Houston was able to drive down the field in long drives and take the air out of Chicago’s defense early and often.
Football is officially back! The Houston Texans opened up their preseason last night against the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame game. A game in which they lost 21-17 in a short three quarters before it was canceled due to rain. Despite the short game, there were many bright spots for Texans fans. Houston got some clarity on many key position battles. And with three more games to go, Houston has plenty of time to name starters.
Houston found success in the passing game, namely when Davis Mills was in the game. Houston was able to drive down the field in long drives and take the air out of Chicago’s defense early and often. They found some success in the run game, with Dare Ogunbowale rushing for 14 yards on three attempts, good enough for a 4.7-yard average.
Now the question is, where do they go from here? Well, they don’t have another game until next Friday when they travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers. You can count on more starters playing in that game, however we still may only see them for a couple of drives. The starters who are facing either roster or starting competition will see an increased amount of playing time, though.
In yesterday’s game, they got a better idea of where those battles are at, and even some players who will garner trade interest in the coming weeks as well. We can expect those calls to heat up as preseason continues and more players suffer injuries. Last year, Houston received calls about their backup quarterbacks, Davis Mills and Case Keenum. This time around, you could expect calls there, along with other positions they’re deep at.
Quarterback Davis Mills
Mills dominated in his first true game action since December of last year. He threw for 102 yards and one touchdown on 10/13 passing with a 124.5 passer rating, including a 27-yard pass to Ben Skowronek as he evaded pressure. In a year where Houston may only keep two quarterbacks on their roster, Mills will have to have three more games like this to take the job from Case Keenum. Entering his fourth year, Mills has had questions surrounding him ever since he was drafted. From whether he can start to whether he can be the QB2 on this roster.
Now in a contract year, Mills isn’t playing for a huge extension like we just saw Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa receive. He’s playing for a backup role on somebody’s roster. Whether that’s in Houston or somewhere else, games like this help his case around the league. He was able to show Houston and the 31 other teams that he can be a good backup and can step in when needed.
It’s clear Mills has grown since the last time we saw him in-game action, even if it was against third-string defenders. Now he just needs to show that consistently through these final preseason games and in training camp.
Wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson
Last year’s sixth-round pick, Xavier Hutchinson, will have a tougher time cracking this 53-man roster than he did last year. In a loaded wide receiver room, if you aren’t one of the top four, you’re fighting for a roster spot every day. For the receivers on the backend of the roster, like Hutchinson, it’s tougher to stand out. Yet Hutchinson is trying to do just that. In last night’s game, Hutchinson totaled five receptions for 56 yards including a 20-yard reception. He proved to be a reliable target for Davis Mills time after time during the game.
When Hutchinson made the roster last year, he mainly played on special teams. However, the Texans are likely going to keep six receivers on this roster. Unless he can beat out one of Noah Brown or Ben Skowronek, he won’t be a part of the six they keep. However, that doesn’t take away from the strong summer he’s been having. He has made a lot of big-time catches in training camp, and those turned into big plays last night.
The Texans are sure to get trade calls on positions they’re deep at, as I mentioned earlier. If he continues to play like this, a team is going to take notice. He’s capable of not only playing on special teams but on offense as well. He needs more time to develop, but his continued progress on offense can’t go unnoticed.
Safety Calen Bullock
The Texans saw exactly what they wanted from their future starter. Bullock was all over the field last night, totaling five tackles, and delivered a big hit to knock the ball free from Bears tight end Tommy Sweeney. As he fights for Jimmie Ward’s starting spot, big plays like that will help him see the field much sooner. At the combine, Bullock measured in at 6’2 188, but he played much bigger than that, and it showed on that hit.
Whether the Texans view Bullock as a future starter, or somebody that can play right now, one thing is for certain. The duo of Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock is going to be a very good one for years to come. The Texans’ unofficial depth chart that they released before the Hall of Fame game listed Bullock as the backup to Jalen Pitre. I would imagine that’s how they open up the season barring some major development to Pitre/Ward.
Last night was a solid first game for Bullock and one that they can take a lot from, both good and bad. He showed flashes of elite potential, and if they ever moved Pitre to nickel, Bullock would come in and be a fine starter.
