The 53 man roster picture might just have gotten a little clearer.
This game wasn’t even as close as the score would have you believe.
The Houston Texans were simply better than the New York Giants in all phases of the game and in all levels.
In the first quarter alone, the Texans starters forced two turnovers (one by Jalen Pitre for a touchdown) and nearly got a third from Giants QB, and $160 million man, Daniel Jones.
The Giants would strike back with a Devin Singletary 1-yard touchdown run, but it was all Texans from there. Starting with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to John Metchie, who had the game we’ve all been waiting for him to have.
Graham Gano would end the scoring in the second half with a sad field goal for the Giants.
And then British Brooks would get three carries for 22 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
To be fair, the Texans did get a lot of help from the Giants in the form of five (5!) turnovers over the course of the game. But those are the kinds of things good teams do against bad teams, irrespective of whether the starters are in or not.
But the score is irrelevant, how did the team look is the important part.
They looked pretty good. And here are my immediate impressions after the game.
I hope Dameon Pierce lands somewhere he can make a difference as long as it’s not in the AFC South.
Whatever chance Dameon Pierce had of making the roster this season evaporated after the first quarter. Between Pierce, Joe Mixon, Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale, J.J. Taylor, and rookies Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks, there was little room for error and even less time for Pierce to show why he deserves a spot.
He ran for five yards on four carries, which, if you don’t have a calculator on hand, comes out to 1.25 yards per carry. For context Stefon Diggs ran for almost half as many yards on a single carry.
It’s really sad to see what’s happened to Pierce, but it just looks like he is not a fit for Bobby Slowik’s system. And I sincerely hope he lands somewhere that can put his skill set to better use. Because he is most definitely on the outside looking in at this point.
John Metchie had the game we’ve all been waiting for him to have this preseason.
Much like the RBs, the WR corps is facing the same happy dilemma: who do you keep from all these talented receivers?
John Metchie has been locked in a battle for the WR4 spot with Xavier Hutchinson and so far, Hutchinson has had the advantage with two really good outings in the preseason. Metchie finally looked like the receiver we’d heard such glowing reviews about during training camp. He was the leading receiver on the field with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.
He was the best receiver on the field today, but more importantly, he played with confidence; and you could see that confidence grow with each successive catch. I do not envy the coaching staff trying to figure out who gets cut.
Blake Fisher at left tackle kept C.J. Stroud clean throughout the first quarter.
Laremy Tunsil did not play today. Instead, Blake Fisher filled in for him at left tackle. And he did not give up a single pressure. While it’s likely Fisher won’t be a starter this season, it is extremely encouraging to see him play so well as a rookie; especially considering how injury-plagued the offensive line was last season.
It is also encouraging because he could very well be the future at right tackle, depending on how the coaching staff feels about Tytus Howard after the season ends.
Cam Akers, Jawhar Jordan, and possibly British Brooks may have just clinched spots on the roster.
Just as Dameon Pierce is likely on the outside looking in, running backs Cam Akers and Jawhar Jordan might just be the running backs who benefit most from Pierce’s struggles. Akers looked impressive in relief of Pierce, running six times for 29 yards facing the same starting Giants defense that Pierce faced. While Jawhar Jordan was not as impressive a rusher in the box score, running eight times for 16 yards, he augmented that with four catches for 42 yards.
British Brooks split time with Jordan through most of the second half and was the monster that the Giants could not stop. He ran five times for 23 yards and two scores with 21 of those yards coming from his touchdown runs. He could make the roster, but more likely than not he will probably be stashed on the practice squad; preferably with a false mustache and Groucho glasses on so no other team poaches him.
Jalen Pitre found the place where he belongs on the defense.
You could see how frustrated Jalen Pitre was in his sophomore season after he proved to be such a bright spot as a rookie in 2022. But now that Pitre is playing at nickel safety, which was where he made his highlights as a safety for Baylor, he looks a lot more comfortable in the defense, and a lot more effective.
I don’t need to mention that he picked off Daniel Jones for a touchdown early in the first quarter, but I’m going to because it’s important. He looks confident, he plays like we remembered seeing him in his rookie year, and it can only mean good things for the Texans going forward.
Under no circumstances should Mike Ford Jr. or Kris Boyd make the roster.
Even against backup quarterback Tommy DeVito and backup receivers, Ford and Boyd got pantsed regularly. They were unlikely to make the roster before but this might be what sinks them.
We don’t need to see the starters play again in the preseason on either side of the field.
We saw what we needed to see from the starters today on offense and defense. The Texans should now seal them in bubble wrap and keep them there until their September 8 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Okay, I’ve gotten 1,000 words in, which is about 800 more than I had intended, so let’s hear what y’all have to say about today’s win against the Giants.
What did you like, not like, or wish you had seen? Who do you think makes the roster?
Tell us what you’re thinking!