The Texans (2-0) conclude their preseason slate on Thursday evening against San Francisco (2-0). Here are five things to watch when the two squads kick off inside NRG Stadium at 7:00 p.m. CT.
1) 1st-team offense
With more starters filing back into the mix for the preseason finale, it will be a bit better gauge of how Quarterback Davis Mills and the offense might perform in the regular season. In addition to being without a pair of linemen and Wide Receiver Brandin Cooks, the Texans were without Tight End Pharaoh Brown and Running Back Dameon Pierce in Los Angeles.
On top of the mixing-and-matching, lineup-wise, it’s also important to remember Head Coach Lovie Smith and the assistants are keeping things very basic during the preseason.
“Obviously in the preseason you don’t want to show your best stuff,” Wide Receiver Phillip Dorsett said. “Brandin hasn’t even played yet, so we’re not showing a lot. You’ve got to keep a lot of it secret. The coach is going to be watching. We’re going to open it up eventually, but not yet.”
Mills led the offense on a half-ending touchdown drive against the Rams, his lone scoring drive of the preseason. But Smith isn’t concerned.
“I wouldn’t put too much into it,” Smith said. “We like what we’re getting in practice. Those guys are healthy, will be ready to go when we need to go.”
2) Familiar faces return
Through the first two preseason contests, the starters on both sides of the ball have seen limited or zero action. Mills played a pair of series in the opener against New Orleans, and then played the entire first half last Friday in Los Angeles against the Rams.
He did so without Cooks, Pro Bowl Left Tackle Laremy Tunsil and Center Justin Britt, among others. Defensively, veteran linemen like Maliek Collins, Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison haven’t suited up yet, either.
That will change on Thursday night.
“We’re going to play the guys a lot more this week,” Head Coach Lovie Smith said. “This is the game we’ve kind of been shooting for to play…
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