Caserio, Jakob Johnson, and traits talk | Texans All-Access

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Speaker 1: What's up and everybody, Welcome into a Wednesday edition of Texans All Access from the Honday.
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Speaker 2: Texans Radio Studio.
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Speaker 3: I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans and it is on Sunday night football. Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead. Cannot wait for the entire nation to see this team play.
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Speaker 2: Gotta get through some injury stuff.
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Speaker 3: We'll get to that a little bit later in the show, but you know how we kick off every Wednesday. Executive vice president and general manager Nick Casario jumps into studio with us.
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Speaker 2: We always appreciate his time. It's some great stuff.
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Speaker 1: Take a listen in studio with us now, Executive vice president and general manager Nick Cassario. Nick, great to see.
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Speaker 4: You, Good to see you guys. Come here.
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Speaker 1: Big game this weekend with Kansas City and let's review Indianapolis. It went well at Indye. How did you see what transpired Sunday?
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Speaker 4: Yeah, good team win.
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Speaker 5: Really got contributions from all three phases. Certainly some things that we can learn from not only that are going to apply to this game coming up against in the City. But you know, in a few weeks when we play Indianapolis again when you played a division opponent again, but overall made enough plays In the end, I probably left some plays on the field. But anytime you go on the road in the division and come out with a win, it's a good it's a good feeling. So hopefully we can learn from some of the things that we did well, make some of the corrections, and get ready for a really good Kansas City team.
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Speaker 3: Nick gives Buffalo it's eight sacks. Everybody can see the sacks. Everybody thinks sacks are sexy. You had one sacked the other day against the Colts. Yet I would contend that the pressure was as important against the guy, especially it doesn't move extremely well as it was against Daniel Jones.
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Speaker 2: How would you go.
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Speaker 3: About saying eight sacks one sack? They don't quite but yet I felt that the pressure was there.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, each week is gonna be a little bit different. I'd say the front lot most of the time we were rushing forward. There's a few instances where we brought a fifth rusher or had some zero pressures, but rush was pretty coordinated, and that's a big thing. You want to make sure the rush is coordinated and don't let the quarterback. Even though Daniel is a little bit hampered, he could still get out of the hawking to make some plays. So you're really just trying to make sure that all four rushers are kind of working together in unison, limiting the space and then force a quarterback to make a throw front the pocket. So rushing covers usually tie together. We've talked about that. Tomiko's talked about that quite a bit. So each game is going to be a little bit different. So sometimes what's on a statue you can be a little misleading.
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Speaker 1: I know you want to score as many points as possible. Yeah, but third down defense really good and time of possession really good. You're not getting the drives finished as much as you want, but you're holding the ball.
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Speaker 4: Yeah. For the most part, we controlled the game.
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Speaker 5: Had a number of thirteen to fourteen play drives, had multiple multi number of plays. Defensively, we were limit them and think the first part of the game or number of three and out, so we're able to get off the field, We're able to stay on the field. We're able to convert a few opportunities there in the red area, a few that we left on a field, which usually equates the points, which you know, we talk about that, you know before the game, John and I did so, but overall felt like we had decent control of the game and we were able to maintained possession of the ball against an explosive offense.
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Speaker 3: One of the things you talked about, Nick, and we talked about this a lot, but one of the things I remember you mentioned was first down on both sides of the ball, being effective on first down limiting them and then obviously getting not chunk plays, but getting a decent amount of first down so you're not stuck in second to nine, second and tent. When you went back and looked at it, felt like we had a number of those big plays on first down.
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Speaker 2: And how did that manifest itself in the offensive performance?
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Speaker 5: Yeah, we were able to stay on schedule for the most part. We had a few plays or there zero minus. But to Mark's point, like third down, we had the advantage on third down, so third down is your opportunity to stay on the field, so we were able to stay on the field. Most of the third downs were manageable situations. So overall like we did a pretty good job in that respect.
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Speaker 1: So what about the running game, Nick, we talk about this almost every week, so important. You ran for over one hundred yards. I know you want to probably see more, but that was effective against the Colts.
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Speaker 4: Yeah for sure.
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Speaker 5: I mean at any time you can run out the clock at the end of the game, when they know you're gonna run the ball, know we have to run the ball and to be able to kind of basically take all the time off the clock. Probably that second and nine or a second and eight run that would he had there at the end to get the first down gave us another possession, And that was just a matter of just managing the clock there at the end. But the running game is a huge part of I would say the league when you look around, look at a number of the teams. Look what Kansas City did against Indianapolis. I mean it ran the ball forty one times or whatever it was. So if you can have some success in the running game, keep your offense on a field, control possession of the ball like that is going to at least give you an opportunity to hopefully win the game.
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Speaker 1: And also creativity. Right because Stover shows up, we'll get to that. I'm sure Nico Collins with a rushing touchdown.
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Speaker 5: Nice to see, yeah, this time of the year, you probably have to have some wrinkles or some change ups. I mean we're in week fourteen or whatever we are, so everybody has seen, however, many games at this point. So if you can just make a subtle adjustment or give the defense a little bit something to look at, maybe as long as you can execute it. In the end, it comes down to your execution. You could put everything down to a piece of paper, but if it doesn't work you don't execute it, then it's probably not gonna be that good of a play.
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Speaker 3: And building off of that, Nick, it felt like early on maybe not finding the luck and luck finally the success in the run game that you wanted, and some of that was inside, but then all of a sudden you made a subtle adjustment, like, hey, let's maybe some outside zone works a.
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Speaker 2: Little bit better.
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Speaker 3: Maybe the crack toss worked with Nick getting the ball to the outside. Making adjustments ends up being key to and you always said, hey, you stick to the run.
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Speaker 2: You stick to run.
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Speaker 3: Eventually you hit the rocket of time it breaks and it felt like maybe you did that, but you needed maybe some subtle adjustments to do it.
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Speaker 5: You articulated it very well, I mean that's the ebb and flow of the game is gonna go back and forth. All Right, you try this and it's not really working too well, or the defense is doing something take it away, all right, how do we counterbalance that or counterac that. So it's gonna be the same challenge here this week. I mean, we'll talk about the Chiefs, but this is one of the best defenses in the league and a really strong upfront. So, but being able to run the ball like sometimes it's just it's about volume more it is than anything else.
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Speaker 1: Yep. Nick Nicocollins thoughts, I mean, here he is and you drafted him third round in twenty twenty one, and here he is really making a difference in these games, especially against Indianapolis for some reason.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, Nico's a good players. Worked really hard to establish kind of his level of performance, and I think what he's been able to do is just be consistent over the course of really the last kind of two to three years. And that's what you want to see in a football player. So Nico works really hard, he's in condition, he's got a good attitude regardless, he's a great teammate and he usually goes out there and makes plays and when you target him, he usually catches it. And he's usually he's tough to tackle. I mean a couple of plays there three or four guys to get himTo the ground. So he's big, he's strong, he's fast, he has a very unique combination of skills.
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Speaker 4: He's worked very hard.
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Speaker 5: Credit to him, credit to really coach McDaniels has been with him from the beginning.
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Speaker 4: So we're glad. We're glad Nico's here.
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Speaker 3: So let's talk about pushing tushes because Kate Stover had a couple of them. So here's what's fascinating to me, Nick, It's not really a play you're going to get an opportunity to work on a lot on practice because you only have, if that a day to put pads on and kind of work on it. Yet when you got into it and ran it the first couple of times, it was highly successful. So I want to ask you from that angle, like how do you get there? Knowing kid can handle a snap, knowing that blocking wise, you can kind of take maybe what you've already learned and used that to be successful on that particular play.
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Speaker 5: It's like anything else, you just have to find repetitions. There's kind of steal reps. So whether it's in between periods, whether it's in the building, whether it's a meeting space, whether it's in a walkthrough, before you try something, just make sure you have enough reps in whatever capacity. To your point, Johnny, like short yardage is hard to practice during a year. I mean we practice in pads on Thursdays and try to go at a good pace, but everybody's off the ground because we're trying to make sure to we take care of everybody. So there's timing involved, and really you're just trying to make sure the players have enough confidence and the coaches have enough confidence in the players where they can actually call something and expect it to work the way that you hope.
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Speaker 2: So they tried it earlier with Warren.
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Speaker 3: Now Warren's taking a lot of snaps that Penn state, he took a lot of snaps under center shotgun, et cetera. When he botched it, was there any concern like, hey man, we've got this one and in the whole stort, do we worry about that?
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Speaker 6: Yeah?
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Speaker 5: You got to trust really the players and hopefully they can execute it in critical situations. And K's a pretty smart, extinctive football player, and he worked with the center to work with Jake on that. So the ball handling is really a key to your point. Even on the Warren play, I mean, he was kind of rushed. I mean he really wasn't set. I mean he could borderline almost a penalty on the play, but it wasn't really set and it wasn't a clean exchange. So there's always risk when you run plays like that, So you just have to take the calculated risk and decide whether or not it makes sense for your team given the situation.
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Speaker 1: What'd you think of CJ's return? As he said, he was rusty but made some really nice throws through for two seventy six.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, he's always hard on himself, so he only feels like he can do things better. But for the most part, it was able to kind of get into a rhythm there a little bit after the first quarter, made some really good play. He's made some critical throws on third down, the conversion of Shultz where he kind of hung in the pocket there, it kind of slid, kind of kept that drive alive. We had a couple of conversions to hig, a couple throws to Hutch so overall, CZ did a good job of handling the game plan. You know, the big one he probably would want back is, you know, the one turnover to which we're you know, ball security is paramount, but seeing a direct correlation between us and winning and take care of the football. I think we're second in the league in turnover margin now, which means we're taking care of it and we're taking it away and there's a high correlation to winning football games and you can do that.
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Speaker 4: So it's good to have him back.
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Speaker 5: And you know, I think the big thing is just having another good week and preparing for a really good Kansas City defense.
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Speaker 2: Jalen Reid goes out of this game.
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Speaker 3: So the other guy that was coming back off the concussion that we probably didn't talk as much about we probably should have, is that Shalen Petrie.
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Speaker 2: What do you think about Jalen come back? Had two big pass breakups.
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Speaker 3: Just having him back, and I think he played one hundred percent of the snaps if I'm not.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean JP is one of our best football players.
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Speaker 5: So anytime you get him back in the equation and just his playing style, it's a good blitzer, good and coverage. Had a couple of pass breakup, including one on third down tackles. Well, he's tough, he's fast, he's smart, he's very instinctive. So he makes a difference because when he's on the field, glad that he was glad that he was back.
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Speaker 1: We asked Amo about this, but I want to get your perspective on practice this time of year versus say, earlier training camp obviously is very different, but earlier in the season. And now everyone admits that the first four weeks of the regular season is sort of training camp extended, if you will. But what is it like right now we've hit December.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, at this point it's almost survival of the fittest, So who's available. Maybe you have to adjust practice based on your injury situation. We've got a number of players that are banged up coming off the game, so you just have to make sure you give the players enough of what they need to get prepared for the game. The contact component, maybe there's a little bit less. You can only have you know, six or three practices over six weeks in pads anyways, so you're gonna be a little bit lighter from the pat So it becomes more mental, becomes more execution, and it really becomes about the timing and getting the players recovered so they can go out there on Sunday and play to the best of their ability.
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Speaker 2: Okay, were those pass interference calls? No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
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Speaker 3: Let's put this one in the rear view because I don't want you talking about that at all.
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Speaker 4: Anyways.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, the Chiefs, we know well, even though we're not in the division, faced them twice last year, faced them over the years. It feels like they've been on our schedule regularly, even though they haven't been one World Championships. It's a different kind of team maybe, nick, but still led by the same guys and Andy Reid's deist Bagnolo's what's Scott.
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Speaker 2: To report on this? On this version of the Chiefs.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, like they haven't changed.
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Speaker 5: There's still one of the best teams in the league. You know, Patrick has played in the AFC Championship ever since he's been a starting quarterback. So they literally have i'd say Hall of Fame coaches players kind of all over. Coach Reid, coach Bagnolo is a defensive coordinator. Chris Jones, Travis, I mean Patrick, you're talking about some of the best players in the league at their respective positions. Overall, this particular team, they've been in a number they're kind of like us a little bit, been a number one score games. They won one and then they've lost some of the others, kind of like we were early in the year. I'd say offensively, obviously everything goes through Patrick. They've kind of had to roll through the backs there a little bit. Hunt's giving him some good snatch, but Chuck A returned last week opportunity. They probably could use Pierce a little bit, kind of mix him in there. The offensive line, they kind of it's really inside out with Humphrey and Smith, they're kind of the core of what they're doing. Drafted Simmons there in the first round. He's playing well, I know, he got hurt the other day. Same thing with Taylor, so we'll see kind of who's available, who's not. And then Gray's a good compliment to Travis, a tight end and a receiver. It's really like an influx of different types, whether it's Hollywood to Worthy to Rashid Rice, who's probably one of the best catch and run receivers in the league. He makes a big difference for their offense. When he's on the field, Thornton made some big plays for them down the field, so they kind of use all of their skill. The very versatile and everything starts with fifteen and he's as good as really there is in the league currently and really is been over the course of the history of our game. Defensively, Spakes does a great job. They're really the top five in the defense, top five to six in multiple categories. Big, strong, physical front, really strong up the middle between Chris and then Tranquil and Bolton, they are two really instinctive physical linebackers. Carl Loftis is probably one of the more underrated edge players. Got a contract extension in the offseason, deservedly so he gave us a bunch of problems last year. In a secondary, I mean, its kind of McDuffie and Watson have kind of been solidified on the perimeter, kind of rolled the third corner in there a little bit. Connor's kind of the mostly nickel position, and then Cook has kind of been a mainstay there at safety, and then they've kind of rolled the number of players there at different spots. But overall it's good football. Team's been a number of close games they know how to win. Playing Sunday night on the road in that environment, he's going to pose a significant challenge. And you go back and look at our two games last year. I mean we had opportunities and you know, in the end, didn't make any plays, but be a great environment, big challenge for our team, and we're expecting their best, and you know, I think we're gonna We're gonna give him our best on Sunday Night.
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Speaker 1: Nick. It feels like when you face an opposing team, let's say it's Josh Allen and the Bills. We were talking about Cook a lot. You have to stop Cook. Even if you're playing Lamar and Derek Henry, you have to stop Derek Henry and you have to stop their backs. But it feels different with Mahomes. He's on pace to run for more yards than he's ever run for. So what about facing that attack with led by Mahomes.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, probably an underrated part of his game is to make plays with his legs and with his feet, and he does it in a very timely fashion. He's not haphazard about it's very calculated and if there's an opening, he's going to get into the space and he's looking to make a play and he made it to play against.
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Speaker 4: Dallas where he got outside of the pocket.
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Speaker 5: They uncovered and then he threw it down there for forty yard and there's your explosive play.
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Speaker 4: So they have explosive playability.
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Speaker 5: And it's as much with his legs or ability to keep plays alive as it is just playing from the pocket. So he poses so many challenges because he's so smart, he's so aware, he's so instinctive. He knows where the issues are. He's got to really do a good job being disciplined on a rush, and it's staying on the receivers for extended periods of time.
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Speaker 3: Nick whatever the narratives can be away from the building, away you know, national perspectives, Oh, Travis Kelsey's lost a step, he's not doing this, And then you look up and it's like, hey catches five or six for sixty five and he's still Mahomes go to guy in third down situations. He still finds himself to get open. What have you guys seen on tape from Travis? And he's is he really kind of Patrick Mahomes will be in some sense like that's where he wants to go in a big time situation.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, they've had a lot of time on task. There's no question about it. Two very instinctive football players, and a lot of it is just understanding or seeing body language. So and Travis. Honestly, he's probably having one of the best years that he's had, you know, in recent memory. He's healthy. Think about Travis, He's very instinctive. He's got really strong hands and good hands. He doesn't never really have a lot of drops, and he does a good job kind of in the inside part of the field. I mean him and Rice post challenges on the inside part of the field.
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Speaker 4: But in critical.
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Speaker 5: Situation, you better find eighty seven. He was on the playoff game there. I mean Patrick kind of gets out of the pocket, falling down and he makes a play down the field and you know we're close, but you know, finish the play. But in critical situations, I mean, i'd say eighty seven is going to be a big part of what they're doing.
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Speaker 1: Nick football in general. Question here because fans of media talk about players getting touches. This guy's getting touches. This guy's not getting touches. How do you see it, because it seems like a chicken and egg thing with third downs. You have to convert third downs in order to get more opportunities for touches. How do you see that?
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Speaker 4: Yeah, you have to balance. You can't necessarily force the play.
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Speaker 5: You have to understand the concept of the play, understand what it's designed to do, and then essentially go through your progression and read it out. And if you like a massive per situation more so than another, then maybe you lean that way. But you got to use all your skill. I think that's the one thing.
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Speaker 4: You know.
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Speaker 5: We've had a number of players. We talked about this on a show last week, just the receiving corps made Higg made a number of the catches there on third down. Nico makes his plays, I mean, Hurtz made his play. So we got to utilize all of our players. And then when you get the third down, whether it's if it's man coverage, somebody's got to win, all right, and is it you're gonna win one on one with the individual or you win with the play design. So there's always a lot of factors that go into it.
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Speaker 3: What do you see from Spags this year? Is he any different than what he's been? I mean a lot of people talk about him dial up blitzes when I watch him, like, let's not always dial up blitzes. I mean, he could scheme some other things, open play zone behind it. What do you see from Spags in that defense?
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Speaker 5: Yeah, it's Spags is very calculated in how he approaches the game. So he kind of lets a game kind of settle in a little bit and kind of figure out, all right, they're trying to attack us this way, we're gonna try this. And you go back and watch a playoff game, you know, there's some patterns that started to shew to themselves as a game more on.
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Speaker 4: So he's very versatile.
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Speaker 5: They do a really good job with the disguise, So you really have to play with good awareness and just kind of go back to the Miko talks about this all the time. Just go back to your basic rules and understanding the integrity of the play. What's the assignment, what you're asked to do. You don't try to do too much, otherwise they're going to be chasing stuff that's really not happening.
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Speaker 1: How would you define the coaching style maybe offensively or in general of Andy Reid one of the greatest ever because in Philly with Donovan McNabb. They actually had a mini playoff run with Jeff Garcia. Once you look at Alex Smith for a while, and then of course what he's gotten now with Mahomes.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, very similar aspects.
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Speaker 5: I mean, they're very calculated in what they're trying to do, and Andy has a really good feel in a sense of maybe the rhythm of the game and how it's going, and they've made adjustments and modifications through the years to kind of cater to their personnel. What he was doing with Donovan is different than what he's doing with Patrick. There's some similarities, but there's also a lot of things that are different. But I mean Andy's going to go down as one of the best not only coaches but probably play callers in the history of our game. So he puts a lot of stress on the defense, so you got to kind of prepare for everything, and then as the game goes just kind of get a sense in a feel for how the game is being called.
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Speaker 1: It feels almost unfair a Jim Johnson and Philly back in the day. Andy Kaluh always talks about how great he was and now he's got Spagnola doing really well.
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Speaker 4: So Andy always has good coaches on his staff, no question.
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Speaker 2: No question.
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Speaker 3: I always feel like when we play the Chiefs, we talk about homes Kelsey and we talk about Chris Jones and Spags, and I feel like, when you talk about the chief who don't give enough credit to Dave Tobb and the special teams.
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Speaker 2: How big a matchup does that become?
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Speaker 3: Because last year in the playoff game, and Frank told us he felt like that was not the Texans standard special teams wise, and a lot of that has to do with what Tabb does with special teams.
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Speaker 5: Nick, they're excellent, really good place kicker and Harrison Bucker. I mean, he's been there a number of years now. They kind of made the swap out for Reza, and Matt's done a good job for them. The two really good returners for Meiho and then Brashard Smith. Ay you sim Smu kid and kick off returns, but Dave's a very aggressive coach. They do a really good job in a return game. So covering kicks is going to be of the utmost importance. And they present some matchup problems. They got a bunch of I would say, stronger, bigger, longer, mid skill bodies, but they're special teams unit. I mean, it's a good football team offensively, defensively. Any kicking game. Dave, to your point, probably doesn't get as much respect as he deserves, but he's been doing this a long time and he's been one of the best special teams coaches in his league for a number of years.
00:20:14
Speaker 1: Nick, I know you and your staff. You're hard at work about the offseason already, and we talk about scouting college football. So fix college football for us, just kidding, but here we are playoffs, about conference championship games going on, but playoffs about to start. How does that affect your scouting preparation as you get ready for April.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, we're actually gonna start our first round of draft meetings here next week, and it's really more informational.
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Speaker 4: What do we really need? What are the main.
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Speaker 5: Questions we have on certain prospects. So we'll kind of go through that process here a little bit. We've kind of started some other discussions as well as trying to kind of stack the board here a little bit. Kind of have to wait and see what happens with the underclassmen. It'll be interesting to just kind of watch and we probably have seen most of these teams, whether in person, live on campus or at a game. But it looks like there's a number good matchups here Conference Championship weekend, So we'll be cognizant on what's going on, whether or not we're there or not. It's probably not gonna have a huge bearing on what the evaluation is of the player. But it's always the exciting time a year in college football for sure.
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Speaker 3: Underclassmen we talk about this a lot, Nick, just the decision. I know you guys will track the underclassmen, and I think all the teams have started track them, maybe heavier heavily than maybe heavier than that he did earlier. How do you kind of at this point kind of track You just kind of keep your ear to the ground, like, hey, we think this guy's coming out, Just kind of like we anticipate it and if he goes back, great, we got all this for next year.
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Speaker 5: If he does come out, we're ready to go. Yeah, you take the information as it comes. I think you have a sense like this cohort more than likely they've essentially not declared, but they're going to be in the draft. There's another group they're fifty to fifty and then the school might actually say, like, this player's playing on coming back for a myriad or reason, so whatever that is, injuries, maybe they go into portal. So we'll track it and then whoever is available, whoever is draft eligible, like, we'll make sure we're prepared. But between now and April we'll probably get a lot of clarity as it comes to a player evaluation front.
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Speaker 1: All right, one more big question for you here, Nick, Because Sunday night football, this is the game of the week, this is prime time and it's the number one show on television. So this is a question about television. What was the last TV show that you watched regularly? Oh God, I don't quite see you as a guy who binge watches Game of Thrones and WWE does not count. It's got to be a drama of sorts or a comedy. Can you name something?
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Speaker 4: No, not on cable television.
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Speaker 5: What I will say, I did watch a few Netflix series when they profiled the tennis Tour.
00:22:40
Speaker 4: I forget the name of whatever it was called.
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Speaker 5: I watched all three two or three series or seasons of Full Swing. It was fascinated by. I can also watch the tennis version of it. It's an interesting kind of getting behind the scenes. Look, but as far as television goes, honest to God, that counts.
00:22:58
Speaker 1: Though. That's pretty good.
00:22:59
Speaker 4: Well, it's sort of television, it's streaming.
00:23:02
Speaker 3: But I would say I told Mark the full swing second season when they did the Ryder Cup behind the scenes outstanding.
00:23:07
Speaker 2: That was fascinating to me. I loved golf.
00:23:09
Speaker 5: I'm a massive fan of I was watching the DP World Tour Australia open over the weekend, so I know it out of a life. But that's the kind of extent of my Tellion.
00:23:18
Speaker 2: Brought the Skins game back for Amazon.
00:23:19
Speaker 1: I didn't watch the Skins game. I missed that one, So such a good timing. Okay, Nick, thanks a lot for joining us, Good luck, Thanks fellas.
00:23:25
Speaker 3: Excellent stuff there from Nick Caserio, and of course Mark and I were pretty good as well. All right, buddy Mindatt Bowen writes for ESPN dot com. He came up with one hundred and nine traits that he follows kind of throughout the year, and the best of each of those traits. Your Texans were mentioned a number of times. We'll have that for you next right here in Texas All Access.
00:23:48
Speaker 2: Welcome back to this.
00:23:48
Speaker 3: Wednesday at issue of Texans all as, I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter, as we hone in on Sunday night football against the Kansas. He chiefs Mark vandermirir with me. Mark Matt Bowen, who I've gotten to know over the years rights for ESPN, played in the league, played to Iowa, does some coaching now in the Chicago area. He he's a ball noer. He knows ball. He's really good. He does this thing every year. It's his annual one nine different skills and the best players at those particular skills.
00:24:32
Speaker 1: One hundred and nine different, hundred and nine different traits. Okay, so I don't know that I totally agree with all of them. Like here are the first few most accurate passer Stafford No Mahomes, Dakota Wayne Prescott. Really yeah, dak Prescott most accurate of.
00:24:52
Speaker 3: Quarterbacks who have played at least ten games this season. Prescott's nine point six percent off target rate is the lowest, and he completed sixty nine point three percent of his passes.
00:25:00
Speaker 2: He's playing some of the best football in his career.
00:25:02
Speaker 1: What I like is he's he's using he updates it and he uses analytics.
00:25:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, he's using numbers.
00:25:09
Speaker 3: Now, strongest arm, strongest arm.
00:25:12
Speaker 7: Right.
00:25:12
Speaker 3: Now, we face this guy recently, that would be Josh all Josh Allen. When does he lead physical tools frame arm like the hand size Alec bought every level of the field.
00:25:22
Speaker 2: Best deep ball thrower. C. J.
00:25:25
Speaker 1: Stroud hasn't done it in one hasn't really tested that arm in a while.
00:25:31
Speaker 2: I would like to see it against Kanpas.
00:25:33
Speaker 1: Gosh.
00:25:33
Speaker 2: Please, we faced this quarterback too. We faced him.
00:25:38
Speaker 3: Now, we did not give up deep balls to him, but he did slice us up a little bit.
00:25:43
Speaker 2: With one of the best receivers in the league on a Monday night.
00:25:46
Speaker 1: On a Monday that would be Baker Mayfield. Best deep ball. Wait, oh, you're talking about Sam Darnold ball thrower.
00:25:53
Speaker 3: His twelve completions on passes of thirty or more air yards leads the league. And he has completed seventy I mean six percent of those throws.
00:26:01
Speaker 1: Who's he throwing to? Yeah, that's the thing. Yeah, Now, here's what's important. Last sentence.
00:26:07
Speaker 3: In coordinator Clint Kubiak's offense, Darnald is set up on scheme shot plays to target the third level and that that that's a that's a massive part of that.
00:26:17
Speaker 1: They go to the NFC Championship game. Is Clint Kubiak getting a head coaching job even if they don't, What do you think?
00:26:22
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I'm curious. And that's a conversation we'll have later. Which NFL jobs will be open. We already know Tennessee's open.
00:26:29
Speaker 1: We can make a list of people. And this is for another show that we do not want to see in Nashville. And I think Clint Kubiak is one of them. I don't want to root against Clint Kubiak. Yeah, I don't want that. Of Browns and Steelers, uh huh zero one or two?
00:26:47
Speaker 2: None?
00:26:47
Speaker 1: One of them are both open. Oh Brown's open. Browns, I think they got to start over. I think Stefanski's good. But don't you think that marriage needs to break up? Probably just from a far probably go that way. Tomlin have a hard time with because I like the Steelers the fact that they've only had three coaches since the Super Bowl era began. I love that about them as a matter of fact. But I think they've kind of reached the ceiling too. Maybe I just think I think the Titans try to take I am not gonna blame this on Aaron Rodgers. I'm not but and I look defensively, they give up over two hundred rushing yards last week. So you can't blame that on Aaron Rodgers. But maybe you can.
00:27:27
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:27:27
Speaker 1: There's something about Rodgers in the building. New York Jets. You know all about it.
00:27:32
Speaker 2: You know it.
00:27:33
Speaker 1: Seven games with Zach Wilson. Couldn't do it with Aaron Rodgers. What best scrambler Mayfield?
00:27:42
Speaker 2: We will see him Sunday night.
00:27:44
Speaker 1: Oh, he's so good. Yes, how about this?
00:27:46
Speaker 3: Mahomes average twenty eight point eight rushing guards per game on scramble attempts while converting twenty three first downs. That is a massive number. Twenty three first downs on scrambles.
00:28:01
Speaker 1: Yep. And it's always you know, you have everything covered up. And well, look, we'll have Girard on the show. I guess what Friday, Friday. Yeah, but Friday he talks about, Hey, that's part of coverage.
00:28:13
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:28:13
Speaker 3: You read coverage. You go be your own, be your own checkdown. Yeah, I mean that's that's kind of the time I came up with. Yes, I like that to your checkdown. And he's so good at it. It's so frustrating. You got to be able to stop him.
00:28:25
Speaker 1: Mayfield is obviously an outstanding scrambler, as well as is Josh Allen. There are several in the league.
00:28:33
Speaker 2: The offensive ones.
00:28:37
Speaker 1: Uh, they're no Texans, No Texans involved, a lot of Colts, a lot of Jonathan Taylor stuff.
00:28:42
Speaker 6: Uh.
00:28:43
Speaker 3: Best downfield receiver at this point, best deep ball JSN. He's got the best deep ball thrower, yes, but who's the best deep ball catcher? We saw him Sunday.
00:28:57
Speaker 1: So they think Pierce is the best deep ball catcher.
00:29:00
Speaker 3: Pierce is averaging league high twenty point nine yards per catch, and he has a reception of twenty five or more yards and eight of.
00:29:07
Speaker 2: Ten games played.
00:29:09
Speaker 3: All Right, that is a true vertical target who can stretch the field in the Colts offense, says Matt Bowen of ESPN.
00:29:14
Speaker 1: I think Pierce is really good with that. Okay, I'll go along with that. However, I go I will point this out that some of the other really great receivers are utilized more around the line of scrimmage, medium range and long range, and it hurts. I'll put out of their quotes their average. So you're not gonna have the average that Pierce has because it always seems like he's catching a pass of at least twenty yards plus. But other guys, I'm gonna use JSID this way, that way, the other way, and it's gonna hurt the average against guys like Pierce or t Y when he was Pierce.
00:29:43
Speaker 3: Comes in and he becomes Klay Thompson. Yeah, he knocks home eight of ten threes.
00:29:50
Speaker 1: Whereas you know, Steph Curry's gonna score from everywhere. What happened to a Pman the other day? Why aren't your Pittman is the guy they're paying. What happened to him?
00:29:59
Speaker 2: I have theory?
00:30:00
Speaker 1: What's your theory? Give me?
00:30:01
Speaker 2: It's not that good.
00:30:02
Speaker 1: He's not able to get separation and Pierce can get it down the field. Yeah, And Daniel Jones just can't stick in there long enough to be able to throw the ball where Pittman runs his routes? Is this part? How rate the hot take? Okay, Pittman is the third best receiver on his team and he makes the most money. That's one and a half the downs and Pierce Pierce, we're scarier. We're drafting. We're drafting a team. We got the choice of those three receivers in order. We're taking Pierce Downs, Pittman.
00:30:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love listen, I love Pittman coming out.
00:30:31
Speaker 3: I think Pittman has been very good for the Colts, but it is clear that Pierce and Downs have gotten to a point where they're more dangerous.
00:30:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I don't fear Pittman at all. No, that's exactly. It seems like, let's get Pittman the ball on a screen because it's the only way we're gonna get him the ball. Yeah, he never it feels like he never really hurts you.
00:30:51
Speaker 7: Now.
00:30:51
Speaker 2: Pierce is like, no, no, he's got a little way.
00:30:54
Speaker 3: So before the game, I did I did my pregame hit with Sean and Seth and they asked, Okay, we know Jonathan Taylor, you gotta stop twenty eight.
00:31:03
Speaker 1: Okay, everybody knows that. We talked about all week. They didn't get the words out of their mouth. And I said, Pierce, yeah, that's it. The words were knew that who scares you?
00:31:14
Speaker 3: And I was like, Pierce, Pierce scares me because I'm sitting there and I'm pointing at the spot where he went up and went over Kaylin for a touchdown in week one, and then he had another deep ball on Jimmy Ward in week one, and I'm like, that dude is scary. He's flat out scary, and you can start to see.
00:31:31
Speaker 1: A little bit more of the full all round game start to evolve.
00:31:36
Speaker 3: Like to me, I think he should be paid. That dude should be paid. Not Pittman, that guy.
00:31:44
Speaker 1: But either way, they got problems. They do have problems from them. They have to figure that out and then we'll see what Chris ballad. If Chris ballad.
00:31:50
Speaker 3: Okay, so before we get to the next one, if if this thing flames flames out for the Colts, right, you wipe the whole thing you start.
00:32:00
Speaker 1: I mean, I was no, Listen, I would love to see them get rid of Shane Steiking because I think he's pretty good. Yeah too, so I would love to see them make that mistake, just the way the Titans made the mistake firing Mike Vrabel. Yeah, I was so glad to see him leave the division. Shane Steiking is good. He goes nine and eight, eight and nine, never has a quarterback with many richardson. He gets whatever he can get out of Daniel Jones, who anybody could have had, and look at the start they had. Now Jones is hurt, so they're coming back down to earth, and a lot of people predicted that anyway, because the schedule got tougher. I think there would be nuts to get rid of Shane steike In. I don't know about Ballard because Johnny, I think they've made moves. I know we didn't mean for this to be a cult segment, but I think they've made a lot of moves that Ballard had nothing to do with. Because once you go ahead and hire Jeff's Saturday to be your head coach, now I doubt everything else that's kind of very out of the ordinary, like Sauce Gardner for two ones.
00:32:56
Speaker 3: Might I feel about this because you I've known Chris for a long time and that is just not his mo right, and that might be what ends up losing his job. But then there's nothing you could do about it. He went out and got a good player and the player got hurt. Best speed to power in the NFL.
00:33:16
Speaker 2: You know him, you love him. Will Anderson Junior.
00:33:20
Speaker 3: Anderson can ben and flatt and using counter moves to disengage for blockers, but he can also win with speed to power, collapsing the edge of the pocket. He's ten and a half sacks, the fifth most NFL, and his twenty three point five pass rush win rate ranks third. So now that we're in a pass rush category, most explosive pass rush for Miles Garrett, most physical defensive line defensive lineman.
00:33:42
Speaker 2: Jared versus the Rams.
00:33:44
Speaker 3: Wow, I pray that I could see that best pass rush moves Miles Garrett. I don't know about that. I think that Danielle Hunter has a cadre of.
00:33:53
Speaker 1: Moves he does. But what Garrett did last week saw is what he did to Trent the You know what it is. It's the lateral quickness. It's insane, and that's that speed to speed to power right, it's it's so, how are you supposed to stop that when you're a three hundred pound guy who doesn't have that kind of athletic work.
00:34:13
Speaker 2: He does it in two steps.
00:34:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you get the feeling he's playing that. Yet he knows that if you anticipate, I'm gonna go inside because he's ultimately going there. Yeah, he's got the gear shift. I'll just stay outside and I'll just burn you. Mark.
00:34:29
Speaker 3: A lot of people have talked about, well, you know Texans seven number one defense or whatever. Oh the Broncos are next, or the Rams or this no, no, no, The next best defense in the league is Cleveland Browns.
00:34:40
Speaker 2: Those dudes are.
00:34:41
Speaker 3: Nasty and they obviously have him, but they're good across the boarder all three levels.
00:34:46
Speaker 1: That is it. Really, they got some sneaky hot wins and had they had some sort of offense, they could have won a lot more games. And who knows what happens, but they're playing Dylan Gabriel and you know, the exhumed body of Joe Flack goes.
00:35:00
Speaker 2: Somebody was to return today.
00:35:02
Speaker 1: Well, and he posted it.
00:35:03
Speaker 2: On his own Instagram.
00:35:04
Speaker 1: His workout video very well produced, by the way, so clearly this wasn't done with just your phone. But good for him, and uh, who knows? Who knows? No longer a problem. Best spin move in the NFL, as judged by Matt Bowen Daniel Daniel, I didn't think people would recognize that outside the building. I never feel like he gets the credit he deserves.
00:35:26
Speaker 2: Here's what Matt Bowen says.
00:35:27
Speaker 3: Hunter has a slippery spin move off the edge that leaves offensive tackles grabbing at air. He can also use the thread of his spin move to set up an outside rush path. His eleven sacks ranked fourth in the NFL. Daniil Hunter, very nice. Yeah, his spin move. What I like is he can spin outside and he can spin inside, and I think that's uh that that's pretty impressive. Okay, let's get the linebackers, Packers, Eagles. You know he recognizes Eddrian Cooper, which who I was high on his A and.
00:35:58
Speaker 1: M most of the chance. Well we got him right here. Does he have an award like that?
00:36:02
Speaker 3: He has one called best Hitter Disease Disease out Shire.
00:36:07
Speaker 2: Here's what he says, and I love I love this.
00:36:11
Speaker 1: Ausese looks to take the ballcarrier's soul every time he makes contact.
00:36:16
Speaker 2: He has thunder in his pads. That is so good. I want to text Matt that and say this, like bravo.
00:36:25
Speaker 1: This is like that. Yeah, I want to kick off, right, I mean, yeah, let's go. I'm really trying to keep myself in control as we anticipate Sunday night.
00:36:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm with you. So that's it.
00:36:42
Speaker 3: At linebackers, let's get to DB's a couple of interesting ones. Best backfield Vision. Now that was a former defensive back. So he hits on a number of things here that you know a little bit different. Best backfield vision.
00:36:56
Speaker 1: So when you're thinking about dB looking in the backfield, you're like, that's not always a good thing.
00:37:01
Speaker 2: But I get what he's saying.
00:37:02
Speaker 1: The ability to anticipate, like Kyle Hamilton or somebody like that.
00:37:06
Speaker 2: Or number twenty four Derek Stingley Junior.
00:37:09
Speaker 1: Oh, so he's just going DB's in general. I was thinking safeties.
00:37:12
Speaker 3: Best backfield vision. Derek Stingley Junior. Stingley uses his backfield vision to overlap seamballs. Plus he will get in the plus he will get in the weeds.
00:37:20
Speaker 2: Looking for work. He has three interceptions to eight pass breakups this season.
00:37:25
Speaker 3: Right after that, and I've been preaching this since the Pittsburgh preseason game last year, my first game that I called in preseason. Something stood out to me. And it's not only coming to fruition, it is becoming a true asset for this defense.
00:37:42
Speaker 2: Best third level range.
00:37:47
Speaker 1: So we're talking Kaylin, It's exactly.
00:37:50
Speaker 2: What we're talking about Kaylen Bullock.
00:37:52
Speaker 3: Bullock glides through the air through the third level of defense with post range and ball skills, and he can cover ground from depth. Four interceptions are tied for fourth most in the NFL. That says dead on. I mean, I'm glad that Matt sees that, because when you see it in person and you know how fast the game is going and you see how much ground he covers, it is mind blowing.
00:38:22
Speaker 2: It is mind blowing.
00:38:23
Speaker 1: You Know. One of the ways I know this defense is great is when I'm watching other games, I'm thinking, why did they get to the how did they not do this? Why did they do that? Yeah, And I'm realizing, oh, because they don't have the Texans defense. I'm used to our guys being around the ball like what yulk row Like, they're gonna get there. Now, they'll give up a player or two, but they're gonna get there and hold opponents low. And it's to the point where when somebody does hit a big play, you're so utterly shocked. Like the screen to Jonathan Taylor the other day, I thought, oh no, but it turns out to be okay. We overcame it. In the course of the game of Christ. You're not gonna be able to hold everybody scoreless. It's like a basketball game. They're gonna get theirs. They're gonna get some. They're gonna get some, but you gotta be able to keep them down, that's all, and they do.
00:39:09
Speaker 2: It's when you talk about his his third level range.
00:39:13
Speaker 1: I'm glad Matt pointed out, because you see it live, it's amazing. Then you watch on TV, you watch it from all twenty two angle, and you realize he's moving. My basketball coach when I was a younger, When I was younger, I remember, he's got an older coach, and he would always talk to us.
00:39:29
Speaker 3: You would always talk to us about moving at a high rate of speed.
00:39:33
Speaker 1: I wish Lance were here because Lance could do it better than I could.
00:39:36
Speaker 3: Kaylan moves at a faster rate of speed than anybody else in the field. And it stood out to me the other day when the Colts, I think it was when I was twenty to thirteen and the Colts were driving and he threw the deep ball to Pierce down the down the left sideline, like directly in front of you guys, opposite of us, and Kaylan made sure that Pierce wasn't going to catch that ball, Like he came out of nowhere, nowhere to make sure that Pierce wasn't going to catch that one, and Kamari was in good shape too, so there's really no way that Jones was going to complete that pass. But the fact that Kaylen was moving that fast from the middle of the field, that's what blows me away. And that's what stood out to me as when we were in Pittsburgh in twenty twenty four in the preseason, he was in the middle of the field and who was playing quarterback for Pittsburgh at that point, was trying to hit a fadeball go ball down the sideline and Kaylen picked it off. Now he couldn't get his feeding bounds and he picked it off. And I just remember we had a shot.
00:40:38
Speaker 1: From the all twenty two basically, and I was able to point out, look how far he goes.
00:40:43
Speaker 3: And then my comment afterwards was, y'all, that ain't normal. That isn't normal. Don't you don't find that?
00:40:50
Speaker 2: Man?
00:40:51
Speaker 3: This kid's gonna be super once he kind of gets the game. And now you start to see him learning the game, learning quarterbacks and learn those kind of things. I'm glad Matt recognize him, But that dude's ready to take off and be a superstar.
00:41:05
Speaker 1: I think he's taken off right now. It's in progress. People are noticing, like Matt Bowen, like many others, because when all the hay is in the barn at the end of the season, and I don't know where it's going, but I like where it's headed. Yep, put it that way where it appears to be headed. They're going to get all their accolades right, and they're getting a lot of love right now. You still have five games to go. This is a big chunk of the season you have left. I love the way the schedule looks after this week, but we can't get ahead of ourselves. And you know you and I know what it's all about. It's week to week and everything. It was week to week when you weren't doing that well or as well as you wanted. It's week to week now. But this is so big on day I mean, it is just so mass I mean, it's so much fun.
00:41:49
Speaker 2: Think about those things that we just talked about. And there was one more best Fueld goal.
00:41:55
Speaker 1: Blocker didn't he go out? So several Texans showing up.
00:42:00
Speaker 3: Yes, and on Sunday, on a Sunday night, there are a lot of people in Phoenix. There are people in Baltimore that or maybe Baltimore is a bad one to use. Maybe Charlotte that haven't Washington, that haven't seen this team play.
00:42:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, but they've.
00:42:20
Speaker 3: Heard, Oh I've heard about this defense. I've heard about this defense. And then they go and watch the game and they're like, Okay, the hype is real. This is that opportunity on Sunday. And I only win a football game, but to really make a statement. And you go on social media and there are videos of guys with blocks like ed Ingram had the other day, of interceptions, of tackles, of sacks of things, you know, look at them, get after Mahomes. I mean, those are all the kind of things that can go along with a great performance on Sunday, and that gets people's attention in the media that are voting for some of these NFL All Pro for Pro Bowls, those kind of things, for different kind of awards throughout the year.
00:43:00
Speaker 2: This is an opportunity.
00:43:02
Speaker 3: And look, ask any one of those guys we mentioned, Hey, would you would you rather be a Pro bowler or go win a Super Bowl? Oh my gosh, every single one I'm saying win.
00:43:12
Speaker 2: A Super Bowl. There's no doubt about that.
00:43:15
Speaker 3: But they also want to have those honors as well and be respected by their peers and by the people that cover this game. So this is that opportunity to do both make a statement winning the game and then get some love nationally, which I think it's starting to ramp up because of the way, especially the defense is played. But imagine if you go and do your defensive thing against that team.
00:43:39
Speaker 2: We're playing Sunday night. Oh my, you imagine the.
00:43:42
Speaker 1: Biggest stage in regular season football is Sunday night foot pro That's it. It's it. Even though fifty seven million watched the Cowboys and the Chiefs, but that was Thanksgiving. That's a different kind of day.
00:43:52
Speaker 3: It is fifty seven point seven million on Chiefs Cowboys, forty seven point seven on Lions Packers.
00:44:00
Speaker 1: You knew that was a good lineup. That it turns out to be even better than your thought.
00:44:06
Speaker 2: That's incredible.
00:44:07
Speaker 1: It's incredible. But this is the league, it's the you know what, the America's Campfire. It's bigger than ever because it's the one thing that really unites the most people. Literally, Yeah, and people follow it for fantasy football reasons, for this reason, for that reason, for their team, reasons for I hate the Cowboys, I hate the Chiefs reasons. There's so many different reasons and it brings people together.
00:44:30
Speaker 2: Well, you know what they're doing on Peacock on Sunday Night? Did I tell you this?
00:44:33
Speaker 1: What are they doing?
00:44:35
Speaker 3: They're taking four reality show stars. So there's a woman from Housewise of Salt Lake City, a guy from Survivor, and then two others I can't remember, but they're taking reality show stars and they're basically going to put them in you know, love seats with the game going on, and they're gonna be just jaw jacking during the game, talking about the game.
00:44:58
Speaker 1: And they have to pair up and get married.
00:44:59
Speaker 2: No, they don't do that. I don't think. I don't think, but it might be. I mean, it might be an interesting.
00:45:05
Speaker 3: But when when do you see this Monday night game is going to be the animated game.
00:45:11
Speaker 2: Remember how they did the Simpsons animated game.
00:45:12
Speaker 3: They're doing an their animated game for the Monday night game the Eagles and Chargers.
00:45:16
Speaker 2: They're having reality stars.
00:45:17
Speaker 3: Talking about it's unbelievable what this league is doing. But to be able to do it on Sunday night, and my god, if seven has the game that we think he can have on a Sunday Night.
00:45:29
Speaker 1: This is this is gonna be a theme tomorrow. But remember the Circus used to be the greatest show on Earth. This is the greatest show on Earth that on earth. Your stage, Sunday Night.
00:45:40
Speaker 3: It's the best reality show going. It is the best reality show going. It's unscripted, seemingly, or some would tell you that, and it's tremendous and Sunday Night is going to be unbelievable. All right, injury report is out. There were some guys not at practice. Demko did talk about a few of them and use the words they will be fine, But we still got to let you know what's there, and on both sides, because the Chiefs are struggling with.
00:46:06
Speaker 2: The injury telling. Everybody.
00:46:07
Speaker 1: Welcome back to this Wednesday thistion of Texans All Access. I'm your host, John Harris Football and a sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
00:46:16
Speaker 3: It's time to hit the injury report. And I know this one's not gonna be good. I just know it. And I've been feeling this way for a little bit. And I remember, and I can't remember whether it's Demiko or Nick one of them when they were in here for their interview said, you know, we've got some guys banged up, and I just thought, eh, boy, I don't want to see this. Well that's the case.
00:46:41
Speaker 6: Now.
00:46:43
Speaker 3: The bad news is Will Anderson Junior, de Nico Autrey, Trent Brown, Jamal Hill, Kamari Lassiter, Woody Marks, Tim Settle Junior. All very important pieces, even Scooby on special teams. He's missed a couple of games now with that hamstring, but all of those guys play a key role for this team. They were all dnps on Wednesday. Now Coach Ryan's asked about that and the presser said, they'll all be fine, but you just still to see them on the DMP list as you're getting ready to play a some important game against the Chiefs.
00:47:25
Speaker 2: It does sting.
00:47:26
Speaker 7: Now.
00:47:26
Speaker 3: We did see Will Anderson Junior last Thursday, I think, show up on the injury report as a d m P. He showed up with both the chest and his shoulder, So hopefully Will can get taped back up with duck tape and be ready to go. Trent with that hand, he has had different various tape jobs and casts and whatever else on the hand and still able to play, so hopefully he's gonna be okay. But I worry about the foot, the feet, the ankle of what he marks, the feet of Tim Settle, Junior Kamari last So hopefully those guys are gonna be okay. Is He's out was limited with a knee, but he was out at practice.
00:48:02
Speaker 2: That was great news.
00:48:03
Speaker 3: Now nobody's gonna be crying in their beer for the Texans injuries, especially in Kansas City. Now they don't have the volume, but they have one focused position that is going to beat an issue. The news out of Kansas City started with Josh Simmons, their starting left tackle, going on ir he. I think it was a dislocated elbow. I believe it was against the Cowboys. He had played pretty well. Then he was gone for five games. Nobody knew why he's gone for five games. It kind of got through, it came back, was playing for a couple of games, and then got hurt against the Cowboys. Missing against the Cowboys was Trey Smith with an ankle injury.
00:48:48
Speaker 2: He was also a DNP.
00:48:51
Speaker 1: Now reading the tea leaves from information up there, it doesn't sound like Trey Smith's gonna be ready to go for this game.
00:48:58
Speaker 2: And Josh Simmons is on IR.
00:49:01
Speaker 3: Then Juwan Taylor, their right tackle, did not participate with a triceps slash neat so he's got triceps issue and a knee issue. So Trey Smith, starting guard ankle did not participate, starting right tackle, Juwan Taylor triceps and a knee issue, did not participate in practice, and Josh Simmons, starting left tackle, went on IR. And they gotta face the Texans defensive line.
00:49:30
Speaker 2: Now.
00:49:31
Speaker 1: The flip side of that is three key members at defensive line did not participate on Wednesday, either, Will Anderson Junior, Tim Sedtle junior, and Deny Gautry.
00:49:40
Speaker 2: So it is worth watching now.
00:49:44
Speaker 3: I say all that, and it is important, there's no doubt, and Kansas City's gotta find a way. Probably gonna be Jalen Moore at one spot, probably gonna be jan Ye Morris at another. Uh Suma Taya will probably step in a guard spot again, Mike Caliendo will probably be in his spot. So really the only thing that they have consistently right now is Creed Humphrey, arguably the best center in the NFL at this moment.
00:50:09
Speaker 2: Mahomes makes do, doesn't matter who's in front of him.
00:50:13
Speaker 3: He makes do now there have been times in his career like Super Bowls when the offensive line hasn't held up and the defensive line was so relentless they able to get to him buck Super Bowl in twenty the COVID season, and then last year the Eagles getting to him. Can the Texans do that and do it consistently? Put him on the run, make him have to make tough decisions on the run, and maybe that ends up being a big advantage for the Texans. Okay, Yakub Johnson, who is not on the injury report, We got a lot to talk about with him.
00:50:42
Speaker 2: He's up next on Texans All Access.
00:50:46
Speaker 3: Yes, sir, welcome back to this second hour Texans All Access on this wonderful Wednesday evening wherever you are.
00:50:52
Speaker 2: And it's wonderful because, well, you're a Texans fan like me.
00:50:55
Speaker 3: I'm your host, John Harris Football, aantallest sideline reporter for your Houston Texans over the last I don't know, nine ten months or so. Mark and I have got to be big fans of our next guest and international player play at Reboult High School in Jacksonville, went to University of Tennessee. But he's a German national Yakub Johnson. We had a lot to talk about with Yakub, including right cheek, left cheek. Yeah, you'll figure it out as you listen to us discussed with Yakub Johnson.
00:51:27
Speaker 1: Right here, Yakub Johnson with us in studio. How's it going Yakub?
00:51:31
Speaker 6: Good Man?
00:51:32
Speaker 1: Good great to have you in here. You're a member of the Tush push crew. Yes, sir, full back, tight end. You do a lot of different things here. So how's it going for you overall here being with the team.
00:51:42
Speaker 8: Oh?
00:51:42
Speaker 6: Man, it's been it's been going great, man.
00:51:44
Speaker 1: Like.
00:51:44
Speaker 9: Obviously, I had some some up and downs, had to sit out some time with an injury. But since I've gotten back, we've been on a role, we've been winning some games. So it's a lot of fun.
00:51:53
Speaker 3: Man, Yaka, we were kind of chatting just a little bit and you go week thirteen. I was like, no, Week fourteen, but it made me think, how's the body feel week fourteen?
00:52:03
Speaker 7: Oh?
00:52:03
Speaker 3: I know you talked about some injuries and things, but you go through a full football season and we're close. We got five games left and hopefully some playoffs after that. But how's the body feel right now?
00:52:12
Speaker 6: Honestly?
00:52:13
Speaker 9: At this point, you don't really want to feel anything, you know what I mean. It's it's just it is what it is. Like. You don't even pay attention anymore at this point, the part of the season where you're like sore and everything that was like four weeks ago. At this point, your body just like gives up and just accepts its fate and you just do what you do.
00:52:28
Speaker 2: You know, I love it. It just but it just gives in.
00:52:30
Speaker 8: Yeah.
00:52:30
Speaker 9: Yeah, at some point the body stops like it just like, hey, okay, we're just gonna be hurt every day.
00:52:35
Speaker 2: Fifteen fifteen more car wrecks.
00:52:37
Speaker 1: I'm a how do you handle practice at your spot? Because you do a lot of different things, like I said, initially with tight end and fall back, and I see you warm it up with all sorts of people and then you have that touch pushtake. So tell us about practice for you and how you go about that.
00:52:52
Speaker 9: Man, every day is different, every week is different. It just depends on the game plan. So I'm in different spots, I'm asked to do a different things as it might be a little bit of special. Teams might not be moving me around on offense, so I never know until I come in and I see the game plan. But you just you just go out there. You play football. You know, that's what you been doing since you was a kid, so it's no different.
00:53:14
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm gonna ask a question. Now.
00:53:16
Speaker 1: This is a little sensitive, so you don't really have to answer. But you go in the game the other day, see you guys all running the game. I see you in British and I'm like, okay, this is gonna be interesting. What are we doing our short yardage?
00:53:26
Speaker 3: And then see k get under center, I'm like, oh man, it's awesome doing the toush push. So is your responsibility like one cheek and then British is the other one? Or is it a collective effort to you not even handle that?
00:53:40
Speaker 9: Listen, listen, we get coach on this in very a lot of details, you know what I mean. Coach Coach Jake Morland will short of instruck me to to really take charge of my cheek, you know what I mean, and try to really lift as as I you know. So, yeah, it's a lot more detailed than people think, but it's all about really just getting in there and and taking hold of it.
00:53:59
Speaker 3: Well here's the other to kabits I mean, you guys don't have padded practices, you know, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You might get one maybe during the week, depending on where it where it lands. Have you been able to work on this like in pads in practice or is it just something that you guys kind of had to work on like an individual and then you know, kind of carry it forward to team.
00:54:23
Speaker 9: Yeah, we met up on our own time and just really just started grabbing kids cheese. No, no, of course, I mean we we got a few like walkthroughs of it during practice. But yeah, and you just I mean in the game, you just gotta go, you know, Yeah, you gotta trust Kate holding onto the ball and then we just push them as hard as we can and see.
00:54:42
Speaker 2: Where we go.
00:54:43
Speaker 1: Are you begging for a carry? Come on, give me a carry?
00:54:47
Speaker 9: Not begging, but like, honestly, I feel like I've been closer than people think, just like from the game plan perspective, the opportunities, it just hasn't happened yet. But yeah, you just gotta stay patient until the moment comes.
00:54:58
Speaker 2: So in your role, and I say roll, I mean you're you're all over the place.
00:55:04
Speaker 3: I mean, you line up tight end, you can lineup it full back obviously, and special teams, all those kind of things. When you come in on you know, Wednesday, to start getting ready for that next team, and you start getting prepared, like you see the game playing, You're like, Okay, I might be I might have this role, I might have this, this might be a little bit.
00:55:22
Speaker 2: Higher than this one this week.
00:55:23
Speaker 1: How do you kind of handle your preparation as you go into a week when your target could be moving every single Wednesdays you start getting ready for a Sunday game.
00:55:32
Speaker 9: Well, honestly, I try to front load my prep. I try to really already start watching some of the film on like Mondays and Tuesdays really, so by the time I get in here, I already know the defense and kind of what they're doing and how they're playing on the defensive line, how they linebackers are playing, and so thence once I see the place, I can kind of put it together in my head. It's like, okay, I'm blocking the will already know how he plays, and that makes it a little bit easier for me.
00:55:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, you've been around the league for a while now, since twenty nineteen. Who's been helpful to you here? As you further get assimilated into the Texans way of doing things and in your career in general, Yaka oh Man.
00:56:07
Speaker 6: In my career in general is tough. Man.
00:56:10
Speaker 9: There's been a lot of people that helped me along the way here he had the Texans. I got to give credit to our our position coach, Jake Morland Man. He's been doing an excellent job of getting us ready, especially with all the movement that we had in the tight end room, Guys getting injured, different guys being asked through different things. He's been doing a great job getting us ready and adapted to this system.
00:56:31
Speaker 6: In my career in general, man, I had great coaches. You know.
00:56:34
Speaker 9: Nick Kaylee was my first ever NFL position coach. I think he did a tremendous job taking a very raw international pathway player that didn't really know where to line up all the time and turned me into a decent NFL player. There's been the coaches in college that gave me my opportunity to even get started here in America with football. So yeah, it's been a lot in that way.
00:57:00
Speaker 1: I think I know the answer to this, So I'm gonna ask this in a different way because I would ask you, is it surprising that there has been even more international influence. So I'll ask you this way, because I don't think you're gonna be surprised by that, but I'll ask you why has the international influence grown and grown?
00:57:18
Speaker 2: In your opinion? Yaka?
00:57:19
Speaker 3: But I mean obviously there's you. We saw who's the kicker for the Saints. I think I might something, Yeah.
00:57:25
Speaker 1: Why has that increased over the years? And not even just over the years, but even this year in the NFL.
00:57:31
Speaker 6: The visibility has completely changed. When when I started playing.
00:57:35
Speaker 9: Overseas, football was kind of looked at like as in like skateboarding, like an extreme sport, Like whoa, you're doing American football?
00:57:42
Speaker 6: Oh?
00:57:44
Speaker 9: And it was really hard to watch the games, like there was no games on television except the Super Bowl, and you didn't even know the players' names because there was no way for us to even like see any of that, Like there's no ESPN over there. Nowadays, with the Internet, with social media, with like highlight clips being shared on TikTok and Instagram reels and all this stuff, the visibility just increased. And I think then the NFL also taking charge and bringing the games overseas. You just had the first game in Madrid. You got games in Germany every year. Now, yeah, that's that's a game changer.
00:58:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, what kind of season are the Stuttgart Scorpions happening right now?
00:58:21
Speaker 10: Ya?
00:58:22
Speaker 1: We want to know the.
00:58:23
Speaker 9: Stuet Guard scorp Is are actually doing well. They they just uh uh leveled up from I think the Third League up to the second League, so they increasing. We have we got like seven, we got seven. If you're in the bottom, you get relegated, you gotta move down. So it's like soccer, you have like soccer. Yeah, wow, yeah, it's like that. But but then on the I gotta share some band who's on the European football front. On the on the professional level over there, it's some issues right now with the league going on. My franchise the surge uh probably won't be around next season, but you know, I mean that doesn't mean that's the end for for football, but then in general, it just might be some changes going on.
00:59:00
Speaker 1: So it's funny because the relegation is something that is no punitendence.
00:59:06
Speaker 2: It is completely foreign to people over the United State.
00:59:09
Speaker 3: It was foreign to me before I started watching Premier League soccer, and then I was like, this is one hell of a concept.
00:59:15
Speaker 6: Yeah.
00:59:15
Speaker 3: I mean it's amazing because you watch Premier League soccer matches at the end of the year and they're all no matter what's going on in what you would like week eighteen of the Premier League season, there are teams fighting relegation. There are teams trying to get into the top four this so they can be a champions league. It's like they've mastered the end of the season because of relegation and promotion.
00:59:39
Speaker 2: I gotta imagine it's kind of the.
00:59:40
Speaker 3: Same way in those football leagues, Like going up is a massive deal, but also to fight going down.
00:59:46
Speaker 6: As well, yeah, big time.
00:59:48
Speaker 9: Like there are some clubs that obviously have been in the in the first league for years and are like traditionally big clubs, and you have one bad season, you know, now you're fighting relegation and that's a that comes with like less money, obviously you're you're just less important. So yeah, those those end of season games in Germany are still closely fought.
01:00:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, yaka tell the listeners because you said your franchise the surge. Yeah, so you're part owner of that.
01:00:15
Speaker 9: Yeah, I was a part owner. There was a European football league that started five years ago. We had built it up. My franchise actually just won the championship this season. Fantastic. But now you had a realignment where a bunch of teams wanted the league, leave the league, create their own thing, and the finances got tricky, and so yeah, the Surge won't be around next season, but I mean European football probably still will.
01:00:41
Speaker 2: What would it mean to you, ya to be able to play a game back home? An NFL game back home? At some point in your career you.
01:00:48
Speaker 9: Said a key thing, I would love to play an NFL game. Yeah, back home obviously, just because my family could come out, My sisters could see it, my grandma could come out, all those things. I don't know if I would go back to the European League and play.
01:01:03
Speaker 3: To play an NFL game like we just had, what was it, Colts Falcons, Yeah, Berlin, that's huge. What what would it mean to take the Texans overseas playing Germany?
01:01:15
Speaker 2: Be able to play in front those find I mean, that's just.
01:01:17
Speaker 6: That would be amazing.
01:01:17
Speaker 9: I mean it would be a huge opportunity for me because I think I would be the best tour guide you guys could ask for, right, I would have all the recommendations ready, the reservations, the food, the sites, all that stuff. But then on the on the sports side of things, Uh, Baron Berner was a draft pick for the Colts from Berlin. Yeah, he was the one that they got to introduce the team in Berlin and got everything else.
01:01:39
Speaker 6: It was kind of like a full circle moment for him.
01:01:41
Speaker 9: So for me to get the opportunity to potentially bring the Texans to Stuttgart, the city that I'm from, that would be I mean, that would be drink.
01:01:49
Speaker 1: So, Sebastian Volmer, was he still playing when you were with the Patriots or was he gone by then?
01:01:54
Speaker 6: He was retired by then.
01:01:55
Speaker 9: Yeah, but I obviously knew about him, like growing up, I read his book and everything versus Uston guy.
01:02:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, which guy tackle very nice. Just one more question about that stuff. How big do these crowds get? What's the biggest crowd you've heard about or played in front of in Germany or Europe? What do you know about that? On the end, like the NFL games, no nor leagues that are based in Europe.
01:02:18
Speaker 9: So so the europe Bowld that we just played, it was in my hometown in Stuttgart, we played in front of thirty seven thousand people.
01:02:27
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I wonder why the NFL is going over there.
01:02:30
Speaker 9: Yes, and that's and that's four league that essentially was semi pro until four years ago, you know. So it's a big deal for just the kids that are playing up there. Like all of our starters, all of our big stars, were kids that I remember playing for my hometown team when I was over there, being in the youth programs and everything.
01:02:52
Speaker 1: When you first experienced Neeland Stadium, fah, my god, what was that like for you? Because you've probably been to some you know, Buyer Munich or whatever big team's over there, and that's awesome, But what about kneeling with over one hundred thousand people all that orange? What was that like for you to experience in that?
01:03:07
Speaker 9: I mean, that was unreal. I mean that's all it took. Like I took one visit during my high school recruiting phase. It was to Niless Stadium when they played Vanderbilt at the end of the season. Who whole house was rocking the whole game. They experience when they when the players come out and all the fans line up to greet them and everything and then being in the stadium when when they when they played Rocky Top and all the I mean, that's that's.
01:03:33
Speaker 6: All it took. I was like, yeah, where do I sign?
01:03:35
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not European.
01:03:37
Speaker 6: No no, no, no, no, sign me up.
01:03:40
Speaker 3: I'm staying yakub going to Kansas City. Yeah, Sunday night.
01:03:45
Speaker 1: I always wondered this for NFL players playing on Sunday night? Is it still you know, when Sunday night became the game.
01:03:52
Speaker 2: Of the week. I mean, everybody, we want to play Sunday night. What is it like playing on Sunday night? Is that? Is it that much more special playing on Sunday night?
01:03:59
Speaker 3: Because you know that's the game everybody, all the you know, teams are back home, all the guys that you know are back home watching you on that particular night.
01:04:06
Speaker 1: It is the game. What's it like playing on a Sunday night?
01:04:09
Speaker 9: I think anytime you get the opportunity to play a primetime game in front of America and the world watching, that's a great opportunity. Yeah, great opportunity to take advantage off Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium. I mean, what more do you want?
01:04:26
Speaker 1: Yeah? Awesome environment. One more for you? So you played in several different American cities here, and we talked about Neiland Stadium in college. You played for New England Giants, Vegas here, American cities. Look, I assume Houston is your favorite anyway, like America crashed.
01:04:43
Speaker 2: If you could.
01:04:43
Speaker 1: Houston to other places you've lived, what's it like here for you being a resident?
01:04:48
Speaker 9: Now, okay, you gotta be real careful with the food. The food is amazing. The food is amazing. The Houston fifteen is real, you know. So the food is great.
01:05:00
Speaker 7: I love it.
01:05:00
Speaker 6: I love it. Food is amazing.
01:05:02
Speaker 7: Man.
01:05:02
Speaker 9: The weather is almost good, always good. Uh, summer a little bit hot.
01:05:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know that's almost good.
01:05:09
Speaker 9: Yeah, summer is a little bit hot. But you know, besides that, I think it's a beautiful city. I love the park, Memorial Park. Yeah, yeah, you know, so it's a lot of nice things to enjoy.
01:05:17
Speaker 2: What's the summer like in shoot Gart.
01:05:20
Speaker 6: It's hot too, yeah, but not as humans, not as human right.
01:05:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's europe hotet.
01:05:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a different like they say, it's a little different here.
01:05:29
Speaker 2: Yeah.
01:05:29
Speaker 1: Thanks a lot for joining us. Good luck.
01:05:31
Speaker 3: You gotta appreciate it. That dude is fantastic. I'd love having him in studio every single week. All right, we get back. It's men behind the Mike's time. Josh Klingler, the John Harrison that the Kansas City Chiefs sideline reporter and analysts for them, will join Mark vandermier Nax right here in Texans. All right, here we go, Texans All Access coming at you on a Wednesday evening. Before we hand it over to the guys an area, forty fives will break down everything happen in Houston, sports, your Texans, your Rockets, anything else going on Major League Baseball.
01:06:01
Speaker 2: I've seen much hot stove news at.
01:06:04
Speaker 3: This point, but I'm sure there'll be some at some point, and those guys will take you through it. But we're talking Texans here, and we've got a big one Sunday night, as we all know, taking on the Kansas City Chiefs and the John Harrison, the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Klingler set down and cut up with Mark Fanning of the Voice of the Texans.
01:06:21
Speaker 2: We call men behind the Miccident's right.
01:06:23
Speaker 1: Here with us now in Texans Radio. Josh Klingler, sideline reporter for the Kansas City Chiefs Chiefs Radio Network Josh, how's it going. You're ready for this one on Sunday.
01:06:31
Speaker 10: Well, it's going a little differently again Penthouse problems for the Chiefs this year, we're living everybody else's season. I think Kansas City fans uncomfortably living every other NFL fans season where you're battling for a playhoff spot down the stretch versus other years where they're seemingly, you know, looking at the number one seed and how they can attain it. So it's been a little bit of a different ride, uneasy ride for most fans in Kansas City. And I think of this team as well, because I don't think they planned to be in the position that they're in right now, where basically this game with Houston's a playoff game next week, with the Chargers in the playoff game, so on and so forth, and they're right in the thick of, you know, being in or out.
01:07:15
Speaker 1: Every team has multiple issues, But what would you say is the biggest issue affecting the Chiefs negatively this year?
01:07:22
Speaker 10: I think it's been penalties and discipline. They've They've been in every game. They've just lost a lot of close games that they were able to pull out. A season ago, you know, not being able to find that kind of big play, that key play. At times, this team's looked a little non cohesive in spots, but I think most of it has been kind of engineered by by discipline and penalties and getting you know those little those little false start penalties or something that derails to drive or defensively. Maybe last week certainly they were a little bit handsy and got some pass interference that we're having problems getting them off the field. So I think for the most part, you know, the biggest questions that have been asked to Andy Reid this week have been about the penalties, because it's something that hasn't really been cleaned up throughout much of the season, and I think that it's probably they will they would look and say, that's the thing that's been keeping us from from winning maybe these close games. So it's been a little bit different. Last year, they were a team that lived on the close games and they were really good and figuring the way out. This year, they haven't really been able to figure much out and have dropped more of those you know, three and you know, four point type games.
01:08:34
Speaker 1: Are they getting the ground game they want? Do they want to run the ball more, take the heat off Mahomes and the pass catchers. How do you see it, Josh.
01:08:42
Speaker 10: Well, that's always been kind of the big question really with Andy Reid because he's, you know, a West Coast offense, pass first type guy, and certainly when you have Patrick Mahomes, you know, you run the football, you take the ball out of the best player in football, teinds. So that's always kind of the the the call that's been a little bit difficult. Two games ago, really committed to the run. Last week dug themselves some third and long situations kind of right out of the shoot, which seemingly kind of took the pressure away from, you know, trying to establish the run game and made them pass a little bit more. So it's always been kind of a push pull. Two weeks ago, the really down a running back. Last week had the full compliment of running backs. It's really a one to two punch with Kareem Hunt and Isaiah Pacheco, and they're going their best when both guys are available. But seemingly that's been an issue as well, trying to figure out exactly how to work in the run game to help compliment the pass game. I think it would be beneficial. I think that they are at times hesitant to kind of kind of go that direction and prefer they have a really nice compliment of wide receivers, and so they like to spread the football round and throw it around, and sometimes I think the run game gets forgotten in that aspect, but there's always kind of a push. But can they continue it in the midst of a game.
01:10:01
Speaker 1: Josh Klingler joining US sideline reporter for the Chiefs Radio Network. Josh, what kind of version are we getting of Travis Kelce in twenty twenty five?
01:10:09
Speaker 10: You know, I think that there was probably an expectation this year that hey, they gotten younger at wide receiver, They've spent some draft picks at wide receiver, the wide receiver room was pretty full. So maybe Travis Kelsey can take a step back and maybe just be be a guy, or be a tight end, just be just a straight normal NFL tight end. And you know, he looks he looks great, you know, even to the point where you know, everybody kind of assumed that this was his last year. Maybe it's not. He still hasn't definitively answered that, but also hasn't ruled it out. He's been very, very good. Still is Patrick mahomes number one target. If Patrick Mahomes is in trouble, he's looking for eighty seven. They have a magical connection that has worked over the years and is still right now. Does he have the speed He has? No, But can he get open in the middle of the field. Absolutely. He's probably get less double teams than he's ever gotten because they are, you know, taking the focus to some of the other wide receiver targets. But no, he's and they've also i think, done a pretty good job of balancing his plays out this year, probably been on the field a little bit less by design than another year, so they've kept him nice and fresh. He's still a very viable target. Even though I thought heading into the year this would be the year they maybe start to phase him out, it's been anything but that. He's still the emergency blanket for.
01:11:31
Speaker 1: Patrick all right, Rashie Rice tell me about him. Obviously very productive and has made such a difference since coming back.
01:11:40
Speaker 10: Yeah, I can do a number of different things too, and they've still i think just kind of scratched the surface of how they want to use him. But very effective in the red zone, very effective in getting the ball and running after catch. A guy they line up in the backfield a little bit as well. Haven't seen as much of that as we thought maybe they would when they brought him act. But he's a guy that can can take the burden a little bit off the run game, or at least uh switched the run game into kind of a different phase. His ability to to run out of the backfield or use end a rounds. Uh. They've even used him in a kind of a wildcat situation as well. Really versatile guy that has the chance, has the chance still has played a lot of games. I mean, he still has a chance to be one of the one of the top wide receivers in the league. He's got great hands, he's got good speed, he can run all the routes. At times last week a couple drops, so he kind of shook your head about. So hopefully that's just kind of a one off type thing. Andy Reid seems to think it was a guy that can use in a lot of versatile, versatile ways, and so he's a key component to the offense. He was the guy if you were you know, asking you who is going to be Patrick's go to guy? Once Kelsey is maybe no longer there. I think it's setting up to be Rashie Rice. There are games where he is the definitive number one target, but it's been consistency with pretty much all the receivers and really this entire offense. That yes, it's a good problem to have to not exactly keep a defense knowing who you're going to go to, but also at times you have to answer the question yourself, who are you going to go to? And I think at times it probably should be Rashie Rice a little bit more.
01:13:21
Speaker 1: Josh Klinger joining us. He does the sideline reporting for the Chiefs Radio network. What about the defense? When we talk about the Chiefs defense in Houston, we always talk about Chris Jones first and maybe George carloftis second. Are we right to do that? Who else should the Texans be aware of?
01:13:36
Speaker 10: Well, they're the most important, to be sure, and that's an area that kind of comes and goes as well. They haven't been all that great in the sack department, but creating pressure at times has been good. Defense has been for the most part pretty solid. Now last week was the anomaly. Two weeks ago against the Colts, they were the absolute story, shutting down the Colts in the second half and really kind of waiting for the offense to get and they were the story of that game. Last week, they were also the story of the game, but for the other reason they couldn't get off the field, especially on third downs, and really especially on third down and long situations. They got themselves in last week. So it's a little bit baffling. At times they look like they are world beaters and then at times they can be exposed. Nick Bolton at linebacker another guy to watch, real downhill runner, maybe a little bit susceptible in the past game, and I think that's been kind of the weakness. Can you occupy the middle of the field against the Chiefs defense. Do you have wide receivers that can run a lot of crossing routes. Can you get a tight end open in the middle of the field, because that's been where they've been most vulnerable. And then in the secondary. Trent McDuffie's They're all Pro corner probably played his worst game of his career last week against the Cowboys, So guessing he's going to try to bounce back from that one because he had a not so great performance dealing with Lamb and Pickens a week ago from the Cowboys, who really chewed up the chief secondary last week.
01:14:59
Speaker 1: Josh. The Chiefs are six and six, as you know, and Denver's got that ten win total heading into the weekend leading the AFC West. But who are you concerned with coming down the stretch here as far as making the playoffs? Who do you think the main competition is? What are you looking at here after losing a Buffalo? They have the seventh spot right now, but what else? How do you see the field right now?
01:15:21
Speaker 10: If you will, Yeah, I mean I think they have to run the table. I know that there's scenarios out there that are doing kind of the mass and can say they can give up one more, But it just feels like a team that has to go and win them all. And that would include beating teams that have already gotten you in the Chargers and the Broncos, so those are massive. The Texans one, obviously is huge. You're talking about kind of similar teams and similar boats. They've lost a lot of the head to head kind of tiebreakers that they probably need. Buffalo certainly was there the Jaguars, which was one of their weird performances of the year. They do have a tiebreaker over the the Ravens. Bolva Bat Division is kind of a mess right now, so it's hard to kind of see where that one shakes out. So they've lost some of the key tiebreakers in this six and six effort as well, So I think I think they got to run the table, which is asking a lot for a team that again is six and six to win five straight games, But I feel like it's going to take that to get into the postseason. I don't think seven. I think seven. You're doing a lot of squinting in mass and and hoping for a lot of stuff to happen to get you in that position. But I think they need to beat the Texans, the Chargers, and the Broncos. Those are huge games. Their road games are at Tennessee and at the Raiders, two very bad teams, so can't afford to stub your toe there. But got to win one to win the rest, and I think I think if it all shakes out, if they drop one more, they're going to be on the outside looking in.
01:16:49
Speaker 1: What are people in Kansas City saying about the Texans.
01:16:53
Speaker 10: Really really afraid of the pass rush and I think that's rightfully, So I don't know what kind of shape the Chiefs offensive line is going to be this week. Lost their left tackle Josh Simmons to what appears to be a season ending risk injury, although he's getting a second opinion. They're right tackle Juwan Taylor has been off and un injured all season and he had to leave the game last week, so had two backup tackles in the ballgame last week, also still playing without their their all Pro guard in Trey Smith, who might not be available this week either, so they could have three backup offensive linemen trying to deal with the Houston pass rush, and so that certainly is a number one. If they don't protect Patrick Mahomes this week, it is going to be a long day at the office because even with the starters in their Houston's defensive line is really really good. And again, there could be three backups playing along the offensive line this week, which would not bode well.
01:17:48
Speaker 1: Josh, what kind of a sports town is Kansas City? We all know it's Chiefs Kingdom, we all know the success, but in general over the years, how would you define or characterize Kansas City of sports city?
01:18:01
Speaker 10: I think a real good one. I think. I think their ability to host events has been kind of on display. It's been obviously the neighborhood of the the Big Twelve basketball tournament for years and years and years in Kansas City, has a great job hosting various other kind of tournaments are coming through the The College Cup is here this weekend, the the the final four of of the women's soccer tournament, although we probably need to get some snow off the ground for that for that event to be a hit. But their ability to kind of host events throughout Kansas City. The World Cup obviously part of the rotation as well, So I think that's kind of what's been been huge. It's a it's a real good soccer town as well. Uh Sporting case has always done well. The women's team, the Current were number one till being knocked out in the playoffs and then they've been sellouts since really the last three years. So it's been a really neat sports town. Obviously driven by the the Chief success and before that, uh, you know, the run by the Royals, but you know they they love following their teams. College basketball college football always been big in this area with kind of the three colleges nearby and Kansas Missouri and Kansas State all kind of always fighting over Kansas City as their home. So always been a good sports town right now maybe a little grouchy sports town again, because I think everybody expected this is a really talented Chiefs team, maybe more talented than the last couple that made it, you know, all the way to the super Bowl and to find themselves at six and six. I think I think the town's a little more grouchy than it's been. And I don't know, it's kind of a combination of is the run over and maybe less appreciative of the run at this point, and more people saying what the heck happened this year and what's going on? Why are they in this position than appreciative of the fact that they've been living in the football penthouse for quite some time now. And this is how normal I think normal NFLF seasons go. Right, You're playing the last five games for your playoff lives. We're not used to this.
01:19:56
Speaker 1: Right now, What is the latest on the stadium situation?
01:20:00
Speaker 10: The latest is there isn't the latest. It has been just a few years now of negotiations and setting up test balloons, that kind of thing. Because the Royals and Chiefs share a complex. At the moment, the Royals don't want to be there. The Royals have been trying to move. They had a failed attempt to move downtown. They have basically said they will not be at that complex when their lease expires in twenty thirty one. But the things are clocks ticking now, and so they don't have a location. I think the Chiefs ultimately are waiting to see exactly what the Chief's location is going to be, and then they're going to figure out whether or not they're going to stay in their current location and build a new stadium, or they're going to be looking elsewhere as well. We'll see it's still completely up in the air. Both states are involved, which makes this unique as well, Kansas and Missouri. Not to say fighting over it, the kind of fighting over it. I think everybody's kind of trying to weigh their best deal, but the best deal has apparently been very very slow, because it feels like we've been kind of sitting in neutral for quite some time. In my heart of hearts, I think the Chiefs will stay at their current location, maybe build a new stadium on that site rather than any kind of renovations, and then you know, the state of Kansas may get a part of it as well, maybe a practice facility or something in the state of Kansas. I think wouldn't be kind of out of line, and that the Royals will eventually find a way to figure out to get at least closer to downtown and we'll have downtown Baseball and then a stadium still in both in Kansas City, Missouri. But could be completely wrong because it seems like the wind blows and something changes, and nothing's been definitive really from either side that they're are both still waiting to see what the other is doing, and neither's moving very fast.
01:21:49
Speaker 1: Well, great information there, Josh, Thanks so much for joining us. We look forward to seeing your Sunday night at Arrowhead.
01:21:54
Speaker 10: All right, dial down the pass rush a little bit, all right, back off to those edge rushers. Okay, they could have a day.
01:22:01
Speaker 1: They won't listen to me anyway, Thanks Josh.
01:22:04
Speaker 3: No, bring the heat, bring all the heat bringing. Speaking of bringing the heat, Demiko Ryans brought to this press conference today, let's hear it in its entirety.
01:22:15
Speaker 2: To finish up the show next right here, in Texans All Access.
01:22:20
Speaker 3: We got one final segment Wednesday, istion a Texans All Access. I'm your host, John Harris, foot play on a sideline, Reporter's time, take a listen, Tomko Ryans and a lot says presser today.
01:22:30
Speaker 2: Let's take a listen to it in its entirety. Let's rock.
01:22:34
Speaker 11: But how dangerous still is the Chiefs with all the ball players they special offense.
01:22:39
Speaker 7: We know the Chiefs are a really good team.
01:22:41
Speaker 12: Sorry, next opponent, So we're fired up for the matchup, excited to go play a really good team.
01:22:48
Speaker 13: There's an extra element of having them playing in the cold.
01:22:52
Speaker 7: What is the challenge of that?
01:22:53
Speaker 1: And did you have any.
01:22:53
Speaker 13: Strategies when you were a player of keeping warm in cold games?
01:22:56
Speaker 7: Yeah?
01:22:57
Speaker 12: This strategy for playing in the cold is not to focus on it too much, right, It's it's a mindset factor.
01:23:03
Speaker 7: You have three hours, like, no.
01:23:04
Speaker 12: Matter what the weather is, matter what the temperature like, you gotta go out and play ball for three hours. So it shoulda it shoulda be a factor for our guys.
01:23:14
Speaker 11: You updated on Kamor and Lasser and also uh uh Woody Marks.
01:23:18
Speaker 12: Yeah, Kamari Woodie will they all They'll be fine. See how the week, uh week goes.
01:23:24
Speaker 8: A pretty bitter lost in Kansas City is pretty fired up locker room. Do you feel like there's any kind of funny rivalry there and do you think that your players thought about that lost specifically the summer of the season anything like that.
01:23:34
Speaker 7: No rivalry, No, no hard feelings.
01:23:37
Speaker 12: We lost a football game, right, new season, we have a new team. Uh s about this team this year? Like, how do we go out and how do we prepare this week to put ourselves in position to go out and play as best as we possibly can?
01:23:50
Speaker 11: A problem is their speed or how much a problem can their speed at specifically at receiver be for defense?
01:23:57
Speaker 7: Yeah?
01:23:57
Speaker 12: They they have good players, right, they have good players at the parents. Uh, we have good players too. So we play fast, play physical that that's not gonna change for us.
01:24:06
Speaker 14: As you look at the tape of the last couple of games from your offensive line play that there, there's this perception idea that they're playing in more physical style or you seeing that and what is that group perhaps doing well right now?
01:24:18
Speaker 7: Yah?
01:24:18
Speaker 12: Our offensive line is definitely playing playing physical right. You see you see the clips another clip with it. It's a really nice clip, but you see that physicality show up. You see guys playing together, they're playing connected on the double teams. They're finishing well. So they're they're doing a really good job. E since second week that we had that same old line and so excited to see them go back for another week and continue to grow, continue to get better.
01:24:42
Speaker 7: So, uh, they're doing a great job. Just gotta keep it going.
01:24:47
Speaker 4: This unit has clicked.
01:24:48
Speaker 5: And you know, you always wanna find the best five guys that work well together.
01:24:51
Speaker 4: What is it about this unit that's really worked for them?
01:24:54
Speaker 12: Yeah, the guys are playing well together. That's that's the most important thing.
01:24:58
Speaker 9: You talk about.
01:25:01
Speaker 7: This chief's offense to the the challenges they present.
01:25:04
Speaker 11: I mean, you forget about the cope record, But what is it.
01:25:07
Speaker 8: That makes you know Patrick Patrick? And is he still you can't take this?
01:25:12
Speaker 9: Yeah?
01:25:13
Speaker 12: Patrick gets still Patrick right, He's it's called him Houdini. He finds a way to make plays all over the field. That's why this team it's always been a threat. That's why they're their games are always close because of Patrick and his capabilities of extending plays and not just to run the run plays, not to run the football, but the way he extends plays, the way he finds his guys down the field. Uh, it's it's unique, right, There's not many guys in the league that can do how Patrick does it.
01:25:42
Speaker 7: That's why he's a special player.
01:25:44
Speaker 2: Uh.
01:25:44
Speaker 7: The guys he play with, they.
01:25:45
Speaker 12: Know where where he's looking, they know what to look forward, so they're they're connected. Although it may seem like they're scrambled plays, they're connected and coordinated and where they're where they're finishing and Patrick knows the spots, so you just have to be away. And now with that threat as well, he can run the football ex you know, gain third downs in those critical moments as well. So it's gonna be a challenge as always with the four guys rushing. Got to do a great job of having awareness, knowing where he is and the guys in the back end. You gotta cover him twice like, because he can extend plays and they can go on and on and on. You have to be aware of the guys in your your zone, your area, and you have to stay on them.
01:26:30
Speaker 15: What does Nico Collins mean to this team and how valuable is it to have a superstar like that that will do whatever you need to help the team win.
01:26:38
Speaker 12: Nico is is such a valuable piece to our team. First off, with that's his mindset. He's he's humble. There's not an ego with Nico, even though he's one of the best receivers in the league. You know, he doesn't walk around that way like somebody owes him something like. He's a very humble guy, respectful guy. He brings it in every single day that he's working. Like just watch him work on a Wednesday Thursday, Like he works extremely hard at his craft. To see a young guy, you know, like Nico just continue to get better and better as he's been in this league.
01:27:14
Speaker 7: That's what it's about. That growth.
01:27:15
Speaker 12: He's exhibited that and he's he's a great teammate. He he'll do whatever it takes for the team to win, knowing that it's not just about him, it's about the team. And you couldn't ask for a better guy. Who should be this this superstar a lot of people are talking about, but you don't hear much about it. He's quiet, He goes about his business the right way, and you know that's his approach.
01:27:38
Speaker 7: And that's just fine. I love the way Nico prepares each and every week.
01:27:42
Speaker 12: Love the man that he is and I'm just excited to have him on our team and see him, you know, get the praise and accolades that he truly deserves.
01:27:51
Speaker 13: What you talked about the office is line earlier than he just talking about people college and then wide receiver group, you have players.
01:27:59
Speaker 7: In willing to you know, fee themselves up as far as blocking gets concerned. Last week, especially on the on the touchdown run.
01:28:07
Speaker 2: Uh there was touchdown run.
01:28:09
Speaker 13: In and I think it was another play where Exzavier Hutchison got in there and made a huge block.
01:28:13
Speaker 2: You know, Christian Kirk got in there and made a huge block.
01:28:15
Speaker 1: Those type of things show up on the field if they don't show.
01:28:18
Speaker 7: Up on social media and things like that.
01:28:20
Speaker 13: How much of an emphasis have you all put on having your wide receivers get involved in.
01:28:24
Speaker 12: The right game like that with our wire receivers is very critical to our offense that they that they block and a lot of a lot of receivers want the football that you can't get the football like unless you're unless you're blocking, So our guys have that unselfish mindset. Coach ben Is done a great job with the group when they are blocking, all the guys are responsible to block at some point of the game. So it's not just one particular player who has to do it. All the guys have to do it. All the guys are getting better and they're excelling at it. And some of our touchdowns that we're able.
01:28:57
Speaker 7: To get it, it will be because.
01:28:59
Speaker 12: Of our wire receivers are finishing their blocks down field like they are the touchdown blocks, and they have to get it. They have to stay connected, move their feet, and they have to be physical in there. And our guys are willing to do that and that's why you know, we can make the plays we make because of those guys.
01:29:15
Speaker 7: In the run game, it's very critical, you know, for.
01:29:17
Speaker 12: Our wire receivers to to block, and that's why our run game will excel because of them.
01:29:24
Speaker 8: You couldn't kick the field goal on it gone for it. Have you reevaluated or watched those decisions and did you ever go back and the tape to think about that?
01:29:31
Speaker 7: In port down, Uh, this is new year. We're here to play Kansas City with this team this year and chow him. So we're some of the challenges of those guys in.
01:29:41
Speaker 12: Particular, their front is very good front, you know, starting with Jones. You talk about a guy who is very disruptive in the run game, Uh, it's passing game Like. He finds a way to get into the opposing teams backfield time and time again.
01:29:56
Speaker 7: So he's a guy we have to have awareness for him at all times.
01:30:00
Speaker 12: He can record play and wreck your series. If you don't have eyes and wearing his form and you have the intensity you need to go out go after him and block him consistently. Then you got Karlotis on the edge. Really good player, good young player in this league. Now you talk about a workhorse, he's gonna stay after it. Relentless guy finds a way to get after the quarterback, leading their team in sacks. But just a physical, relentless rusher, and we're gonna have to outwork him this week. The Spagnolo does well as a defensive coordinator that presents challenges for you as a offensive and coach. Fags has done a great job his entire career of having some of the best defenses in the league. And what he does, he really stresses offenses just with his blitz package.
01:30:41
Speaker 7: I think that everybody's aware of that.
01:30:43
Speaker 12: He does a good job of bringing the pressure to guys do a great job of executing it, and it could be anyone right corners, Nickels backers, like, he does a good job of mixing it up. So it's you can't just watching and say, oh, I know who's blitzing all the time, Like you really have to trust your rules. You really have to be aware and them the receivers tight ends. But everybody have to be on the same page. Everybody has to see the game through the same set of eyes when it comes to their blitz package because it's very lethal, and he does a good job of calling it, not only on third down, but in some of those you know, first down, second like anytime, So we have to be prepared for that, and uh, if we can execute that the right way, we feel like we can make some plays.
01:31:26
Speaker 2: So you guys are go ahead.
01:31:28
Speaker 13: You guys have obviously finished at both home and in a way in this recent street. But are there differences in finishing at home versus finishing away or or things that you have to count for latent games.
01:31:42
Speaker 7: It's no difference.
01:31:43
Speaker 12: Every game, I would say, every game is you know, it's the game of itself, like whatever that if it's on the road or away, it really doesn't matter whatever that game calls for when it comes to making the plays necessary to win it. Really it's no difference game home or away this week that you know his team's uh.
01:32:03
Speaker 13: You play calling though tipular tounsons of of of other people.
01:32:07
Speaker 2: What is it like match wits.
01:32:09
Speaker 7: With Andy Ring? I don't try to s my old coach. I don't try to uh let Andy have that. So we're prepare how we need to prepare. Andy's uh man, he's he's a great coach.
01:32:22
Speaker 12: At the pleasure of playing for him for one year, he's been uh he's an outstanding coach and he's has to track record to prove that. So you know, it's always a challenge going on with Andy because you know, whatever you've seen on tape, he's gonna have some type of wrinkle right there, gonna be some type of new play design that we can't prepare for.
01:32:42
Speaker 7: Because we haven't seen it.
01:32:43
Speaker 12: It's cause he's very still cutting edge, uh, just a really smart coach. Does a great job of position as players, making you have to adjust and think on the fly on defense as well, and that's why he's one of the best to ever do it.
01:32:56
Speaker 11: Said, it's Kamar last year, not just on the outside, but near the line of scrimmage. Seems like he's getting more involved blitz seeing and every time he's around the line of scrimmage seems like there's a lot of violence.
01:33:08
Speaker 12: And Kamari is is one of the hands down, one of the best corners in this league when it comes to playing physical, right it comes to stepping up in the run game. You wanna see a corner tackle, go watch Kamari's tape. For any corners that want to learn how to tackle young corners, go watch Kamari Lassiter. Go watch him tackle, Go watch him take on blocks like There isn't a.
01:33:27
Speaker 7: Better corner in the league.
01:33:29
Speaker 12: When it comes to the physical h presence that he provides to a defense, there is not a better guy than Kamara.
01:33:37
Speaker 15: I know you like to take things week by week, but if you could pick out a common thread that has led to you you got success during this winning street.
01:33:45
Speaker 12: What would it be coming thread for us? Winning is our players making the place. That's what it's all about. Chris, like, our our guy has done a great job of finding a way to make whether that's special teams offense, to everybody stepping up making a play when we need to make a play, and that won't change, you know, this week as well. It's it's always gonna be about the players and that that won't change.
01:34:10
Speaker 11: Remain strong this season because what about the way that they play together in their chemistry makes them so difficult.
01:34:15
Speaker 7: As that and both guys if of course, they played together for.
01:34:19
Speaker 12: A long time and they kind of know, you know, when the routes, Kelsey can shut it round down, probably sooner than it needs to be shut down.
01:34:27
Speaker 7: And my homes is feeling the same thing or seeing the same thing that he's seeing.
01:34:31
Speaker 12: And that's why they're able to have that you know, good connection Kelsey plays with. You know, he has great hands, really good job, really great awareness of zone coverage and when to sit it down like win the break out, break in. It's just they're tied in together because they've seen football through the same set of eyes for such a long time and you see that connection. It's still there on tape, right all right, Thank you guys, Thank you all the big thanks to Miko and of course the Houston media.
01:34:57
Speaker 3: Nice job at the presser today and and that.
01:35:00
Speaker 2: Was a little bit of good news.
01:35:01
Speaker 3: Knowing that there'll be some guys that are fine and ready to go for Sunday Night against the Kansas City Chiefs. What a big thanks to Miko, to Nick, Jakub Johnson, Josh Klingler to Mark, to all of you for listening my guys back at sports Radio six ten. You are the best stay tuned for Area forty five right here at ports Radio six ten. We'll see Tomorro everybody, and as always, go Texans.