What Texans writers are saying about Lions joint practice

By now, you’ve likely read our observations from Detroit Lions vs. Houston Texans joint practices on Thursday. And if you haven’t, do it right now. You could even check out our hour-long recap of the practice if you become a Pride of Detroit Direct subscriber.

But let’s step out of our own perspective for a minute. I think it always helps to see an outsider’s perspective on things. And while there were only a few Texans reporters on site in Allen Park—and they were mainly focused on Houston’s team—I do think they can provide a more balanced overview of practice. So let’s check out what Texans writers said about the Lions vs. Texans joint practices.

If you want to read the full recaps from Texans writers, here are some sources to check out:

• HoustonTexans.com (John Harris): Harris Hits: Matchin’ Up In The Motor City
• Houston Chronicle (Jonathan H Alexander): Seven takeaways from Texans-Lions practice: Offensive line struggles early, two receivers stand out
• Click2Houston (Aaron Wilson): How Texans’ Tytus Howard’s ‘presence felt at tackle,’ contains Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson in competitive joint practice
• VIDEO: Texans Tailgate Talk (Big Sarge) — Texans have competitive joint practice with Lions
• VIDEO: Aaron Wilson – Texans-Lions ‘competitive, physical’ joint practice: what to know, key points and news updates

Nico Collins was a problem

I was wondering how the Lions’ secondary would hold up against a non-Lions receiver this entire camp, and when Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle didn’t practice much last week, it was a disappointing lost opportunity to see where the Lions’ defensive backs stood. Unfortunately, it looks like Nico Collins, one of the best young receivers in this league, proved to be a handful.

From Alexander:

While the Lions’ defense made plenty of plays against the Texans’ offense, they never had an answer for Nico Collins, who often found himself open for big gains.

Even Lions beat writer Colton Pouncy gave it up for Collins:

So were the Texans’ depth receivers

Take this with a grain of salt, because Detroit’s second-team secondary consists of roster bubble players like Erick Hallett, Nick Whiteside, Tyson Russell, and Loren Strickland, but it sounds like Detroit’s second-team defense had their hands full with young, budding receivers like rookies Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, and 2023 pick Xavier Hutchinson.

Alexander:

Hutchinson, who is entering his third season with the Texans, is finally starting to emerge as a legitimate weapon.

Wilson:

Rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel is making his mark. The third-round draft pick from Iowa State made several big plays, including red-zone touchdown catches.

Lions’ defense was giving Texans offensive line problems, but Houston rebounded

The Texans have a ton of moving parts on their offensive line and are still figuring out where each piece goes. But one thing was for certain: early on, Aidan Hutchinson was giving them problems.

Alexander:

Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson got the best of rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery on a few reps...