28 Notes on Training Camp, Day 4 | Harris Hits

15. I think WR Ben Skowronek had a good day. The first throw I remember to him could have been completed but the refs flagged the DB for defensive holding. A few reps later, QB Tim Boyle looked like he was going to throw a ball to Skowronek over his shoulder along the far sideline. The ball got away from Boyle a little bit but Skowronek did a masterful job of going up for the rebound and ripping the ball high to catch it. Then later in the team’s final period of the day, QB Case Keenum got into the pocket due to some pressure and ripped a ball to Skowronek who continued to work to find some open space for his QB. He did so and Keenum drilled a ball into his chest for another catch.

16. I mentioned DT McTelvin Agim a few days ago because of his hustle, speed, and effort to find the ball 35 yards down the field. Today it was because he made a nice move upfield, slicing the guard in front of him and getting right in front of the QB. The guard tried to get him into a quick position and Agim just swam over him and got clean to the QB. Then Agim did it again later in practice on what would have been a sack or pressure for sure. Then on the second to last play of practice he lifted his big paw and knocked down a pass. 58 is CONSTANTLY present during drills and when the protections are on it needs to continue.

17. Today was a day for Stroud-to-Collins. They met on a magnificent display as they have done on numerous occasions during the 2023 season. Nico flew up the pitch once he had the ball in his hands.

18. WR Noah Brown does a great job of moving into open space for his quarterbacks. Mills didn’t find Brown early on his dropback, but when Mills came out of the pocket to his right, Brown slid into open space and his QB sent a laser to the spot for a first down.

19. A few plays later, Stroud read the blitz perfectly and knew exactly where he wanted to go with the ball: Nico on a quick slant. But the defense stood up and hit the ball. I say defense because I don’t know who hit it. I think Hunter, but I’m not totally sure, but it was one of two or three hits the defensive line had on Monday.

20. We say it every year about young running backs: Their reps are limited by their ability to protect the pass. A few plays into the third period, DeMeco Ryans and Matt Burke blitzed Mills. Rookie RB Jawhar Jordan saw it immediately, stepped up against a blitzing LB and allowed Mills to find hot receiver TE Cade Stover for a pass.

21. The next two plays belonged to Boyle and they were arguably two of the best plays of the day. On the first, Boyle found my guy WR Johnny Johnson for a nice pitch-and-catch. But it wasn’t as pretty as the next play. Boyle hit WR Xavier Hutchinson in stride on a slant route JUST PERFECTLY and Hutch sped down the field for a big catch-and-run gain. I mean, this play couldn’t have been executed better, or more beautifully.

22. DT Khalil Davis is doing some really good things this camp so far. On one play in the third period, he ran into a screen from behind, sprinting as hard as he could to make the play. Then, in the fourth period, he ran into the RB on the other side of the field for a TFL. He was flying after the RB and really had to get up when he got there so he didn’t decapitate the poor ball carrier. A menace. That’s what Davis is really becoming for this defense.

23. I didn’t have my eyes on DE Will Anderson Jr. today because he seemed to be on the opposite side of the field from me all day. But I could see him flinching at the snap on the other side of the formation right before the ball was thrown. He exploded on the ball, scrambled inside, gave the tackle a little arm flick to get free, and found himself on a clear path to the QB. My goodness, that was nasty.

24. Back to the blitz recovery, if anyone can do it well, it’s veteran RB Dare Ogunbowale. He recovered a blitzer in the A gaps to allow Stroud to drill Collins with another slant route for a completion. That whole repetition was just beautiful offensive football.

25. S Jimmie Ward was in perfect position on the play before throwing his first interception of camp, but he couldn’t control the ball. Stingley Jr. was locked onto Nico and kept Stroud from looking in that direction. When Stroud had to find another receiver, he ran wild down the field and Ward was the closest Texan to the ball.

26. DE Jerry Hughes also nearly threw an interception. The Texans were running a screen and Jerry ended up in the right spot on the field, directly in front of the receiver. The ball hit his hands, his helmet, then his chest… and fell to the ground. Regardless, it’s so nice to see Jerry come back with some serious energy in his mind, heart, and body.

27. The defense finally got the interception they were looking for when Jeff Okudah was able to get the ball off a tip from DB Mike Ford on a deep throw from Mills. Ford was in great position to make a play on the ball, but he and Brown got all four hands on it, tipping it in the air for Okudah to make the interception.

28. The Texans ended practice for the second straight day with WR Steven Sims making the final catch of the day on a throw from Mills.

So, yeah, another great day of training camp, if there is such a thing, but it’s all going to be taken to the next level tomorrow when the protections… go… ON. And, the team is going to go all out in front of a sold-out crowd of fans for the first time all training camp. Let’s talk about JUICE! Here we go!! This is going to be a lot of fun – see you guys soon!