gonna be fun, really gonna be fun. A KEI wilize you one dream is in. He is in. We've also got another guest that I can't I'm not at liberty to say who it is that's joining us, but it's gonna be very very very cool, very cool. I can't give any hints. I can't even I mean it will it will be unveiled later. I'll say it that way. We'll be unveiled later who is going to join us on Unlimited? But that's our pregame show if you haven't had a chance to catch it at dbcit who runs it and does a great job here from Drew. You get the inactives, and then I pop on to answer any last minute question Who's in, who's out, what to look for, all that kind of stuff. I feel like I've answered every question you could possibly have about the Buffalo Bills and this matchup, but there will always be some final questions that need to be answered. So I get a chance to do that with our chat chat presented by Trascos during Texas Unlimits. So you definitely want to check that out tomorrow tomorrow. Unfortunately I missed. If you're hearing this Now. I had a nice little rally over at City Center Playoff rally that was over at seven o'clock. So unfortunately missed that, But make up for it by being a tailgate, getting loud early in your seats and cranking this thing up, and I mean really cranking it up. That's gonna be fun. Now, speaking of cranking it up, my buddy Tyler Suttarth, who is unbelievable, putting together hype videos. And he might have a better better name for him, but to me, they're hype videos. Now you gotta see this to really get the full effect. But man, I'm telling you, just listening to this hype video to get you going for this game is it's off the charts. Take a listen to what my man Tyler Suttarth put together. There's just something about Houston that can't be explained. We are ambitious. I introduced to you you're Houston Texans. We are dedicated, we are driven out. I was just we are inspired sixty one. We are dream us Waters the most decorated world's gymnast. We are used instatral. I want to start fundraising, but I promise you it is so much bigger than just one man. We are a family, Hopkins, say hi to mom again. Touchdown. Above all, we are Texans. Touchdown, Texas. That's when you think you've seen it all. Tustains, don't show watching purpos. Now let's see how good you are. You heard a few voices in there. Obviously there's some play by play calls there, Craig Ackerman of the Rockets saying that James Harden hit sixty one. You heard that. You heard Marv Albert give you the news when the Rockets won an NBA championship back in ninety five. You also heard jose L Twove. You heard a came the dream lies you won. You also heard Simone Biles kick that all off, and of course the voice of the Texans, Mark Vandermer and Andre Ware mixed in there. Tyler Stutter did a good job putting that together. And I am ready to run through a brick wall after hearing that. That was so so good. Now that's one of four games that will happen this weekend. And you know how I feel about picking the Texans game. I don't pick it straight upper against the spread. I do that for all the other games. So let's start in Foxborough. Massachusetts where a New England Patriots await the Tennessee Titans. Now there are a couple of fan bases that are just there. They great the nerves. Your High State Buckeyes have like this, five percent of their fan base that are just the worst, absolute worst. They It's ridiculous. And in large part Ohio State fan is also Browns fans, so you get that. But Patriot fan is spoiled. Titan fan is on the right way of saying it. But last weekend left kind of bad taste in my mouth about Titans fans. Oh they's been down for a long time and now they made the playoffs. It's like, oh, look at us. Take a listen to this weather report in Nashville that was done yesterday. I believe it's yesterday morning or this morning. Take a listen to this. It's gonna two years ago the Titans went to New England for a playoff game. Two years later, twenty twenty. Way to in scenario, we actually have two storm systems coming into New England, Hurricane Henry and also Typhoon Tannehill. It's a meteorological masterpiece because these two combine create one mega storm called the Titan there'll be so much storm search it produces so many Titans touchdowns the end of this crying Tom Brady, remember my friends, one thing to tighten up. Let's go Okay. I heard that, and I just want I hope the Patriots Winness by fifty. And I can't stand the Patriots, but I can't stand the Titans at all. And that didn't help matters. Look, it's a weather guy's having some fun in Nashville, you know, more power to him. But Hurricane Henry and Typhoon Tannehill. I know the Patriots are banged up. Julian Edeman's gonna have to play in this game. Everybody is hot on the Titans because they got on a hot win street. Here's the thing about the Titans, and this is what I've like trying to understand this. They won four in a row there eight five. We were eight five. We went up to play them, and we won a game by three, but at ten point lead with two minutes left through two interceptions in the end zone, basically pounded them. The next week, the Saints went in down fourteen nothing then outscored him thirty eight to fourteen. So the Saints and two biggest games all year that the Titans got throttled in their own building. They come to Houston and they beat a stripped down Texas team, and now everybody thinks. Everybody thinks that the Titans are gonna go up to beat New England. I'm not buying it. Yes, I know the Dolphins did it last week. I'd get it, and the Patriots struggled to beat the Bills. The Bills are a good football team. The Patriots are favored by five. I think the Patriots are gonna unleash a can and beat them by two touchdowns at a minimum. I know that the Patriots have not gotten the Super Bowl coming out of a third seat, having playing wild card weekend, and there have been times. The last time I can remember them playing a wild card weekend was two thousand and nine and the Ravens went in and just destroyed them. Hey, I think this Patriots team is better. B I don't think the Titans are on level with the Ravens. But with Derrick Henry back and running for two hundred and eleven yards against a scaled down version of Texans defense, and then a J. Brown continuing to play well, everybody is leaning towards the Titans. In fact, this line has gone from like six and a half or seven down to five. I'm not buying it. I think the Patriots to ride the arm of Tom Brady. They beat the Titans by a couple of touchdowns. It won't be like the division around two years ago or was a complete mismatch. The Titans will stay in this thing at least a little bit. But the Patriots are gonna win this thing by two touchdowns. And then I can stop listening to the damn Titans and they're talking about let's go take everything all Yeah, good luck with that, all right. So we want to the NFC that Titans Patriots game will be Saturday night after Texans and Bills. And if the Texans win, and you want to know wins that because it will determine where the Texas would go if they beat the Bills the following week, they go to Baltimore and play on a Saturday night or would they go to Kansas City and play on a Sunday afternoon. That will all be determined ay. If they win, be the winner of Titans Patriots. Titans win, Texas will go to Kansas City. If the Patriots win, Texas will go to Baltimore, So just keep that in mind, all right. NFC games are on Sunday. The Vikings take on the Saints. I think the Vikings are gonna get pounded. I think the Saints are seven a half point favorite for a reason they should be more. I think they win this thing by double digits. I think they pound the Vikings into submission. I think Dalvin Cook, whether he plays or not, is going to be banged up, very banged up. I think Kirk Cousins in a big game. Forget about. I saw a quarterback ranking I talked with Mark about that had Kirk Cousins ranked ahead of Deshaun Watson as one of the top twelve quarterbacks of the twelve quarterbacks left, not even close. Kirk Cousins should be number twelve. I put Josh Allen in front of him, and Josh has not played in a playoff game. Kirk Cousins, no way. There's nothing, nothing about Kirk Cousins that inspires confidence in me that he's gonna get it done against the Saints. Not even close. Saints win this thing by ten or more, and then the Seahawks go to Philadelphia. The Seahawks are favored by one and a half. Now the Seahawks have lost three out of the last four. The Eagles had to go on a run at the end of the year. But you got Carson Wentz throwing to guys that you know, I don't want to say I want to say anything about Greg war because Greg Ward's battled to get in the NFL. But let's put his way. Greg Ward was a backup. He's been throwing a bunch of backups and they've been making plays and doing some unbelievable things. Carson Wentz has played his guts out to get Philadelphia in this spot. Seattle was on the verge. Seattle was on the verge of having a bye. No, actually not by They would have play this game at home, and they would have been playing Minnesota team they'd beat thirty seven thirty already earlier this year. Now they got to fly cross country and take on the Eagles at night or later afternoon, and that's a team they already be in Philadelphia earlier this year and their favorite by point and a half. But I think Seattle is too good in comparison to Philly at this time of year. I think Philly plays really well this feels like seventeen fourteen. It doesn't feel like this one's getting away from either team. It feels like it's gonna be close to the vest all day, which is scary for the Seahawks because Wins can make some of those plays. But JD's gonna return for the Seahawks. The Giants is gonna be ready to go for the Seahawks. I do think that Connie played on Monday Sunday night against the nine has been to do anything, So I do think that will be a factor. I think Seattle finds a way they win this thing by three. Philadelphia keeps it close, but like seventeen fourteen, sixteen thirteen, that kind of game that you would expect in Philly in the playoffs. It's tough. It's tough to beat the Eagles at the link, but I think Seattle's got a good combination of what the Eagles will struggle with, especially without some of the big guns at wide receiver. So we're rolling with the Texans obviously, Patriots to cover winn and cover, the Saints to win and cover, and the Seahawks to win and cover. Going with all chalk is not a great thing, but I'm doing it this week because I feel pretty I feel really good about the Patriots and the Saints winning and covering the Seahawks. I'm a little on the fence about do you know, wild card weekend, You're gonna have some road teams win. So I'm hoping that the road team that wins is the Seahawks and the home teams whole court and the others. Teleast made me look good. But either way, I either win my bet with the Patriots Titans, or the Titans win and the Texans would end up winning and going to Kansas City. Either way it kind of win. But there you go. Those are your predictions for this weekend wild Card round. All right, we get back. We got plenty of doing the final segment of the show. We've got a final word with Drew Dorty in this week. It's a merciless plus little Texans audio box from the locker room here from some key players as they get ready for the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. We're back in a few We've got one final segment of this Friday edition of Texans All Access from Monday Texans Radio Studio. I am John Harris, Football and US and Sideline reporter for your Houston Texans, and we got a number of things to do tonight to finish up, and we're gonna start with the final word now. Typically I play the final word last, Why don't play it first tonight? And it is with Drew Dorty every single week, and this week it is with one of the best playoff players the Texans have had in their organization, and that is Whitney Merciless. We've got outside linebacker Whitney Merciless here with us and Whitney First things first, congrats on the deal. I know it's about a week or so old and in the past, but that's not really anything that gets old. Pretty nice to hear it. And it's rare in the NFL that you see a guy sign three long term deals with a team. What's that like? Yeah, it's just a blessing. I think God each and every day, especially you know, signing a third deal, especially with the same franchise, and just understanding the rarity of it going through the coaching changes. Sometimes you know, guys are up out the door because you don't fit into that culture and all that. So I'm thankful for the fact that the mcnara see me as you know, lifelong Texan. Also, nob he sees me that somebody who fits into the culture that that you know, they've been trying to instill in build here over the course of the years that since he's been here. So it's just been a blessing overall, no doubt. You talk about that culture, and you've been a huge part of the culture. Six of the last nine years Texans have won the AFC South. You're back in the playoffs, playoffs or no stranger for you since twenty fifteen, You've led the NFL and sacks in the postseason. You've always been good as far as getting to the quarterback. What's it like being back in the playoffs just regardless of who you're playing, but being back in the postseason, Yeah, it feels good. Man. You know, you catch your second win around this time. You know, I have to going through that grueling sixteen game season and all that, and now it's like, all right, well, the urgency just went up about about a thousand and right, and now it's playing for all the marvels. Guys got to understand as far as the urgency that these games are played with, it played with everything is very, very critical stakes are very very critical. Execution is very very critical. It's all about the details. And so everybody in the locker room understands the severity as to executing our job at a high level and perfectly just about every single time and just continuing to play ball no matter if there's like any adversity or whatnot. How important is that because you knew it, Jjo knew it, JJ Watt knew it. DeAndre Hopkins dow it. But earlier this week we heard Deshaun Watson and Justin Reed, guys who were in the playoffs for the first time last year, talk about just how much faster it is. How much more important is it to have everybody know just exactly how fast things are in the playoffs. It's important. Some guys don't know what it is to be in the playoffs, and so it's just up to the leaders in the locker room in order to kind of ingrain that urgency as far as how critical each thing is going to be, especially in this preparation period right now before we get to this first game. You know, Obi has said talked about that in the meetings, and that's from all the coaches as far as having paying attention to meetings, understanding the details, how to executing at practice imperfectly, and if we mess it up, let's go ahead and redo it so that we get it right. And so that comes Sunday. You execute at a high level. Might mess up a player or two here, maybe, but at least minimizing a lot of critical mistakes so that we have a high chance to win. Tell me about Josh Allen. He's the quarterback you'll face. Every quarterback in the NFL brings their unique set of challenges. What are his He's a strong guy in a pocket, hard to bring down. He's fast too for his size as well too, so we've got to be able to have discipline rush lanes when rushing a passer. Also, we feel like they're going to attack our edges as well too, So they've got a few quarterbacks game plays, shortyard of situations, also read zone situations as well too, So we've got to be able to keep an eye on him and not let him take off and run and compromise the defense. Setting the edge. Something you just talked about, something you've always been great at. How important is that in Saturday's game? Because you got Alan, like you mentioned, but they've got some backs in Singletary and future Hall of Famer Frank Gore, who can really do something. It's huge. I mean, if you if you don't stop that run, it's gonna be a long day. Honestly, We've got the mentality up front to make sure we managed to run game so that we getted them into third and long situations. And also for us, we've got to be able to get off third down once we get there, it goes hand in hand. So we've got to really be on our a game up front and in the back end. What's a playoff atmosphere like here at Energie Stadium, A Man, it's electrifying the atmosphere. It's undescribable. The fans are pumped up because now their team has a chance to go to the super Bowl. You know, when their team does win that Wildcards game, it's like, all right, we're we're on to the next one and can't wait for this team to you know, push on and get that hardware and get into that dance. Essentially, for us, we've got to understand, man, we can't let our fans down and we can't let ourselves down either. How specials are gonna be when he's on the field. Having jj wat back out there because you haven't seen him for about a half season. Yeah, huge, huge emotional leader for us. Also just a leader by representation, vocal leader, just all around. Really motivates a lot of guys and really brings the dynamic to our pastors as well to stopping a run. And it's gonna be huge, especially what he just came off of the injury, being activated now playing in the playoffs. It's pretty awesome, Whitney Merciless. It's the most wonderful time of the year and we're not talking about Christmas. It's January football. Best of luck to you. We know how well you play during the playoffs and good luck to you. Man, appreciate it. Thank you. Really cool to hear from Whitney Merciless signing a four year deal. Man. That was such good news to get last week before the Tennessee game. Such good news. And now it's not making a pay off on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. All Right, we're gonna close this show down with Little Texans Audio jukebox. Now that is an opportunity for me to get you some sound from the podium. Players stepping to the podium this week. Plenty of them did, and one in particular is JJ Watt. So I figure, know what, let's close it down with the one guy that everybody truly is waiting to see what he does on Saturday and hear what he has to say about any number of things. Coming back to play the speech he gave a practice. In fact, let's start with that speech that he apparently gave at practice to the team. Here's what he had to say about it. I didn't really give a speech. I broke it down at the end of practice. Somebody's got to break it down every day, and yesterday it's my day, so I broke it down. There's really not much more to it than that. It was pretty standard. Yeah, I didn't think there was a whole lot there, to be honest with you about the whole all. He gave a speech at practice, so that I don't know what, You know what, what could he have said? Well, one of the things he could have said was telling his teammates and compelling his teammates to appreciate and grasp at the moment. Correct, that's correct. I mean I'm not gonna I'm not gonna go into details about what it was. It was just what I felt need to be said. I mean this, you know, it's very important. It's a huge week. I mean this is the NFL Playoffs. Twenty teams are at home, only twelve are left, so it's very very big. Yeah, there's no question it's big. And JJ with this time off that he's had, it is a time off, I mean anytime missed because of the injury. I think everybody's kind of up in the air on what it's going to be except for JJ. The team, the training staff, they all know they've got a game plan for sure for him this Saturday. I think we have a good plan. I think we have a good plan for how we're gonna utilize the game and how we're gonna go throughout the game. I think today was a good day for me. I mean today was my first day in pad, swearing pads out there on the field, and it felt it was good. I went through a lot of tests that I wanted to go through personally, just mentally. You know, when you're coming back from you got to go through some test mentally to make sure that you're you can do the things you want to do. And today was a really good day for that. I felt really good out there, did a whole bunch of different stuff to try and simulate what's going to happen in the game, and I felt very good in all those things, So very pleased with the word's eye. And of course he is excited to be back into playoffs, to make his comeback in the playoffs. I'm really excited about it. I mean, I'm really really excited. You know, anytime you're away from the game and you get a chance to go back into it, you have so much appreciation, so much excitement for it, and this is no different. I'm so excited to get back out there with my guys, to get back out there and try and help the team win. I mean, it's all about the team, and that's that's what I'm so excited about. It is just being at practice, being able to practice and get excited and joke around and just normal stuff. I just I love being around the guys, and so I just can't wait to be out there in a game and to do whatever I can to help this team win. And what's it going to feel like to feel all of that emotion and passion from the fans and whether he's gonna be emotional. What's he senses all that? Yeah, of course, I'm definitely gonna. It's such a fine line in sports. You know, you have to have the adrenaline and use the adrenaline and harness that adrenaline because it can help you do incredible things and it can elevate your game to a new level. But you also have to at the same time balance that with calmness and focus, because if you let it get too far out ahead of you, you know you're gonna you can tire yourself out, or you can trick yourself into doing something you shouldn't be doing because you think you're gonna make a big play. So I think for me, it's all about balancing that, and I think over the course of my career that's something that comes with time. It's not really something that you can learn right out of the gate. And so it's all about balance, and it's going to be harnessing that energy, that excitement, using it and getting the crowd excited, getting everybody excited, but at the same time remaining calm and focused on the task at hand and not letting it get away. And the task at hand is to slow down Bill's quarterback Josh Allen, who JJ saw four a half had a sack on him last year. Here's what JJ had to say about the Bill's quarterback. Yeah, he can do both things well and it's obviously got great arm strength, he can move around, he can run very well. I think he has over five hundred yards rushing on the year, so he's very talented. And as a pass rusher, you know your goal is to get home and get the sacks, but at the same time, you also have to be smart about how you're rushing, especially with the guy like this, So just be indiligent about ourass rush lanes and all of us having a plan together and doing our best. That is the one thing that we haven't talked a whole heck of a lot about. These guys have all played together this year. It's not as if JJ's played for the first time. It's just has been in a while. So they're gonna have to kind of work those kinks out and how they work together. They got to go back to hey, man, you remember how we did this ten weeks ago, twelve weeks ago. I think they'll be fine, though, I think they'll be fine. One last one from JJ and he was asked, obviously everybody wants to know about pregame introductions, it's the offense is turned. So I don't know if the offense will be introduced first, I don't know. And if it is introduced first, does JJ somehow find his way on the offensive side of the ball. That'd be a story. No, I think I'm I think I'm gonna stick the defense. Doesn't mean I'm gonna score touchdown though, you know, wouldn't ever, that would be a great story, And it would be great if he could put a touchdown, I'm telling you, if he puts it, if he gets in the end zone. I mean, first of all, it's gonna be the north end zone if it's in an end zone, because that's where he shows all his touchdowns. But it wouldn't matter. A touchdown against Buffalo Bills. I'll take it. Had one in fourteen. Last touchdown in fact that he scored was twenty fifteens. All right, yeah, twenty fifteen, So maybe get this thing cranked up in twenty twenty to get in the end zone yet again. A big thanks to you everybody participated on the show, to Mark, to Drew, to Whitney, to JJ, to DP, to Chris Brown, to all of you out there, thank you so much. Big One Tomorrow starts to three thirty five pregame show at twelve thirty five on Sports Radio six ten, Texas Unlimited, on our social channels, and on He's to Texas dot Com about hour before the game. Appreciate you guys so much for listening. We'll see tomorrow and it's always go Texans. We got one hour down and one hour to goo on It's Friday issue of Texans All Access from the Hunday Texans a radio studio and on a Friday evening, well, you know it's gonna be me John Harris, football analst and silo, the reporter and my partner play by play voice of the Houston Texans, and has been that since the beginning. It is Mark vander Meer. Mark, we are less than twenty four hours away. Twenty four hours from now, we'll know where the Texans have beating the bills. How you're feeling, you know, Johnny, I feel actually pretty good. My feelings I've learned this long ago don't mean anything. They have nothing to do with the outcome of the game, so it doesn't matter anyway. But I just think it's the kind of game the Texans should win there at home, and nothing's easy in the NFL, and you hear me say that every day. I just feel like this is a gut of out, low scoring kind of game, fourth quarter crunch time, and I just think at home, Deshaun Watson, second time to the postseason. Look last year, it's a memory, and I know it has very little to do it this year, but they don't want to repeat what happened last year. And I just think they'll find a way to get over the hump and get into the divisional round. That's just my thought right now, but we'll see how it shapes up. On Saturday afternoon, when we were heading into last year's game, how are you feeling? I was hoping you wouldn't bring this up, because I actually felt pretty good about last year, only because, all right, they lost to the one at home at home in the regular season, and then they go back on the road, they beat the Jets, had the rally late to do it, and then they have that shootout with Philly and they lose because they can't make the stop. But I thought the offense will be fine. They got to find a way to play better d at home. I knew it was Andrew Luck and I knew it was gonna be tough with the Colts. When t Y Hilton came to the stadium and the clown mask, I thought, they're gonna be so set, They're gonna be Forest Winner car at fast times at Ridgemont High upset. But they weren't mean I'm sure they were upset, but they they got upset at home. The Colts were able to run the football. They hit t y early, but that was about it. He just did damage on that initial drive and that was all really and the Texans couldn't execute on offense. Then the face mask that wasn't called, and I still think that might might have changed the game at least a little bit, given them a little bit more of a chance in the second half. And as bad as it was, we remember how that game was, they had some chances. They got the ball in Indie territory, unable to close the deal and score points and get closer, and that that was what it was. I just think it's a better team now, more talent, Watson's a year older, more mature in terms of football playing experience, mature and they should be able to get the job done. Should, though, as we all know, is a word that shouldn't exist in the NFL. The Bills are so tough. You and I were going over and how many games they've won, scoring less than twenty the fact that they've lost six games and five of them were a touchdown or less. This is a very difficult out, very difficult team to play, and they're just gonna have to find a way to get it done. But you're at home, and this is what you need to do. I sort of feel like not playing a team a third time, I mean, because there was a possibility that it could have been the Titans. Yeah, for the third time in four weeks. And by the way I was, I was almost hoping it happened for one reason and one reason only, and that would have been that I don't think it's ever happened. I don't think it's ever happened in which a player would have faced a team four times in a year. It would have happened had we played the Titans again, because Vernon Hargraves would have accounted for four meetings with the Titans, because he played the one up in Tennessee with Tampa, then he played the two with US, and then a playoff game. Now maybe there's another playoff game at the end of this. I mean, who knows, But that would have been four times at about eight weeks that Vernon would have looked over there and seen the Tennessee Titans. So I wanted it for that reason and that reason alone, because that's a that's a pretty interest. I don't think that's I don't think that's ever happened. Elias would have to pour through a lot of stuff there. There's no way, though, you'd have to play a team three times and then have been traded so you played them one other time. I don't doesn't that doesn't that can't exist. Can't. Actually, it would be pretty easy to check. You just look for whoever played three and then look for the trades on those teams and then go back from there. Preseason wouldn't count, but there have been times when the Texans play the Saints in the preseason and they played the regular season. That kind of thing. Cowboys two, so maybe, but you know, that's an NFC, that's a cross conference kind of thing, so you wouldn't have it in that context unless you were playing them in a Super Bowl. I don't know, whatever, Maybe it's just one of those things. You're right, that would have been a freaky occurrence, and I'm kind of glad it didn't happen. I'd rather I'd rather play a team that we haven't played in the play that we haven't played during the season in the playoffs. I don't like rematches in the playoffs for some particular reason. But you know, it is, it is what it is. Didn't work out well with the Cults, did not work out well with Kansas City. No, those were in wildcard round. Now you get the divisional round, especially when you've played a first place schedule, you're gonna have a a rematch of some that you had it with the Raiders. How about that. But it was a different Raider team of a different quarterback by the time they got here. Yeah, No, that was definitely different all around. That was a different Raiders team. It's funny what those two teams went through Following that Mexico City game. The Texans went through the benching of brock Oswyler, the return of brock Oswylder. The Raiders went through a little bit of a dip and the injury to Derek Carr and also Matt mcloy and they had to go to Connor Cook So both teams had experienced a lot of stuff before they got to wild Card round. Man the NFL, week to week, it's such an adventure and in a month, so much changes. I was watching a sound bite of Watson after the Atlanta game and I thought it was gonna be the funny one where they overdubb his voice talking about the Falcons defense. But it was straight up. But anyway, I was taken. That was so long ago, eons ago, the Texans played the Falcons. Well, you were. You were mentioned the other day about NFL Network was playing the top five games and one of the top five games it was the Saints. And it feels like that was last year. Yeah, it doesn't even feel like it was it was this year at all. It was last year. But yeah, exactly. But I mean to have played that game on Monday night and how good a game it was on that Monday, it feels like that was forever ago. I mean, the loss of Carolina feels like it was forever and I barely remember that. I do remember losing, but I barely remember that game. The even flow of it. Yeah, it wasn't flowing very well for the Texans that day. And you and I were talking about the Jacksonville game, the fact that you only scored thirteen points at that one and able to hang on with the two point conversion stop at the end that goodness they went for two. Although if they kicked it, I mean, you feel decent about your overtime chances at home, and it hadn't moved the ball at all. It was interesting about that Jacksonville game at home. Now, I don't know if we're gonna see Will Fuller on Saturday, and I mean that's gonna be left up in year until about an hour and a half before the game. As I've said earlier, that's when the decision come out tomorrow morning, whatever the case is. But you want to officially until that that little mini workout happens till two o five. But of the hops the Hopkins, Fuller Watson twenty games that they have played together, that Jacksonville game was the lowest amount of passing yards that the Texans have had when they had all three on the field together for Fuller, Hopkins, Watson and for one hundred and twenty eight yards that's bizarre. Well, that goes to show you what did we always say divisional opponents they know you and they can they can come up with the big upset. And that was a good defense that had Jalen Ramsey on it, and that defense started kind of feeling it in the second half. By the time we faced them in London, of course the defense had changed due to some trades and such. But in that in that Carolina game, you know one play that I actually I pulled up this morning and I was doing interview in Austin and Aaron Hogan asked me about j J Watt and for some reason, and he as he was mentioning JJ, he mentioned something about the team, are they going to be consistent, They'll get JJ wat back? Are they gonna be the team that lost to Carolina? And hearing JJ and hearing Carolina and then fought back through oh Man. In that game, JJ had a sack dead to rights and Kyle Allen ducked underneath him and then through for a first down and we couldn't get the we could get the ball back. We end up getting the ball back with like twenty seconds left. Oh And I was like, oh my gosh, that Carolina game had so many things wrong with it, so many things, but in that game we did have JJ, which it leads me to this question, we expect him from him tomorrow. Look, I expect him to play. I don't know, maybe forty. That's just my gut feeling, and I really don't know, So I'm not trying to leak anything here or guess with any kind of knowledge on how he works into the game plan. But I think he'll be there at key moments and have a chance to make plays. And I think that's all you can really ask for, have a chance to make plays. Right now, I'd be surprised if he's a game record tomorrow, But I guess nothing really should should surprise us with what, you know, what has risen from not exactly from stuff like this before within the season, but getting the cast off, you know, things like that where he's able to, you know, all of a sudden be jj Watt again. It's a lot to ask. It's so surprising to me, and I think it's a great story that he's able to make his way back, But the story is not yet completely written, and we'll see how it goes. I mean, if he's just out there as a body then was it worth it? You know? And only he could really answer that, and I guess only the team could based on the result that they're given. But it does give Buffalo a lot to prepare for. I mean, they would be idiots. Think about it from a Texans point of view, if you were facing a guy like JJ Watt, if it was Von Miller you were facing and you didn't know if he was going to be all Von or not, you'd be an idiot not to prepare for the full onslaught that he can bring, you know. So the Bills have to prepare for what JJ can possibly do a full potential, because if they don't, and what's able to display that even on occasion, well you're dead. So they got to be ready for it. And that's a good thing that they've had to spend time on it. That's exactly. I have no idea what JJ. I'd like to think JJ can be. JJ the one, the one that we all know. But it's his first game back since October, middle of October when he played went out in the second quarter of that Oakland game, and so look, he might be in condition, whether it's in football shape or not. We don't know. They did hit in practice one of the days they had shoulder pads on not I don't know how much they hit. So he's still gonna have to go through that process of where's my body, how am I feeling? Can I use all my moves? Can I use my hands? How is it? How is it reacting? And I think early on in the first half in particular, I do agree with you. I do think it's going to be a situation in which they kind of all right, I'll see what you got. Let's kind of roll with it, and at some point he's gonna come here and tell the sideline, look, I can do this. I got this. Let me go other than the second half. If they need it, then you go out there and he's full born a second half. If if you need it, but you said it, they have to prepare for him. It's a lot, you know. It's very similar to you used Von Miller's an example. I think it's very similar to the Texans in when von Miller. Von Miller was questionable. He had missed the game before the Texans, and there was some thought that maybe he's not gonna come back. He was only gonna play. He was one hundred percent and at a buddy mind, I was on the side. He was here from Brown and he was actually Bill's roommate in college. I saw him before the game and he goes. First thing Bill says, he walks out of the locker room, is von Miller's playing today? Oh man, Now, the Texans prepared for it. Von didn't have a great game, but they did had to spend all week preparing for it, and at least they were ready. But it was the first thing on his mind. Oh Man, von Miller's playing. So I guarantee you tonight, Cody Ford, Dion Dawkins, They're all gonna go to sleep thinking, oh man, I gotta face J. J. Watt tomorrow. Okay, here are the things I got to be able to do, right, I'm gonna am I gonna get some help? Am I not? You know, those are all things that they're gonna have to encounter during this game, which you're gonna be really interested to see how they handle that. And sometimes what just in name alone, in presence alone might be enough to free somebody else up to get to the quarterback well, because he might eat up a double team. But if they figure they can handle him because he's just not healthy enough to do business against a double team or warrant a double team. Then all of a sudden they switch pretty quickly because they're not dummies about it. So we'll see how that goes. You'd love to be able to get a big play early because of the Watt presence. Oh my gosh, early this place will if Wat himself. I'm just thinking even a double team on him and with these freed up, and he goes ahead and does something or a mena who or whoever. So and here's the other thing. I really like sending extra people after the quarterback, especially a younger quarterback in this situation, you know, and you gotta get the big umbrella going the bracket whatever you want to call it. What do you call it now? The arc? Uh, just surround the guys. Yeah, and and claps the well on him quickly, make him look at you and not down field. And I think that's big. The two teams I thought that had some success against him were well three teams actually, the Browns, the Patriots, and the Ravens. And they sent heat. They sent heat and said deal with it. Well, we'll try and handle your receivers. One on one another. Patriots got burned once, Um and the Browns got burned once. John Brown passed on a blitz. I'm trying to remember what the front was. No, No, it was not a blitz. What happened was van Oy read it perfectly and and he stopped Alan from booting, and so Alan pulled up. Vanoy kept coming. Then a linebacker kept coming. I don't know if they brought blitz on that. That was a pure double team. I was supposed to be a double team on Brown on Brown, and he spun Gilmore around, and by spinning him around, he essentially got one on one on mccordion. Mccordy was shallow and Brown ran behind him. So that was his double team that Brown beat. I don't think it was pressure. I don't think, but when he's seen pressure, he is airmail deep throws. Now the one thing in Buffalo trying to navigate the wind. That can be kind of tough. Now, he did play why on me, so we should know it. But that's tough to try to navigate the wind, no conditions tomorrow. Look, this is yours roof closed to me. This is a field position game all the way. You got to find a way to just make him play on the long field. Look, you're gonna they're gonna make some plays. I mean, it's a playoff game. They're gonna make some plays. It's a good football team. They've won ten games. You just have to keep the damage at a minimum here, at big play minimum. And I've said it yesterday, twenty to me is the number you get twenty, you win the football game. I think the defense will be good enough to get that done. But again, it's a big assignment. Easier said than done, and it's gonna be a meat grinder offensive X factor to me, and I want to get yours offensive X factor tomorrow. Duke Johnson. I like that, and I think you can say that every week. You know, he makes plays. And you know we all want to see what he does as a receiver out of the backfield or however they line him up, they go five wide, they put him out, Um, I'll go Fells. I want to see it be a Fells game. They look, they sat Fells. Fells goes from who's this guy? I mean we all do from left left in the offseason, he had left left tackle too. Oh, we need to sit him in the final game that's meaningless because we need him tomorrow or next week in the playoffs. I mean that's pretty huge. That's a huge compliment to Fells good defensive X factor. I'm gonna say a guy we haven't seen for a few weeks, but Ardrick McKinney, and then I'm an X factor might be even too much big McKinney game. This is I mean Devin Singletary. Devin Singletary is a dude. I think people are gonna find it out in the twenty six. Is a dude. He is gonna be a problem for teams as his his career goes out. I know there's a lot of talking about Frank Gore and get all that, like oh the one two, No, no no, no, this is a one punch. It's Devin Singletary. This is a B MAC kind of game. It's a double cold tub game. You got B Mac and Cunningham. They are gonna feel this one because it's a sledgehammer team, you know, so you're gonna have to have those inside linebackers going crazy for you all afternoon long. Look, I think it's an easy pick to say Justin Reid because he's gonna have to hit some guys and I don't know how he does it. He won the d Block Courage Award. He's got that red jersey out in practice. He's been dealing with stuff all season long, but it doesn't stop him. It doesn't stop him from bringing the lumber. So I just think it's one and it's one of those games where I still expect some rotation in the defensive backfield, and not because of oh my gosh, coverage wise, we just don't know how to handle it. It's because it's gonna be so physical and everybody's gonna have to bring their tackling skills, the top tackling skills they've got. Because it's a Buffalo team that you know, it's it's an elementary to say you gotta keep a team in long down and distance. But for them, they're gonna try to move the football on the ground. And you know, Allan's rushed for over five hundred yards. I consider him like one of the running backs in this context. I think if Buffalo were smart, and I know they are, they watched that Denver game and thought, Okay, this is what we can do. I mean, because I think that's that's probably our toughest that's probably our most that's probably our lousiest performance. That's the one you're probably looking at to say, Okay, how can we isolate guys in coverage? What can we do? And to me, Drew Locke and Josh Allen pretty similar, really very very similar. Especially arm strength in that plays a role. That plays a pretty big role because defensive backs have to know where do you like? Talking to Jjoe about that first throw to No. A fan in that game, He's like, I went to the spot where I thought I could pick it off, and that ball was by me. He said, the ball was by my hands. He said, That's what Locke can do, That's what Josh Allen can do. But at least they saw Allan a little bit last yer, so there's a little bit a little bit of that. So Lock more accurate than Allen. Yeah, at least potentially, and he was on that day. Yeah, Allen's aifty eight pass Okay, Allen is not dialed in the way some other NFL passors are. Now we need him to be a fifty eight percent passer tomorrow. One or two throws can kill you, though, if the run of the football, well, so that's why I go back to that phase of the game. Yeah, you're right about that. Mark appreciate it, thank you. Thanks Johnny. All right, coming up next, my predictions for all playoff games, straight up, and he gets a spread coming up next on Texans Axis.