Battle Red Blog
The Day After the Day After…when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of Preseason Week 3:
QB3 Battle got interesting, but will it even matter? Coming into that matchup, at least based on game action, Kedon Slovis seemed to have the inside track to claim the QB3 slot for the team over Graham Mertz. However, for this game, Houston led Mertz start the 1st half of the final preseason game, after only getting time in the 4th quarter the past two. Mertz took that opportunity to show why Houston took a 6th round flyer on him, going 14-16 for 145 yards and a TD, with no TDs. He also had a couple of nice scrambles that kept drives alive. Slovis didn’t slack off in his second half performance (11 of 16 for 111 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT (which should really be more the WR’s fault)). It was good to see two guys fighting for the 3rd QB slot with some quality play, but also makes the next few days harder for the coaching staff. Granted, this was against the backups and backups to the backups for Detroit, but you had to feel good for Mertz, especially after that disaster of a 1st preseason action. Will it matter? Projections do not show Houston carrying more than two QBs on the active roster. However, would Houston keep both on the practice squad? As a draft pick, the team has invested a bit more in Mertz, so the practice squad seems logical for him. Slovis? As a free agent pickup, he would not have as much invested in him, but if nothing else, he should keep his cellphone charged, as a team in need of an arm for the roster might call him up if Houston doesn’t keep him.
Special Teams might get more exciting…and that is not always a good thing. This preseason offered a chance for teams to see how they would manage the new kickoff return rules. With the threat of a kickoff touchback that flying into/out of the endzone now giving teams the ball at the 35 vs. the 30, squads are kicking short of the endzone to enable returns with the potential to force teams to take the ball before the 35. Kick-coverage was mixed for Houston, as they opened the game allowing a LB from Detroit (more later) to return the ball to near midfield. The kick coverage was better the rest of the game, but even during the course of preseason, teams were able to get yardage against the Texans’ kick coverage. Given that the preseason kick coverage involved players that will actually do that job in the regular season, it will bear watching. Concurrently, the Texans got some nice kick returns from their side of the ball. While Pierce has been the primary kick returner when he was...
