BONUS All-Access: Marc Vandermeer & Andre Ware Break Down Preseason Week 3 Win vs. Lions

Marc Vandermeer and Andre Ware recap the Houston Texans’ preseason week 3 victory over the Detroit Lions. The guys dive into standout performances from some RBs and how those showings affect roster battles. Plus they look at tight end and wide receiver depth, and look ahead to final 53-man roster decisions before Week 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Considering who the Texans sat today, and it was a
lot of guys. I think the story of the game
has to be the running back performances and how that
weighs into roster decisions because Damian Pierce did start and
play in that game. Now, the numbers aren't gonna look great,
but he looked like he had a little bit of pop.
Weren't a lot of holes there. Seven of seventeen or
seven four to seventeen. Six yards was the long run

(00:22):
for Damien. But Woody Marx really showed out with the
nine yard touchdown run and looked good in spots. Even
though the average is only three point two. He looked
good and Jaward Jordan as the game wore on, led
everybody with fifty five yards on thirteen carries your thoughts
on what you saw with the ground game.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, I think it's apples to apples because all three
guys that you mentioned ran behind the same offensive line
for the most part. I thought Jordan as well as Marx,
really kind of said a lot for the mide a
case for themselves and this one to kind of jockey
for position. I like Jordan a lot. I think he

(00:58):
adds some pop and he's a good receiver of the backfield.
I think March is the same thing. And when you
start to boil it down, the room shrinks in a
hurry for guys like Damian Pierce real fast as a
matter of fact, because you know, seven carries, he had

(01:18):
about half of what you gave Jordan, but he was
running the game out and still with everybody knowing exactly
what the Texans were doing to run the football, He's
still averaged over four yards per carry, which tells you
it would have been way a lot more had it
not been that situation, or had it been somebody different

(01:39):
in the game under those circumstances. But I love these
young backs. I think they've done a heck of a
job in terms of scouting and developing. And that room
is so close. And I keep saying this because good
coaching is it's a lost art in a lot of play.
Trust me, I played for some staffs in this city

(02:01):
that I can tell you it was tough, and you
wonder if they knew what the hell they were doing
half the time. Danny Barrett knows exactly what he's doing.
Danny Barrett can develop young running backs, and you see
that across the board, which is why the competition is
so close between this group of running backs.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Well, here's what we don't know. Joe Mixon's health situation
and how that affects opening day. Is he on IR
or NFI or some sort of long term list like
POP or is he available week one or week two
to three in the season. We don't know, because let's
just say he's not available. Nick Chubb, what he marks? Dariganbowale?
He looked good today too. British Brooks. Is he a

(02:45):
full back? Is he a running back? Is he something?
Short yardage guy? Yakub Johnson played well. They've got some
really tough decisions and if Damian Pierce among them, this
is going to be interesting in the next forty eight hours.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
I think if Brooks makes this roster, he makes it
as a full back. And I don't think Johnson makes
the team.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
It's one of those two, right, no doubt about it. Yeah,
And you have to look at the tight end picture
as well. Do you keep three? Does Bryant make it?
Because IRV Smith? To me, I hate to say the
word lock, but I think he's pretty safe here. He's
a good blocker. You need that. He could also catch
the football. But obviously Caate's dover and doll.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Closer than you think. Yeah, maybe with Bryant and Irv
Smith because they gave up something in order to get
him into the building, right, and Irv Smith is just
kind of a guy that was signed. So you know,
you look at how though, how that plays itself out. Yeah,
most times, if you give up something to get a player,

(03:41):
he's pretty safe.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah. Interesting when you look at the John Metshi trade
with the Philadelphia Eagles. So it's gonna be fun to
watch them boil it down to the initial fifty three.
On Tuesday we talked about it. Probably keep two quarterbacks
and keep one on the practice squad. Also back to
the tight ends for a moment. Good to see Luke
Lahem gets a place today to make his case for
at least a practice squad.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
There's not another draft pick. Yeah, it was just brought in.
You know, he didn't have the knee injury a couple
of years ago. Two years ago, he may have been
a much higher drafted player. Iowa puts out a lot
of good tight ends. He's one of them, and when
you look at what he did in this one today,
he's a solid player. With great hands, good route running ability,

(04:26):
and he finishes, and so at the very least, I
think he's a practice roster player.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
And quickly the receiver is the big two with Nico
and Kirk, and then you have the Cyclones. And by
the way, the Texans triple A affiliate in ames Iowa,
I they won today. They won today, they beat Kansas
State and Dublin. But you look at five right there,
and then you're wondering, well, how many more do you
keep than five? His barrio is definitely a return guy.
Did one of these guys?

Speaker 2 (04:50):
What was last year?

Speaker 1 (04:52):
It was seven because they kept Sims as a return man,
so they might keep seven again. But then you have
other cuts to make in other areas and other position groups.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
The conversation we had about do they he three quarterbacks
or just two? Yeah, I think it's two because of
what we discussed in terms of the running back. But
it opens up a spot and then you keep Mertz
or Slovas, whichever one you choose. I think it's going
to be Mertz because he was the draft pick. He
makes the practice squad.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, and Slovas played pretty well, had a good camp,
looked good in the OTAs and mini camp and all that,
and he goes eleven of sixteen in the second half.
Here today, lots of tough decisions coming your way for
the Houston Texans.