SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • USATODAY.COM
HOUSTON TEXANS 7-5 · 1ST IN AFC SOUTH
7-5 · 1ST IN AFC SOUTH
Next Game at Jaguars · Sun 6:00PM
HOU -5.0 TOTAL 43
Texans defense spoils the anticipated debut of Trevor Lawrence The Houston Texans defense got the better of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in his NFL debut.
Vincent Taylor - Slated to miss extended time Taylor (ankle) will undergo surgery that could keep him sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.
Impact Per the report, Taylor will be placed on injured reserve after he was carted off the field in Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars. While the 27-year-old will miss a significant portion of the year, it doesn't appear as though he's dealing with a season-ending injury. DeMarcus Walker could step into a starting role while Taylor is sidelined.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Danny Amendola - Competition coming With Anthony Miller expected to be activated Week 2, per Aaron Reiss of The Athletics, Amendola will have competition for snaps in the slot.
Impact Miller was inactive for Week 1 in what essentially was a coach's decision but likely due to the team being cautious after he suffered a shoulder injury during preseason. Amendola came up big for Houston six days after signing with the club. In just 17 snaps, he snagged all five targets and scored a touchdown. Miller, who spent all training camp with the Texans and presumably has a better grasp of the playbook than Amendola, could steal opportunities from his fellow wideout in Week 2 at Cleveland.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
The Day After: Texans 37, Jaguars 21 A day after the 2021 regular-season opener, senior writer John Oehser examines what we learned from the Jaguars’ 37-21 loss to the Houston T...
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • JAGUARS.COM
Vincent Taylor - Dealing with possible ankle injury Taylor (undisclosed) will have an MRI on Monday, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Impact Coach David Culley said Taylor's injury looks like an ankle issue, but they will know more about it later today. The starting defensive tackle was carted off the field Sunday and may be sidelined for awhile.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Eagles, Saints put on a show, while Rodgers, Mayfield got shown up
Bucky Brooks examines everything that went right (Jalen Hurts) and oh so wrong (Aaron Rodgers) to open the NFL season.SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
NFL Trade Rumors: Texans Rejected This Big Offer For Deshaun Watson According to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer, the Texans turned down a significant trade offer for Deshaun Watson leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • NESN.COM
Texans start strong but must improve before trip to Browns
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor had a strong debut to lead the Houston Texans to a win over Jacksonville in his first game in place of Deshaun WatsonSEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Anthony Miller - Expected to return for Week 2 Miller (coach's decision) is expected to return for Sunday's Week 2 matchup against the Browns, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.
Impact Although Miller suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Texans' preseason opener, he wasn't on the team's injury report ahead of the team's Week 1 matchup, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports. However, Miller still was held out during the win over the Jaguars. Coach David Culley said Monday that Miller likely could have suited up Week 1, but the team wanted to preserve his long-term health. Assuming he's active against Cleveland, the 26-year-old will attempt to carve out a role with his new team.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Joey Slye - Big game in opener Slye converted all three field-goal attempts and four extra-point kicks in Sunday's 37-21 win over Jacksonville.
Impact Slye was added to the active roster from the practice squad because primary kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn (leg) was inactive. His productive 13-point day may be enticing, but unless Fairbairn's injury is significant, it does not mean much for Slye's fantasy prospects for the season.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Antony Auclair - Starts Sunday Auclair started but was not targeted in Sunday's 37-21 win over Jacksonville.
Impact Auclair was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster a day prior to the regular-season opener and added to the starting lineup along with Pharaoh Brown. Both are considered good blocking tight ends, and the Texans plan to be a run-heavy team, so his presence makes sense. Jordan Akins and rookie Brevin Jordan (inactive, coach's decsion) do not bring the same level of blocking acumen. It's very likely Auclair, who played played 33 snaps (42 percent), will not have a significant role if/when the Texans play from behind.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jordan Akins - Targeted twice in win Akins did not catch either of his two targets in Sunday's 37-21 win over the Jaguars.
Impact Akins played a surprisingly subordinate role in the passing game to Pharoah Brown, who caught four of five targets for 67 yards. The one saving grace is that both or Akins' targets were in the red zone.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Pharaoh Brown - More than blocker Brown caught four of five targets for 67 yards in Sunday's 37-21 win over the Jaguars.
Impact Brown had a nice run to finish out the 2020 season for Houston, but he was not exepcted to a significant role in the passing game this season. He played 59 snaps (76 percent), tied Danny Amendola for second among targeted receivers, and was second in receiving yards. The Week 1 performance is a surprising development for a player considered to be a blocking tight end. Last season's primary receiving tight end, Jordan Akins, was targeted twice (zero catches) and played fewer snaps (47).
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Chris Conley - Plays minor role Week 1 Conley caught both of his targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 37-21 win over Jacksonville.
Impact In terms of playing time, Conley (40 snaps) and rookie Nico Collins (43) emerged as the most prominent wide receivers behind Brandin Cooks, but it was the recently signed Danny Amendola (five targets, one TD) that made the biggest impact (in 17 snaps) among Houston's second-tier receivers. How that dynamic changes when/if Anthony Miller (inactive, coach's decision) is active is an open question. Houston was able to dictate the game as it wanted due to a large early lead, which means relying on the ground game more than throwing the ball. But things may not always be as easy for them as it was Week 1, which will mean more chances for guys like Conley.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Aaron Reiss: Per Next Gen Stats, Texans RB Mark Ingram ran... - The Athletic Per Next Gen Stats, Texans RB Mark Ingram ran into loaded boxes on half of his 26 carries yesterday. Understandable, as many of those runs c...
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Nico Collins - Plays second-most snaps at WR Collins caught one of three targets for seven yards in Sunday's 37-21 win over the Jaguars.
Impact Collins, a 2021 third-round draft pick, was second among wide receivers with 43 snaps (55 percent), trailing only No. 1 wideout Brandin Cooks. When Houston made Anthony Miller (coach's decision) inactive, it was unclear how the playing time would be distributed, but Collins and Chris Conley (40 snaps) were given the most run after Cooks. Danny Amendola, recently added to the roster, was fourth among the wideouts at 17 snaps but equaled the targets of the Cooks/Conley duo.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Danny Amendola - Surprises in Week 1 Amendola caught all five targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-21 win over the Jaguars.
Impact Amendola was a late addition to the Texans' roster, signing during the practice week leading up to Week 1, so it was surprising to see him play such a big role. He played just 17 snaps and was targeted five times, including catching an eight-yard touchdown. With Anthony Miller (coach's decision) inactive, Amendola moves ahead of him on the depth chart. Whether the Texans were being overly cautious with Miller, who sustained a shoulder injury during the preseason is not known, but he did return to practice leading up to Week 1 and was off the injury report.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Rex Burkhead - Logs 10 snaps Burkhead caught one of two targets for six yards in Sunday's 37-21 win over Jacksonville.
Impact Burkhead played 10 of 78 offensive snaps (13 percent), ranking fourth among Houston's running backs. After Houston signed three veteran backs during the offseason to join David Johnson, it was unclear how the snaps and opportunities would shake out. The first week provided a glimpse into the pecking order and roles, as Mark Ingram emerged as the clear leader followed by Phillip Lindsay. Johnson (four targets, three catches, one TD) provided value as the top receiving back while Burkhead appears to be second as a receiver.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Chiefs, Steelers make Week 1 statements in competitive AFC race
Geoff Schwartz provides an early read on the AFC power structure after the Chiefs and Steelers scored big wins.SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
How the Texans' win over Jaguars followed David Culley's blueprint for overachieving The Houston Texans beat Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars in David Culley's first game as a head coach.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Trevor Lawrence, Urban Meyer react to 16-point loss to Texans in Week 1 Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence and head coach Urban Meyer react to Jacksonville's 16-point loss to the Houston Texans in Week 1.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • NFL.COM
Tyrod Taylor helps Houston Texans down mistake-prone Jacksonville Jaguars, 37-21: Browns' next opponent The Texans will head to Cleveland with a 1-0 record after they dominated the Jaguars, 37-21.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • CLEVELAND.COM
Post Game Notes ' Texans vs. Jaguars, Week 1 Team and player notes from the Houston Texans Week 1 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • HOUSTONTEXANS.COM
David Johnson - Produces as receiver Johnson carried the ball three times for 10 yards in Sunday's Week 1 win over the Jaguars. He added three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown.
Impact Johnson rotated with Phillip Lindsay as the team's second back, with both playing behind Mark Ingram. While Lindsay got more work on the ground, Johnson found his primary role as a receiver. His longest catch of the day went for nine yards, but he found the end zone on a seven-yard reception to put the Texans up 14-0 late in the first quarter. While Johnson's trip to the end zone aided his final line, the Texans' appear content to rely on Mark Ingram as the leader of the backfield heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Browns.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Five key plays: Jaguars 37, Texans 21 Senior writer John Oehser examines five key plays from the Jaguars’ 37-21 loss to the Houston Texans Sunday in a 2021 Week 1 game at NRG Sta...
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • JAGUARS.COM
