September 5, 2025 • 47 mins
Join hosts John Harris and Marc Vandermeer for a comprehensive Week 1 preview. Plus, catch in-depth interviews with EVP/GM Nick Caserio providing his complete scouting report on Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense, Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross explaining the impact of new NFL kickoff rules, and safety Calen Bullock discussing his emotional return to California where his family will watch him play.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What has happened to everybody?
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Welcome to a Friday Nation of Texans All Access from
Monday Texans Radio Studio. In season, typically we have two hours,
but tonight John Harris and Mark Vandermier will have you
for this hour because well, the Brazilian is coming up.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
As Mark likes to call it.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
The Brazagers, the chiefs in Brazil. You can hear that
right here on Sports Radio six ten. So only one
hour tonight. We got a lot to do because Frank
Ross is going to join us a little later. Plus
Nick Caserio is gonna join us a little later, so
we had a.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Lot to do.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Mark, But what's your gut reaction La Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
We've only played in La a couple of times in
the regular season since you and I have been doing
this whole thing. Your thoughts about facing the Rams.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
We could talk all day, and we have all preseason
and offseason about the offense and how they're gonna put
the line together and everything like that. In recent developments
with injuries and such, I think we have to refocus
this zoom out and zoom back in on one of
the best defenses in the league. You are ready to
wreck shop this season, and it's time to do it,
(01:04):
especially against opponent number one and opponent number two. Take
it to them. These are two good quarterbacks you're facing
out of the gate, and I will not lump them together,
even though I just did. Matthew Stafford Johnny is tenth
all time in the NFL in history in passing yards.
He's gonna get to sixty thousand yards if he gets
(01:25):
to two hundred yards in this game. Sixty thousand yards.
And guess what, no one's gonna catch him for a
long time. Jared Goff is the next most likely active
guy to get him. Yeah, because Russell will sit. But
Russell Wilson's gonna be done before he gets a chance
to get to Stafford. Jared Goff is twenty five thousand
yards behind Stafford. Twenty five thousand yards. Holy well, he's
(01:48):
got sixty thousand.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
You know. And and he'll get Dan Marino next. And
Marino put up.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
A number that I thought no one's gonna get to
this for a long time, never because he put it
up in an arrow where no one was doing that,
and now guys do it. So Marino super impressive that
he could handle all those yards in his career. But
Matthew Stafford is one of the very best, and he's
prolific in all of that. But they can get to him.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Johnny.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
We're talking about a team that had a team record
sacks performance last year, breaking their own record from the
year before. All right, your top two in sacks, wait,
and you're what fourth? And well your top four in sacks?
Your second and picks last year. That's right, second and picks,
top four in sacks. You keep that kind of thing going.
(02:32):
And I don't know where the rankings are going to be,
but you get after the quarterback, you take the ball away,
good things are going to happen.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
And you got to do it Sunday. Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
One of the guys that is going to be instrumental
in taking the ball away is Kaylen Bullock. He sat
now with ABC thirteen's Greg Bailey for a interview of
the game.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
What kind of standard do you guys want to set
as a Texans defense in the season opening game in LA?
Speaker 6 (02:57):
We just want to go out there and play our game,
play Texans football, and come out that game will win
and you know, leave good things on film. So when
Tim and base is and they know we about when
we come back home.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
What kind of things have you guys talked about as
a secondary, about what you're capable of as a unit,
and what kind of tone you want to set for
this defense.
Speaker 6 (03:15):
We know we got the best secondary in the league,
and we know that all we gotta do is go
out there and play our ball, and we're gonna and
the ball gonna come find us and we're gonna make
plays always, and that's gonna set us up for the future.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
What makes it the best secondary? Kind of take me
through the personnel that you guys have, maybe outside of yourself,
because I know you don't want to talk about yourself
too much.
Speaker 6 (03:33):
You know, we's got guys everywhere around the field, from
our corners to our Nichols to this Haiti position. I
think we got some of the best corners. I think
we got some of the best hate thees. When you
look across the field and you know you got a
guy everywhere.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
I say that being said, this is a heck of
a test. The Rams have exceptional personnel. What makes them
dangerous as an offense, beginning with their quarterback and receivers.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
Matt Stafford. Of course, he been in this league for
a long time. And everybody's know who messed out for
it is and what he's capable of. And then of
course you got Davante Adams and Pooka. But other than that,
that's that's really all they got in their receiver corps.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Right, and they will they will test you Adams in particular,
maybe Nikoua as well.
Speaker 7 (04:13):
What makes them so good?
Speaker 6 (04:15):
I think Devanta Adams says for album is Debata Adams
that we all know who he is. And then Pookah
just a guy who's physical after cats, always getting open,
got some great hands, and guy who just play hard.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
California homecoming for you, man? How excited are you for that?
Who's gonna be there?
Speaker 6 (04:31):
I'm very excited just to be back home in California
and my whole family's gonna be there just to see
me play.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And what will that be like?
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Is you get a chance maybe to look up in
the stands and see them before the game, knowing that
all those people who have helped you achieve your dream
will be in attendance.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
It's don't feel good, It's don't give me energy, and
it's gonna help me go out there and just play
my game and let me go out.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
There have fun back in the high school days in Pasadena. Man,
how big was the dream? What did you dream of
back then?
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Just dreamed about moments like this, waking up every single
day and having dream job and going to work and
being an NFL football player. So I get to live
my dream every single day. And now I get to
play in front of thousand fans on TV and coming
this Sunday, I get to play back home in front
of all my family and friends.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
How special is it that you get to go with
these teammates, your Texans teammates, to enjoy that moment back
home in California.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
That was very special. I wouldn't trade this moment for
anything with these guys, these my brothers, everybody, every single
guy in here. They keep me to a high standard
and we're really close.
Speaker 7 (05:29):
So enjoy homecoming.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Enjoy Enjoy the opener against the Rams.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (05:34):
Thanks for your timing, Thank you great see.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
You great stuff there from Kaylin and Greg. Appreciate them
for joining the show. Mark, We talked a lot about
the Rams and the Texans. We'll talk a lot more
with Frank Ross, with Nick Cassario. But every Friday night,
I do my predictions Yes, this is one of those
times where I let you into the layer. Oh, let
me get into the we start rocking some predictions. Okay,
(05:58):
now we do it. Gets to spread and for fun,
for fun, straight up and against.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
The spread for entertainment purposes.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Entertainment purposes only. So we may not hit every game,
but we'll hit some of the more important ones. Yeah,
let's start at Indianapolis with the Miami Dolphins. They get
all of their weapons, a chan tyreek waddle, they're all
healthy and ready to go, and they are going to Indianapolis,
(06:28):
where Indianapolis is only a one and a half point favorite.
Who you got Tua in the Fins or Daniel Jones
and his new team, the Colts.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I think people are forgetting that the Dolphins still have
all that offensive talent you described, and it's early.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There's no bloom off the rose yet. Yeah, they're still
all healthy now.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
And they're not great on defense in all likelihood, but
guess what, they can light that place up like a
pinball machine, and I think they will get enough to
get over the Colts. Maybe that's the wishful thinking in me.
You know, I hate the horseshoes so much.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
That's the thing I always do.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I can't go against my heart in my head, so
if I want the Dolphins to win, I can't pick
against them. But I think the Dolphins are gonna win this.
I think they're gonna get enough offense. Luanna Roumo, new
defense coordinator for the Colts, is gonna get a little
come uppance and we'll see.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
But I'm with you. I think the Dolphins win this.
How about this one.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
If the Dolphins don't win this one, they're in deep trouble, Johnny,
and we thought they might be, and I think they
still might be, right, but they gotta get this one.
It's not like you're playing a bad Jacksonville team. I mean,
Indy's got those assets we talked about Jonathan Taylor and
Daniel Jones if he doesn't turn the ball over and
everything else we talk about with the Colts. But I
believe the Dolphins have enough firepower to handle that defense.
(07:43):
I mean, the Colts were having trouble stopping people last year, yes,
and this is no easy team to stop when they're
on their game, all those little screens they like to
throw and everything. The Colts don't have the talent and
the tools that the Texans had when they beat the
Dolphins late in the season, and that was a banged
up Dolphins team. They're fresh now. I know they have injuries,
they're fresh now though it's Week one.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I think the Dolphins get it. The tuck rule part, well,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
The Raiders are going to Foxborough, and anytime the Raiders
go to Foxborough there's always that hint of the tuck rule.
The Patriots are favored by two and a half at
home against the Raiders. Pete Carroll going back to where
he was actually the coach before Bill Belichick took over.
Raiders Patriots AFC battle tuck rule.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Wasn't there one in the seventies? Where's my sugar bear?
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Hamilton sugar Bear Hamilton Ryth? Wasn't there an officials call
that was really bad? Raiders Patriots right in the postseason? Yeah,
playoff game, but it went against the Patriots, went against
the Patriots, Tuck Roll went against the Raiders, and here
we go. Look, I can't believe you summed up the
past when talking about either of these teams. I'd love
to open up with one of these teams, Johnny. I
know the Raiders is going to be better and the
Patriots will be better too.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Uh. I like the Raiders. I like that Raiders.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Rabel is a good coach, YEP, I guess he is,
because what happened in Tennessee, I can't even describe it
to you anymore. And it just melted down. It was
awful at the end. I don't really blame him solely
for that, but it definitely was the head coach of
that team, as I recall, and they went nowhere fast.
(09:19):
I think the fact that they put somebody on top
of him as GM and they took away his authority,
or maybe never had it in the first place, whatever
the case is.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
But here is in New England, and you pointed out
Elliott Wolf. Oh my twenty twenty four draft class. I'm
so fond of it. Now it's gone, all of it
except for Drake May that Sea.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
I you know what I'm gonna go with the I'm
gonna go with Patriots win that one.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That right is.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
I'm going with Rabel. Okay, come on, Rapes, all right,
let's go down to Jacksonville, New County where the Carolina Panthers. Yes,
the Carolina Panthers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Whereas we
get the Tampa Bay Buck, the Jags get the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Panthers are gonna be without Ikeyakwanu.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
It appears they're starting to left tackle, but they do
have the rest of offensive line intact. The Jaguars will
play Travis Hunter. How many plays on both sides, we'll
find out. The Jags are a three.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
And a half point favorite at home.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
I can't well, I don't know about covering and all that.
I can't imagine the Jaguars losing this game. I mean
I can't. I can come up with the scenario John,
But yeah, the Jags are gonna win this game. Jacks
wall and neither team really knows how to win. But
the Jags at home late. I like them to make
a play to win this game because I like Carolina.
Maybe I should phrase it this way. I like Carolina
(10:38):
to be the one that makes the big mistake in
the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
That's a good way of putting it.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And especially with their left tackle, we'll see what Josh
Han's Allen and Treymon Walker get loose.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Everybody's curious what Travis Hunter does, so we'll see.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
All right, let sco out to Denver afternoon game we
played three twenty five, starting twenty minutes before us. The
new look Tennessee Titans are taken on the hottest flavor
of the month in the NFL, the Denver Broncos. So hot,
Denver's eight and a half point favorite. So I'll just
ask you this, Do we both think the Broncos will
win that game?
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah? Yeah, okay?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Is there any chance that Titans are yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Within ten? Absolutely? Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I could see cam Ward falling behind two scores, maybe
seventeen points, and they back their way into a cover
because if Ward is all that, And I harken back
to Cam Newton throwing for over four thousand yards as
a rookie in this league, and no one saw it
coming because this guy's a running quarterback here.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
You can throw in a bed.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
He's got a great arm as a matter of fact,
but he's not going to be at this prolific passer.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
And he goes off for over four thousand yards as
a rookie.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
How many four thousand yard seasons have the Texans had
in their history?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Not too many?
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Well, watching twice shop twice, I think that's it a
CJ once, right, the rookie year all right, maybe five,
that's it. Five and twenty three years he had a
four thousand yard season. I'm not saying Ward's gonna do that,
but they're gonna have an opportun tunity to get back
door points, back door yards, all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
War just throwing it around two CJ did against the.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Colts, and I'd love to see it.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
I'd love to see the Broncos give up like twenty
eight points and maybe they still win thirty one to
twenty eight. But there are all these questions about their Yeah,
Denver defense, which is so good.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
I like Vance, I really do like Man, I'm right,
You're right. I like Vance too, but I'm tired of
all the talk. Okay, Ravens bills. You got one word,
Ravens bills. Who you got? It's in Orchard Park, Ravens Bills.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Who you taking Ravens?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah, me too. You know how I feel about the
Bills that my gut just says Ravens might and I'm
not in love with that. I'll be rooting for the Bills.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
I think. I don't even know.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I don't know who was in Two Villains, Yeah, two
Villains of.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
The text to see that game.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I don't think we'll be in the air coming back
from LA. Yeah, that'll be kind of interesting. One of
the guys on the plane with us and very important
in this game, of course, the Special Teams Coordinator, Frank Ross,
the Boss, joins us next right here in Texans All Access.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
What's happening everybody?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
A good Friday evening to.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
You wherever you are.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I am your host for this evening, Texans All Access,
Jean Harris Football and the sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Special Teams
coordinator in one of our faves. Frank Ross burst into
the room with all kinds of energy and then delivered
in a wonderful interview.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Take a listen here in the Hyundai Texans Radio studio
with Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Coach, how's going great to see you? Great to see
you Week one? You know how I'm feeling. I'm ready one, feel.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Good and let's start where the real action is kickoff returns,
because you know we're semi obsessed with this coach. With
the touchback at the thirty five yard line, We're going
to see the ball and play we did in the preseason.
What did you learn from seeing the kickoff in the
preseason with the touch back to the thirty five and
the returns that might ensue.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Yeah, I think I think it's on both sides.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
There was a lot not I would say new, because
we had versions of it last year, but the importance
of both returners being able to not only handle the
ball because before you had a little bit more tell
on where kickers were kicking it. Now everybody knows the
ball has to go and play more frequently than not.
(14:14):
It doesn't mean every team will, but we're now going
to be placing it more randomly and sporadically, so both
returners need it'll be able to handle the ball as
well as if you don't have the ball, you gotta
be a good blocker. So we couldn't just have one
blocker and one ball handler and then carry out our
roles from there. So from us personnel, who can do that,
(14:35):
who can do it at a winning level? And then
in coverage, what we learned was, hey, that hangtime does
not matter, So can we eliminate hangtime essentially so we
can cover faster? Can you get the ball on the ground?
And I think you saw that a ton more this
preseason across the league ourselves, we had games where the
ball was getting to the ground, whether we are returning
(14:56):
the ball or.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Kicking the ball.
Speaker 8 (14:58):
So I think those are the things that are really
going to start to Hey, that's the new norm, and
can we maximize how to how to weaponize it, and
how to play safe with it.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
You played a number of sports growing up, baseball being
one of those.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Of course, I would imagine that guys you have back there,
you want them to have at least a little bit
of baseball now in their system because they're fielding short hops,
ground balls.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
I mean, you're in the meeting. No I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I wasn't actually, But my dad and I have a
theories about this, Like I have theories about it.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I got a lot of different theories, Like in victory.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Formation, right, when you're in victory formation, why do you
put a receiver back there as a safety?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Best tackler? Why don't you put your best tackler back there? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Yeah, see I got it where Our dad's theory was
always that in a return in the return game, he
wanted somebody that had played baseball, because when that ball
starts bouncing around back there.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
We know that thing in round.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
But if you have somebody that's played shortstoppers, played you
know in the infield, you have an opportunity to feel
those balls but easier and get going a lot faster.
Speaker 8 (15:54):
Man, I'm telling you, I think you're in my Special
Teams meetings because I've used too many times the analogy,
Hey has a shortstop, we're almost creeping into the pitch.
Your feet are hot. Okay, we're talking about cut off angles.
So we say, hey, with the crack of the bat,
you got to get a good jump on the ball
that's outfield or speed. Yes, So, yeah, that's extremely accurate.
You answered the question essentially in yourself. It's something like,
(16:18):
how fast can we get that ball in dictate it
versus allow it to dictate us? And man, is that
gonna be at a premium. It's not gonna be perfect
every time across. Like you said it, it isn't a
round ball. It takes you know, those wicked and nasty
kicks and hops because of that. So if we can
stop that thing, smother it and get it out of
(16:38):
the air and then get going, that's a priority in itself.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
How difficult the conditions, it's so Fi. It's a unique environment,
unique looking stadium. You gotta get ready for all that, right.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Yeah, I don't know about the LA Stadium.
Speaker 8 (16:51):
It seems a little bit like an entertainment ventue, not
a football field.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
But you know, put it down wherever it is, we're
gonna kick it. You know, let's go.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
But when you're doing pregame warm ups, you need to
get used to the background so you can find the
ball in the air, whatever the case may be.
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Right, Yeah, we're nice and everything's symmetrical here in NRT.
It's it's just a constant. You know, it's all balanced.
There's gonna be different and there there's like wind in there.
You know, it's not a full enclosed domes. So your canopy, yeah,
it's a canopy if you will. I'm not the architecture
speak on that, but I would say you're gonna feel
(17:28):
a little breeze if it's blowing.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Other winds blowing that day.
Speaker 8 (17:31):
So we definitely have to get out there and you know,
nothing different than we're used to. We play outside all
the time, and whatever it is, we'll be ready to adjust.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Our specialists are really in tune with that stuff.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And it's quote unquote in an outside game, so we
get some sort of storm rolling in.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Oh god, you.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Gotta take a thirty minute break because it's technically in
outdoor stadium.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
But well, you know we'll play by air. Yeah, anything
I ask of us, we're ready to. No, that's exactly right.
You've got both spectrums.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Coach in, a kicker in Kymie Fairbairn, who has done
every seen everything, seemingly, and then you've got a long
snapper and Austin Brinkman, who I don't know if Boston
has started or played in a regular season NFL game.
Those two being together, is it kind of good for
Austin to have Kayamie to kind of hey man, it's your.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
First time, call him down. We're good.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Likewise, Kymie having a young guy that can fire it
back there to Tommy. He's kicking extra points, so you
feel confident in that. How do you feel about those
two kind of on different ends of the spectrum starting
the season.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, and every year is gonna be different. You deal with.
Speaker 8 (18:27):
A long time veteran and then rookies come in. But
you know this, you know it's a young man's game.
Rookies come in every year and they got to perform
and play. It is a critical role, specially there's only
one of them at each position, so it's magnified. But
I'm very proud, Like we haven't played a snap yet,
and we know with every single young player that steps
on the field, they have to grow. And we don't
(18:49):
want growing pains, but you want growing progress. And so
to me, Tommy Townsend and Keymy Fairburn have done an
outstanding job of setting the table and leading for our
specialist room with with Austin and for that guy to
come in here work like he does you know no bs, yes, sir, No,
sir doesn't say anything, but he just goes to work.
(19:12):
So to me, like we'll find out where Brink is at,
but I'll just work with that any day guy who
wants to do it the right way.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
And to me, that gives you a chance to be successful.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
So excited, man, he should be excited working with such
experienced veterans of Emy and Tommy and guys that know
how to do it, know what they want and have
instructed and encouraged and grown as a group together.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, I think we have a chance if those guys
go out there and do just as you said.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
For both Tommy and Emy, how hard is it to
simulate pressure in practice, whether it be physical pressure or
game situation pressure.
Speaker 8 (19:47):
Yeah, I think it's very hard to simulate because there's
no bodies falling on the ground and the rush isn't
live if you will, you know, if if you're practicing
punt protection and they we we bust a punt protection
and practice, the guy doesn't come and rush and take
the ball off the foot, you know, like you would
in a game. Right, So for me and I think
(20:08):
if you ever ask one of those guys like it
is an internal game, those guys are pros. Pros at
the mental performance side of how they dial in and
compete on every single rep and every single kick of practice.
That way, when you step on the field and it's
a game winner, you've done it every time you've taken
(20:30):
a kick. So that amount in practice, so that amount
of mental focus and internalized self created pressure, all that
other stuff. Their job is to focus on that pig
skin in front of them and kick it or punt
it or catch it and set it down. Like they
have to have some version of don't want to call
a tunnel vision but narrowed focus.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Coach Each week we asked Nick Caseeri, hey, give us
a scouting report of what the Rams have whatever team
we're playing offense, defense, and he always get some special teams.
You talk about Chase Blackburn being a special team coach,
got played in the league for a long time. What's
your scouting report on the Rams special teams for Yeah? Yeah,
Chase is an unbelievable coach. Admiration for him for a
(21:10):
number of reasons. But first, when you take over a program,
when he went to the Rams, when you take that
over and it's a completely new roster, they've turned the
back end of the roster enormously.
Speaker 8 (21:27):
And then you're using wide receivers in coverage. Both of
their gunners are wide receivers. You're using three rookies specialists
at different points, snapper, they're all in year two or three.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
So when he gets there, he's got rookies.
Speaker 8 (21:40):
And to take that a simplistic approach, maybe they're less
or more talented in years past. They're pretty good right now,
less or more talented in years past. And make it functional,
competitive and limit any unnecessary risk. That's a hell of
a job. He coaches the he played, which is it
(22:02):
ain't gonna be pretty, but it's gonna be nasty, it's
gonna be complete, it's gonna be physical, and it shows
so to this year's players, like I had already alluded
to the two gunners, one's the Texas kid Whittington Xavier Smith,
a dynatic. Both of them are returners and gunners blockers.
They're specialist. Ethan Evans is one of their captains. He
can hammer the ball the length of the football field
(22:23):
as a punter. He also is a kickoff guy for them.
They've got a couple of real special teams linebackers Spates.
He hasn't played last year, but when last time we
played them at home, Troy Reider, he's a bowl. They
got an undrafted rookie making the team in Dolak from Buffalo.
So all these guys to me are Chase Blackburn reincarnated
(22:45):
playing football.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
And when you go against that, you.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
Know you're gonna get every single time, focused, intentional, best effort.
Whether it's the most exotic scheme or simplistic scheme. They're
gonna do things the right way. So for us, we
need to make sure that we are sound, we match
that intensity and physicality because they limit return yards. They
I think they're one of a team not to allow
one of four teams not to allow a twenty yuard
(23:09):
part return.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
So like, and that's not with you know, perfect coverage
across the board, but that's holistically. They do it together.
Speaker 8 (23:18):
So for us, we have to make sure that we're
winning our one on one matchups and playing sound ourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Great stuff, coach, Thanks a lot, good luck to you,
Thank you, good to see you, guys. Let's go week one.
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Like I said, that man has got energy for days
and days, and that's a good thing, especially on special
teams as you talk about going against a guy like
Chase Blackburn on the other side who had a long
career in the NFL highlighted by his special team's work
as a player. So big opportunity for the Frank Ross
and the special teams and Frank toles is back in
(23:48):
the spring, and I thought this was very telling that
divisional playoff round lost to the Chiefs. He took very
personally and said, I've got to change to get back
to doing what we do in setting a standard. And
I think the Texans have definitely done on special teams.
But the proof is in the pudding in the Week
one pudding against the La Rams.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
All right, coming up.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Nick Cassario joined us this week to give us a
scouting report on the Rams.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
How to preseason go. We'll do all that next with
Nick right here in Texans All Access. We go on
Finals segment this Friday edition of Texans All Access. Typically
we have two hours on a Friday end season, but
tonight cut short a little bit because of the Brazilian
as Mark likes to call it, Chiefs chargers in Brazil
will take over at the top of the hour, So
(24:36):
only one hour tonight, and no better way to finish
up that hour on a Friday than to hear from
Nick Cassario. Nick sits in with myself, John Harris, and
Mark Vandermire each and every week. I love the scouting report,
It's my favorite thing. But we hit a number of
things here with Nick. Plus get updated what's going on
with Nick and everything in his life, his kids, everybody right.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Here and us now in the brand new Hyundai Texans
Radio Studio is executive vice president and general Manager Nick Cassario.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Nick, great to see him.
Speaker 7 (25:06):
Fellows, great to be here.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
You like the new studio, It's awesome. Congratulations, We're searching
for compliments here. I like that he congratulates us, of course.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Of course, well, after camp is over, preseason, over initial
fifty three set, how do you feel going into week
one with everything that's been done?
Speaker 7 (25:25):
Productive offseason, productive preseason. Hopefully we got a lot of
work done here in training camp. The team is in
place for the time being. As you all know, there
will likely be a number of moving parts throughout the
course of the year, But as far as the players
that are in the building between the roster and the
practice squad, feel pretty good about the group we've assembled,
and hopefully it gives ourselves a decent opportunity to get
(25:46):
ready for a really good RAMS team that we'll talk
about in a few minutes.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Nick, one of the things I asked to me, Coden,
I'll ask you going away, getting to the Green Brier
for a week, kind of being away from everything, getting
joint practice with Detroit before we played the preseason game,
those time frames, getting away, how valuable were those two
instances for this team.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
We felt they were tremendously productive, and they were each
kind of different. The whole notion behind the Greenbrier was
just to kind of relocate, kind of give us a week.
Not an isolation, but just kind of a way we
have to deal with the heat in Houston. It's real,
we all know that, but in an effort to make
sure that we optimize the player's performance and give them
recovery and some of the other things, and the Greenbrier
has enough facilities, a lot of resources that are available
(26:28):
to us, we're able to kind of simulate the processes
that we have in place. And when you're out there
by yourself, literally that's all you have is one another
to be around and rely on.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
So you meet, you.
Speaker 7 (26:38):
Practice, you eat together. You're doing things collectively as a team.
It's an opportunity for the team to grow. Dimiko has
talked about that it's vitally important. And then with the
Lion situation, similar but a little bit different with shorter timeframe.
Went out there simulate the travel we practice with another team,
got really really good work done to professional teams and
organizations that have some mindset, had a good day's work.
(27:02):
We kind of knew going into the game that the
practice was going to be for a certain cohort of players,
and there was another group that was going to play
in the game on Saturday. Had a really good day
of practice and then kind of had the off day
and then kind of the day before game or routine.
But we felt overall, but though both of those opportunities
are really productive for our team on a lot of
different levels, and.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
The offensive line made progress throughout the preseason, Nick, is
it safe to say week one we don't see the
finished product quite yet. It takes a few more weeks
to gel as an offensive line, especially a newly constructed one.
Speaker 7 (27:32):
In many ways, Yeah, as a team, you're always gonna
have moving parts in training camp and the spring is
one component of the team building and working with one another,
but you're really not practicing, and then once you get
the training camp, it's an opportunity for different people to
work with one another. The big thing on the offensive
line is consistent communication on a snap to snap basis.
You're gonna have sixty five to seventy plays offensively, the
(27:52):
more that whoever's going to be on the field can
work together. But by the same token, we know, if
something happens in a game, if you lose a player,
somebody else is going to have to go in there.
So you're trying to mix and match and simulate as
best you can what's going to happen when a group
is playing together. So work through practice here this week,
we put five out there on Sunday against the Rams.
Whether or that's the same group at the end of
(28:13):
the year, we'll see. Sure there's gonna be some changes
and things that we're gonna have to deal with during
the course of the year, but overall feel like we're
in a pretty good spot with that group.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I hardly ever ask you about somebody that I don't
think is gonna play, but I hope we never see
this young man on the field yet he made to
fifty three man roster and it's Graham Mertz. I feel
like that Minnesota game and I set it off in Nick.
The Minnesota game not really emblematic, but what he did
throughout training camp. What did you see from Graham throughout
the entire training camp that made you feel comfortable keeping
him on the.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Sure Really, from the time he walked in the building
in May to kind of this point here, has been
very consistent. He was in a situation where his season
was cut short at Florida last year, with the injury
pretty well documented. I think they actually talked about it
on the whole sec show in Netflix, which happened to watch,
and it was a good snapshot of where he was,
some of the things that he had to go through
from the injury to the time that we drafted him,
(29:03):
and then when he walked in the building. Graham's really smart.
Katie works very hard. The big thing from his standpoint
is working on his lower body strength and flexibility and
just playing football when you haven't been hit in a while,
when that's the first time you're playing football, there's going
to be an adjustment period that we all have to
go through, that all the players have to go through.
But he's handled everything. He understands kind of what his
(29:23):
role is on the team, and he's prepared. He's smart,
he works hard, and then when he went out there
against the Lions, took advantage of his opportunity. But as
a player, we drafted him for a reason because we
felt this is a player that we wanted to work
with on our program, and he's certainly made progress and
glad he's here.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Nick some of the new additions when you acquire them,
Christian Kirk, CJ. Gardner, Johnson, players like that, do you
know automatically he's going to play in this spot and
this is what he's gonna do, or is it Let's
get everybody together and figure it out sort of as
we go on.
Speaker 7 (29:52):
Well, that's a great question mark in some cases, yes,
some cases not necessarily. As an example, what safeties do
they have multi position flexibility? Are they a safety only?
We've seen CJ play a lot of football. He played safety,
He's actually played some nickel, he's played some dime, and
then at Kirk he's played inside the formation, outside the formation. Really,
what we try to do is say, who are the players,
(30:13):
how do we best allocate our resources and put them
in a position where they can maximize their overall skill set.
But I would say both players have a certain degree
of flexibility. How we actually deploy them will probably change
during the course of the year.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
So I've waited this long.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
I can't believe I've made it this long without talking
about the little longer I know, but I just feel
like it's time.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I mean, we've been talking about this for a while.
We're talking about twenty twenty five. The schedule comes out,
it's the Rams week one.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay, It's an NFC team, which is always kind of
fun in a sense because we don't get to see
this team often, which makes the scout of report for
the Rams all the more interesting. It starts with Matt Stafford,
we think deal with the back issue, but one of
the best defensive lines in the league, offensive line that's
worked together, a couple of really good backs. What are
your thoughts about the Rams and what you'll see scouting
(31:01):
report for the Rams here we go.
Speaker 7 (31:03):
Sure, great program top to bottom, significant challenge in front
of us. It starts to the top, you know, with
coach McVeigh and unless they put together an unbelievable team,
They've had a program that's been in place for a
number of years. Kevin Demoff is involved in in their
program as well, so they have really good leadership on
the top end, a good coordinator. They have a lot
of continuity and a lot of stability that's been put
(31:23):
in place. On the defensive side of all, Chris Shulos
defensive coordinator, verly good, really good coach, and Chris kind
of bought his time and did a really good job
last year with his opportunity. Happened to coach one year
at John Carroll as well, so he has a feather
in his cap. And Chase Blackburn in the kicking game,
you know, played in the league and it's done a
good job in a kicking game. So really good coaching staff,
(31:44):
really good coordinators, and offensively and defensively, they have a
lot of good football players. You started you mentioned the
defensive side of the football. Probably we'll see how it goes.
We're going to see a number of good fronts throughout
the course of the year. But really one through four,
in one through five if you include poona four who
they signed in the offseason. He was kind of a
little i would say, an underrated not really talked about
very much, but he's gonna help their team. Between Fisk, Kobe,
(32:08):
you know, Young and Verse and Ford, everything starts with
the front. I mean, they have done an unbelievable job.
They cause a lot of problems, so I mean that's
gonna be a big part of the game. Have a
number of players at the linebacker and secondary level, very instinctive,
some younger players, some veteran players. I think Landman who
they signed in Atlanta from Atlanta have been a very
productive football player. Sounds like he's the start at MIC
and be the signal caller. It's funny when you look
(32:31):
at the actual composition of the linebacker room. All those
players are undrafted, so it's a great job by their
group finding players who maybe aren't highly thought of, but
are good football players and have found a way to stick.
Curle is gonna make a big impacts. Made a good
impact for him. They draft the Kitchens last year, so
good safety group. And then I would say Lake kind
of fills some of the roles that Petrie does for us,
(32:52):
kind of nickel to safety, another undrafted or late round player,
and I have his experience at corner with Witherspoon Williams.
So this is a pretty deep football team on the
defensive side of the ball. On offensively, you mentioned it, Johnny.
Everything starts with Matthew I mean, one of the best
quarterbacks in the history of the league, borderline Hall of Famer.
He's going to be there. He's as tough as any
player in the league. And if he can't go, I mean,
(33:14):
they basically have another starting quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. Adams
is obviously a big signing for them this offseason. I'd
say the Adams acquisition, along with the drafting of Ferguson
at tight end, it's going to make a big imprint
on the offense, and they drafted Hunter in the fourth round.
Similar we drafted Woody Marx, and I think he's probably
gonna make a little bit of impact for him at
some point. Understanding Kyrins is good of an all round
(33:34):
back in the league, but deep at tight end, good
receiver group, and you throw a Puka in there. Who
I mean, Puka's career kind of speaks for himself to
this point. And then they have some players in the
kicking game that can be a factor. So this is
a very good football team. They won the NFC West,
they made it the divisional round, had Philly on a rope,
So we understand a challenge in front of us on
a road opening day, so which brings some challenges in
(33:56):
and of itself, but hopefully our team will be ready
to go.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
A lot of people talk about, well, Dimiko has seen
them before as a defensive coordinator, but can you discuss
the way they've evolved running the football.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
They've changed things a little bit.
Speaker 7 (34:06):
Yeah, for sure. It really goes back to when Kyle
when they drafted Kyrone, then Kyron is playing a little
bit more. They started to go to a little bit
more gun pistol not necessarily under center. You saw that
evolved and something Shawn had talked about, not this year,
but previous years, how they made a subtle tweak. And
I think that's kind of the brilliance of Sean is
just his ability to kind of see things and make
(34:28):
some adjustments. And all good coaches do that. You kind
of have some core things that you believe in, some
things in place, but then at some point you have
to evolve and make an adjustment or make a change,
and they did that offensively. So their run game certainly
has evolved over the course of time.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Nick, what's the biggest challenge in week one from a
preparation standpoint? Because you don't want to overdo it, but
you don't want to make sure that you want to
make sure you got everything in that you want to
have in for this plictar?
Speaker 1 (34:53):
How tough is that in week one?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
And also on that the non scouted look something they show,
you're like, WHOA, we haven't seen that. How quick do
you have to be able to adapt to those things
and get them taken care of so they don't fester
throughout the game.
Speaker 7 (35:05):
Really, that's what week one is about across the league.
A lot of unknowns from a personnel standpoint, schematic standpoint,
what are some of the tweaks that teams have made.
So really you have to go back to your fundamentals
and your foundation, your core principles, some of the things
that you've been doing going all the way back to
the spring, and then once you get into the game,
the game will start to evolve. Then you can figure
out how do we need to adjust or a little
bit less of this, a little bit more of this,
(35:26):
and just kind of figure out how the game is
being played. I think the big thing is from a
personnel standpoint, how are they going to deploy some of
the new players, Where are they going to line up?
What's their role in the offense? Between Ferguson, between Adams?
Does that affect Puka? Are they going to use multiple backs?
So there's always some unknowns that take place, especially the
opening game and in the RAMS case, none of these
players that we're going to see on Sunday have seen
(35:47):
a snap in a preseason, so we have to be
prepared for a number of things. But it just goes
back to basic fundamentals and hopefully communication and making sure
that we're doing the right things.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Playing on the West Coast, and Demiko told us going
out early for that, what is the key or a
few of the keys in a West Coast game, bodyclock,
whatever else comes into play.
Speaker 7 (36:05):
It's just acclimating to the overall climate. So just gives
us an extra date. It kind of gets simulated, get situated,
get maximized. The rest go through a normal Saturday preparation.
The game is later, it's early, but it's late depending
on the time zone that you're in, So all those
things kind of factor into the calculus. And we felt
(36:25):
that was the best thing for the team. And we've
always talked about whatever we can do to help the
players to maximize their performance on Sunday, We're gonna look
at and if we have to make a tweak along
the way, then then we'll do that.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Because it's an NFC team, a team we see every
four years, and last time we saw them twenty one,
I guess was here, does it make the preparation more
difficult because you haven't seen them at all? How does
it kind of make the preparation because this is not
team we face all the time.
Speaker 7 (36:52):
Yeah, with the NFC West in particular, we haven't seen
this group since three or four years ago, whatever it was,
So that game is probably not going to be relevant.
What you have to go back through and go back
through the twenty four season, what happened, What are some
of the things they did, and then evaluate their personnel,
look at the preseason. Who are the new personnel, how
are they using them, what are they doing? The preseason
(37:12):
is really not a big scheme sort of that's not
the theme. It's just more about getting the players to execute.
So they'll be an adjustment period like we just talked about,
and we'll have to be ready to handle something without
a doubt.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Well, so much talk in the preseason about getting down
to the initial fifty three and you always talk about
the practice squad and you got so many of your
guys coming back to you, which is great. How tough
is it now? Who is going to dress on Sunday?
And the guys that don't dress are good players? Whoever
it is, they're really good players, and that's going to
be tough to lay that news on them, if you will,
(37:43):
and just get ready to play.
Speaker 7 (37:44):
For sure, Mark, I mean, we're we have anywhere from
five to seven inactive players based on if there's elevation,
So if you don't elevate anybody, then you go from
fifty three you can only take forty eight to the game,
So you're gonna have to tell somebody you're not playing.
That is a pretty good football player. So I just
have to be honest with them, just to communicate with
them their role could change or evolve during the course
of the year. Part of their responsibilities to prepare as
(38:06):
if they're going to play, including the practice squad players
like we've talked about, and whoever, whatever decision we make
for that game, then we have to deal with it.
And then once we get through the RAMS game, then
what's our preparation look like for the Tampa for the
Tampa game? And are we using the same group. There's
always a lot of moving parts and it's never easy,
especially if a player has earned the opportunity to play.
But per the rules, you can't take everybody to the game,
(38:28):
so sometimes you have to make some difficult decisions.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Nick, you mentioned one of the most I think unheralded
assets of Matt Stafford's game, and that's his toughness. Beyond
that and including that what makes him so difficult to face,
especially in Week one.
Speaker 7 (38:42):
A gifted thrower can get the ball to any parts
of the field. He probably hasn't seen it. You're not
going to show him anything that he hasn't seen. He's
been in the league over many years. He's been in
the league, so his ability to understand and process information
at a high rate of speed is one of his strengths.
And he can literally get the ball to any part
of the field. He can kind of adjust his arm
angle and his arm slot, and it's hard to get
(39:05):
to him. I mean, he gets rid of the ball,
is a quick release, and he's willing to hang in
the pocket and take a hit to deliver the ball
under duress. Massive amount respect for Matthew and what he's done,
and he's earned all the accolades that he's received.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Week one.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
When you look at all the analytics, all the data
you have medically or whatever else on guys going the
full distance in a game versus whatever they've done in
the preseason, I felt like there were a lot of
reps in that joint practice with the Lions, a lot
of reps for the ones and the twos. But this
is a full game, now, how does that come into play?
And I got to think it really affects week two
as well.
Speaker 7 (39:39):
Yeah, we really the first three to four weeks of
the season, you're kind of all, right, where are the players?
They have they built up enough capacity to make it
through an entire game. Defensively, we rotate a lot of
players in on the front anyway, so you're probably gonna
we're gonna use our depths, We're gonna use everybody. But
nobody's played a full game to this point. So sixty seven,
(39:59):
sixty five seventy plays and he just side of the ball.
Nobody has played that amount in a real game in
twenty twenty five, and they've done it previously, sure, so
we're gonna have to monitor that and see what their
loads are, what are their speeds, and then their recovery
after the game. But the first week, the first few
weeks are all kind of tied together because then you
might have to look at practice. How do we just
practice and then we're gonna be so it's gonna be
(40:20):
a long week, but then it's gonna be a short week.
So how you handle that in the early part of
the season, you know, will be important part of our process.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Nick, right before the roster is unveiled, announced Joe's gonna
be out at least the first four weeks. How do
you like that running back room? What do you like
about that running back room? Starting with Nick and what
you got in there? Yeah, we think it's a pretty
versatile room.
Speaker 7 (40:40):
They've all played other than Woody, have all played good
football at different points of their career. They've all helped
their respective teams, you know, when they've been called upon.
So we're gonna need everybody not only in that room
but throughout the team as well. But I feel like
we have pretty good depth. They're all kind of different
in terms of what they bring to the table. Nick
is his own entity. DP has the that he brings
(41:00):
to the table. Daa probably has the most comprehensive role
because he has a role offensively and in a kicking
game as well. And then Woody has a pretty good
skill set. So how we're actually able to incorporate that
with any offense, We'll kind of have to see how
it unfolds.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
So I know there's a whole thing going on in
this building with you and your staff deploying guys out
to watch college and start scouting. We'll start, you've already started,
but for the six draft. I don't want to bog
us down in draft talk, but that's underway.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
People do it. Oh, I know you like this, you
like this part, but you're already examining everything there is too.
Speaker 7 (41:33):
Yeah, for sure, we've we've had folks out of training
camp over the month August, and then the first real
weekend of college football was this past weekend, so we
had area scouts, national scouts, scouting directors at different games.
There was a number of good games over the course
of the weekend, so that information is starting to come
back to us. I get a weekly update usually Monday
or Tuesday from what everybody saw that particular week and
(41:57):
started to start to build up you know my document
as well. So done a lot of work on a
lot of players over the course of the spring, and
then we'll be selective here picking you know, picking the
spots here during the course of the during the course
of the season, might be an opportunity to get over
the sc game they're playing, I want to say, Saturday
night or something like that. So we'll try to maximize
our opportunities and try to utilize our resources as best
(42:18):
we can.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
So this happened in week zero at Stanford I'm going
somewhere with this. Stanford Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Stanford kicked the ball off and the ball hit the
ground and it popped up in the air, and it
keep was standing at the one yard line and he
then waved a fair catch and caught the ball, thinking well,
the balls should go to the twenty five yard line.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
And it got me thinking about had they talked about that?
Speaker 7 (42:38):
Do you do?
Speaker 2 (42:39):
You do you guys as a staff sit and talk
with the players about particular new rules or new things
that have popped up that.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
They should be aware of.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
Because he didn't realize it, and I don't know if
you ever knew it, But is that something that you
guys talk about as a staff.
Speaker 7 (42:51):
Nick, Yeah, there's so many rules you have to be
careful of, inundated with too much information. But what are
the ones that are relevant and what are the ones
that are kind of germane maybe that are new or
new ish. Really in the NFL, to kickoff sort of
adjustment or rules are probably the biggest thing. There's some
other minor tweaks that they've made, but just understanding the rules,
what happens where the ball is kicked, if it's kicked here,
(43:12):
here's what happens, or if this action takes place, here's
what happens, so you prepare for it. Inevitably, there's going
to be things that come up in the game maybe
we haven't talked about or that we haven't practiced, but
it's a learning opportunity. So you take the information and
the next time that you're put in a position, hopefully
you make the right the right decision.
Speaker 4 (43:29):
The thirty five yard line touchback feels radical in that
everything's going to be returned now because you don't want
to give up the thirty five yard lines. So we're
going to see a lot more action and the way
Emy kicks the ball off a lot of bad hops
off his kickoffs.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
If he can get it to squib inside the twenty.
Speaker 7 (43:45):
Yeah, everybody'll probably have a philosophy that they're going to
go with during a year. The ball handling will be important,
and the kicker's ability to change his directory and put
the returner in a difficult spot. That'll probably be a
part of the strategy. And the calculus that's involved something
that we spend time on here in the spring. Once
you get into the game, kind of see how it evolves.
(44:05):
But really the line of demarcation, there is the twenty
yard line. So whatever you're gonna do, better make sure
it gets past the twenty because if it doesn't and
then the ball is at the forty, then you basically
cut the field in.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
Half at that point.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
With what we would think is gonna be more returns
in the game, does that, as you're talking about kind
of bridging the gap the conversation of the twenty twenty
six NFL Draft, because we're gonna have more returns, does
that add that other wrinkle to it that you want
to see from? Hey man, this guy returns kicks, you know,
like Ancepsion for A and M. He returned to plot
(44:36):
the other night. Hey he becomes maybe a little bit
more valuable because now the return game is that much
more value because we have more returns than we've ever had.
Speaker 7 (44:43):
No, it's a good question, Johnny. Let's say case by case,
more than likely ball handling. The ball handlers, they're probably
gonna put a premium on that. But I would say
kickoff or turn through the years, sometimes it's a trainable skill.
Maybe you have a player that hasn't handled the ball,
but you try him back there, I'd say Pierce is
really example that we didn't draft Piers because we thought
he was going to be a kickoff return. He's kind
(45:04):
of evolved in that because of his ability to make
plays with the ball in his hand. Punt return is
a teachable skill or trainable skill. You've seen a number
of players that hadn't done it before that they learned
it once they get in the NFL. So it depends
on the player's capacity and ability to take coaching and learn.
If they've done it, they have experience doing it, we
certainly make a note and then we're going to evaluate
it and if it's something that we can incorporate to
(45:24):
our advantage, and we'll certainly look at.
Speaker 4 (45:26):
I've got one more so quick family update, Nick, because
this is your fifth season that you are starting here
with the Houston Texans organization.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
That means your girls have grown up here. They're Texans
now does it feel like it? How are they doing?
Give us an update?
Speaker 7 (45:39):
No, they're doing great. We've been rock and rolling for
the last couple of weeks at school. They're active. Is
all get up so between cross country, soccer, field, hockey.
Our youngest is a big cheer fan, so she's immersed
in that process. So she's actually decent, so we'll see
how far that goes. But no, it's hard to believe.
(46:00):
I mean, they love being here. We've been here. It's
like you mentioned, it's our fifth season. So grateful for
the opportunity, excited to get started. And yeah, they're immersed
in the culture. They don't have a choice, but they're
happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
Very good, All right, Nick, thanks a lot, good luck.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
Thanks fellas, there is Nick Caserio joining us, and that
was some great stuff. You want to see the video
check out on YouTube. But appreciate Nick for coming in
with us each and every week. And it's such a
great job. With Sean and Seth on Sports Radio six
to ten as well. But we get a chance to
talk to him every week. I love the scouting reports.
Those are my favorites. But he's the best and we
appreciate him. We appreciate Frank Ross, John Carroll represent Yo.
(46:39):
Cannot wait. Week one, Sunday kickoff three twenty five. Listen
to us on Sports Radio six ten, Mark Andre and myself.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
We'll have the call.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
You have the pregame starting at twelve twenty five with
Sean and Seth. You'll have the post game, right after
we finish with Teran Peddergas and Clint Sterner. Hopefully they
are talking to a very happy Texan and text and
fan base.
Speaker 1 (47:01):
Hopefully we're talking about a win. Going one to O
what you gotta do?
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Like LSU last week, the head shirts just said one
to oh, that's the way you gotta start.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
One to oh.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
It's a third straight road opener for Tamiko Rans as
head coach of the Texans, and hopefully, like I said,
we finished one and oh. Appreciate everybody for being involved
on the show. Thank you so much for listening. We
will see you on Sunday. Have a great night, everybody.
Enjoy Chiefs and Chargers, the Brazilian up next right here
on Sports Radio six ten.
Speaker 1 (47:28):
See you on Sunday, and as always, go Texans.
What has happened to everybody?
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Welcome to a Friday Nation of Texans All Access from
Monday Texans Radio Studio. In season, typically we have two hours,
but tonight John Harris and Mark Vandermier will have you
for this hour because well, the Brazilian is coming up.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
As Mark likes to call it.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
The Brazagers, the chiefs in Brazil. You can hear that
right here on Sports Radio six ten. So only one
hour tonight. We got a lot to do because Frank
Ross is going to join us a little later. Plus
Nick Caserio is gonna join us a little later, so
we had a.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Lot to do.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Mark, But what's your gut reaction La Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
We've only played in La a couple of times in
the regular season since you and I have been doing
this whole thing. Your thoughts about facing the Rams.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
We could talk all day, and we have all preseason
and offseason about the offense and how they're gonna put
the line together and everything like that. In recent developments
with injuries and such, I think we have to refocus
this zoom out and zoom back in on one of
the best defenses in the league. You are ready to
wreck shop this season, and it's time to do it,
(01:04):
especially against opponent number one and opponent number two. Take
it to them. These are two good quarterbacks you're facing
out of the gate, and I will not lump them together,
even though I just did. Matthew Stafford Johnny is tenth
all time in the NFL in history in passing yards.
He's gonna get to sixty thousand yards if he gets
(01:25):
to two hundred yards in this game. Sixty thousand yards.
And guess what, no one's gonna catch him for a
long time. Jared Goff is the next most likely active
guy to get him. Yeah, because Russell will sit. But
Russell Wilson's gonna be done before he gets a chance
to get to Stafford. Jared Goff is twenty five thousand
yards behind Stafford. Twenty five thousand yards. Holy well, he's
(01:48):
got sixty thousand.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
You know. And and he'll get Dan Marino next. And
Marino put up.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
A number that I thought no one's gonna get to
this for a long time, never because he put it
up in an arrow where no one was doing that,
and now guys do it. So Marino super impressive that
he could handle all those yards in his career. But
Matthew Stafford is one of the very best, and he's
prolific in all of that. But they can get to him.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Johnny.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
We're talking about a team that had a team record
sacks performance last year, breaking their own record from the
year before. All right, your top two in sacks, wait,
and you're what fourth? And well your top four in sacks?
Your second and picks last year. That's right, second and picks,
top four in sacks. You keep that kind of thing going.
(02:32):
And I don't know where the rankings are going to be,
but you get after the quarterback, you take the ball away,
good things are going to happen.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
And you got to do it Sunday. Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
One of the guys that is going to be instrumental
in taking the ball away is Kaylen Bullock. He sat
now with ABC thirteen's Greg Bailey for a interview of
the game.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
What kind of standard do you guys want to set
as a Texans defense in the season opening game in LA?
Speaker 6 (02:57):
We just want to go out there and play our game,
play Texans football, and come out that game will win
and you know, leave good things on film. So when
Tim and base is and they know we about when
we come back home.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
What kind of things have you guys talked about as
a secondary, about what you're capable of as a unit,
and what kind of tone you want to set for
this defense.
Speaker 6 (03:15):
We know we got the best secondary in the league,
and we know that all we gotta do is go
out there and play our ball, and we're gonna and
the ball gonna come find us and we're gonna make
plays always, and that's gonna set us up for the future.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
What makes it the best secondary? Kind of take me
through the personnel that you guys have, maybe outside of yourself,
because I know you don't want to talk about yourself
too much.
Speaker 6 (03:33):
You know, we's got guys everywhere around the field, from
our corners to our Nichols to this Haiti position. I
think we got some of the best corners. I think
we got some of the best hate thees. When you
look across the field and you know you got a
guy everywhere.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
I say that being said, this is a heck of
a test. The Rams have exceptional personnel. What makes them
dangerous as an offense, beginning with their quarterback and receivers.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
Matt Stafford. Of course, he been in this league for
a long time. And everybody's know who messed out for
it is and what he's capable of. And then of
course you got Davante Adams and Pooka. But other than that,
that's that's really all they got in their receiver corps.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Right, and they will they will test you Adams in particular,
maybe Nikoua as well.
Speaker 7 (04:13):
What makes them so good?
Speaker 6 (04:15):
I think Devanta Adams says for album is Debata Adams
that we all know who he is. And then Pookah
just a guy who's physical after cats, always getting open,
got some great hands, and guy who just play hard.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
California homecoming for you, man? How excited are you for that?
Who's gonna be there?
Speaker 6 (04:31):
I'm very excited just to be back home in California
and my whole family's gonna be there just to see
me play.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And what will that be like?
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Is you get a chance maybe to look up in
the stands and see them before the game, knowing that
all those people who have helped you achieve your dream
will be in attendance.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
It's don't feel good, It's don't give me energy, and
it's gonna help me go out there and just play
my game and let me go out.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
There have fun back in the high school days in Pasadena. Man,
how big was the dream? What did you dream of
back then?
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Just dreamed about moments like this, waking up every single
day and having dream job and going to work and
being an NFL football player. So I get to live
my dream every single day. And now I get to
play in front of thousand fans on TV and coming
this Sunday, I get to play back home in front
of all my family and friends.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
How special is it that you get to go with
these teammates, your Texans teammates, to enjoy that moment back
home in California.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
That was very special. I wouldn't trade this moment for
anything with these guys, these my brothers, everybody, every single
guy in here. They keep me to a high standard
and we're really close.
Speaker 7 (05:29):
So enjoy homecoming.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Enjoy Enjoy the opener against the Rams.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (05:34):
Thanks for your timing, Thank you great see.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
You great stuff there from Kaylin and Greg. Appreciate them
for joining the show. Mark, We talked a lot about
the Rams and the Texans. We'll talk a lot more
with Frank Ross, with Nick Cassario. But every Friday night,
I do my predictions Yes, this is one of those
times where I let you into the layer. Oh, let
me get into the we start rocking some predictions. Okay,
(05:58):
now we do it. Gets to spread and for fun,
for fun, straight up and against.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
The spread for entertainment purposes.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Entertainment purposes only. So we may not hit every game,
but we'll hit some of the more important ones. Yeah,
let's start at Indianapolis with the Miami Dolphins. They get
all of their weapons, a chan tyreek waddle, they're all
healthy and ready to go, and they are going to Indianapolis,
(06:28):
where Indianapolis is only a one and a half point favorite.
Who you got Tua in the Fins or Daniel Jones
and his new team, the Colts.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I think people are forgetting that the Dolphins still have
all that offensive talent you described, and it's early.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There's no bloom off the rose yet. Yeah, they're still
all healthy now.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
And they're not great on defense in all likelihood, but
guess what, they can light that place up like a
pinball machine, and I think they will get enough to
get over the Colts. Maybe that's the wishful thinking in me.
You know, I hate the horseshoes so much.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
That's the thing I always do.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I can't go against my heart in my head, so
if I want the Dolphins to win, I can't pick
against them. But I think the Dolphins are gonna win this.
I think they're gonna get enough offense. Luanna Roumo, new
defense coordinator for the Colts, is gonna get a little
come uppance and we'll see.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
But I'm with you. I think the Dolphins win this.
How about this one.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
If the Dolphins don't win this one, they're in deep trouble, Johnny,
and we thought they might be, and I think they
still might be, right, but they gotta get this one.
It's not like you're playing a bad Jacksonville team. I mean,
Indy's got those assets we talked about Jonathan Taylor and
Daniel Jones if he doesn't turn the ball over and
everything else we talk about with the Colts. But I
believe the Dolphins have enough firepower to handle that defense.
(07:43):
I mean, the Colts were having trouble stopping people last year, yes,
and this is no easy team to stop when they're
on their game, all those little screens they like to
throw and everything. The Colts don't have the talent and
the tools that the Texans had when they beat the
Dolphins late in the season, and that was a banged
up Dolphins team. They're fresh now. I know they have injuries,
they're fresh now though it's Week one.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I think the Dolphins get it. The tuck rule part, well,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
The Raiders are going to Foxborough, and anytime the Raiders
go to Foxborough there's always that hint of the tuck rule.
The Patriots are favored by two and a half at
home against the Raiders. Pete Carroll going back to where
he was actually the coach before Bill Belichick took over.
Raiders Patriots AFC battle tuck rule.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Wasn't there one in the seventies? Where's my sugar bear?
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Hamilton sugar Bear Hamilton Ryth? Wasn't there an officials call
that was really bad? Raiders Patriots right in the postseason? Yeah,
playoff game, but it went against the Patriots, went against
the Patriots, Tuck Roll went against the Raiders, and here
we go. Look, I can't believe you summed up the
past when talking about either of these teams. I'd love
to open up with one of these teams, Johnny. I
know the Raiders is going to be better and the
Patriots will be better too.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Uh. I like the Raiders. I like that Raiders.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Rabel is a good coach, YEP, I guess he is,
because what happened in Tennessee, I can't even describe it
to you anymore. And it just melted down. It was
awful at the end. I don't really blame him solely
for that, but it definitely was the head coach of
that team, as I recall, and they went nowhere fast.
(09:19):
I think the fact that they put somebody on top
of him as GM and they took away his authority,
or maybe never had it in the first place, whatever
the case is.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
But here is in New England, and you pointed out
Elliott Wolf. Oh my twenty twenty four draft class. I'm
so fond of it. Now it's gone, all of it
except for Drake May that Sea.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
I you know what I'm gonna go with the I'm
gonna go with Patriots win that one.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That right is.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
I'm going with Rabel. Okay, come on, Rapes, all right,
let's go down to Jacksonville, New County where the Carolina Panthers. Yes,
the Carolina Panthers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Whereas we
get the Tampa Bay Buck, the Jags get the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Panthers are gonna be without Ikeyakwanu.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
It appears they're starting to left tackle, but they do
have the rest of offensive line intact. The Jaguars will
play Travis Hunter. How many plays on both sides, we'll
find out. The Jags are a three.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
And a half point favorite at home.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
I can't well, I don't know about covering and all that.
I can't imagine the Jaguars losing this game. I mean
I can't. I can come up with the scenario John,
But yeah, the Jags are gonna win this game. Jacks
wall and neither team really knows how to win. But
the Jags at home late. I like them to make
a play to win this game because I like Carolina.
Maybe I should phrase it this way. I like Carolina
(10:38):
to be the one that makes the big mistake in
the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
That's a good way of putting it.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And especially with their left tackle, we'll see what Josh
Han's Allen and Treymon Walker get loose.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Everybody's curious what Travis Hunter does, so we'll see.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
All right, let sco out to Denver afternoon game we
played three twenty five, starting twenty minutes before us. The
new look Tennessee Titans are taken on the hottest flavor
of the month in the NFL, the Denver Broncos. So hot,
Denver's eight and a half point favorite. So I'll just
ask you this, Do we both think the Broncos will
win that game?
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah? Yeah, okay?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Is there any chance that Titans are yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Within ten? Absolutely? Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I could see cam Ward falling behind two scores, maybe
seventeen points, and they back their way into a cover
because if Ward is all that, And I harken back
to Cam Newton throwing for over four thousand yards as
a rookie in this league, and no one saw it
coming because this guy's a running quarterback here.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
You can throw in a bed.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
He's got a great arm as a matter of fact,
but he's not going to be at this prolific passer.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
And he goes off for over four thousand yards as
a rookie.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
How many four thousand yard seasons have the Texans had
in their history?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Not too many?
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Well, watching twice shop twice, I think that's it a
CJ once, right, the rookie year all right, maybe five,
that's it. Five and twenty three years he had a
four thousand yard season. I'm not saying Ward's gonna do that,
but they're gonna have an opportun tunity to get back
door points, back door yards, all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
War just throwing it around two CJ did against the.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Colts, and I'd love to see it.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
I'd love to see the Broncos give up like twenty
eight points and maybe they still win thirty one to
twenty eight. But there are all these questions about their Yeah,
Denver defense, which is so good.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
I like Vance, I really do like Man, I'm right,
You're right. I like Vance too, but I'm tired of
all the talk. Okay, Ravens bills. You got one word,
Ravens bills. Who you got? It's in Orchard Park, Ravens Bills.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Who you taking Ravens?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah, me too. You know how I feel about the
Bills that my gut just says Ravens might and I'm
not in love with that. I'll be rooting for the Bills.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
I think. I don't even know.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I don't know who was in Two Villains, Yeah, two
Villains of.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
The text to see that game.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I don't think we'll be in the air coming back
from LA. Yeah, that'll be kind of interesting. One of
the guys on the plane with us and very important
in this game, of course, the Special Teams Coordinator, Frank Ross,
the Boss, joins us next right here in Texans All Access.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
What's happening everybody?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
A good Friday evening to.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
You wherever you are.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I am your host for this evening, Texans All Access,
Jean Harris Football and the sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Special Teams
coordinator in one of our faves. Frank Ross burst into
the room with all kinds of energy and then delivered
in a wonderful interview.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Take a listen here in the Hyundai Texans Radio studio
with Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Coach, how's going great to see you? Great to see
you Week one? You know how I'm feeling. I'm ready one, feel.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Good and let's start where the real action is kickoff returns,
because you know we're semi obsessed with this coach. With
the touchback at the thirty five yard line, We're going
to see the ball and play we did in the preseason.
What did you learn from seeing the kickoff in the
preseason with the touch back to the thirty five and
the returns that might ensue.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Yeah, I think I think it's on both sides.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
There was a lot not I would say new, because
we had versions of it last year, but the importance
of both returners being able to not only handle the
ball because before you had a little bit more tell
on where kickers were kicking it. Now everybody knows the
ball has to go and play more frequently than not.
(14:14):
It doesn't mean every team will, but we're now going
to be placing it more randomly and sporadically, so both
returners need it'll be able to handle the ball as
well as if you don't have the ball, you gotta
be a good blocker. So we couldn't just have one
blocker and one ball handler and then carry out our
roles from there. So from us personnel, who can do that,
(14:35):
who can do it at a winning level? And then
in coverage, what we learned was, hey, that hangtime does
not matter, So can we eliminate hangtime essentially so we
can cover faster? Can you get the ball on the ground?
And I think you saw that a ton more this
preseason across the league ourselves, we had games where the
ball was getting to the ground, whether we are returning
(14:56):
the ball or.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Kicking the ball.
Speaker 8 (14:58):
So I think those are the things that are really
going to start to Hey, that's the new norm, and
can we maximize how to how to weaponize it, and
how to play safe with it.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
You played a number of sports growing up, baseball being
one of those.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Of course, I would imagine that guys you have back there,
you want them to have at least a little bit
of baseball now in their system because they're fielding short hops,
ground balls.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
I mean, you're in the meeting. No I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I wasn't actually, But my dad and I have a
theories about this, Like I have theories about it.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I got a lot of different theories, Like in victory.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Formation, right, when you're in victory formation, why do you
put a receiver back there as a safety?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Best tackler? Why don't you put your best tackler back there? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Yeah, see I got it where Our dad's theory was
always that in a return in the return game, he
wanted somebody that had played baseball, because when that ball
starts bouncing around back there.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
We know that thing in round.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
But if you have somebody that's played shortstoppers, played you
know in the infield, you have an opportunity to feel
those balls but easier and get going a lot faster.
Speaker 8 (15:54):
Man, I'm telling you, I think you're in my Special
Teams meetings because I've used too many times the analogy,
Hey has a shortstop, we're almost creeping into the pitch.
Your feet are hot. Okay, we're talking about cut off angles.
So we say, hey, with the crack of the bat,
you got to get a good jump on the ball
that's outfield or speed. Yes, So, yeah, that's extremely accurate.
You answered the question essentially in yourself. It's something like,
(16:18):
how fast can we get that ball in dictate it
versus allow it to dictate us? And man, is that
gonna be at a premium. It's not gonna be perfect
every time across. Like you said it, it isn't a
round ball. It takes you know, those wicked and nasty
kicks and hops because of that. So if we can
stop that thing, smother it and get it out of
(16:38):
the air and then get going, that's a priority in itself.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
How difficult the conditions, it's so Fi. It's a unique environment,
unique looking stadium. You gotta get ready for all that, right.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Yeah, I don't know about the LA Stadium.
Speaker 8 (16:51):
It seems a little bit like an entertainment ventue, not
a football field.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
But you know, put it down wherever it is, we're
gonna kick it. You know, let's go.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
But when you're doing pregame warm ups, you need to
get used to the background so you can find the
ball in the air, whatever the case may be.
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Right, Yeah, we're nice and everything's symmetrical here in NRT.
It's it's just a constant. You know, it's all balanced.
There's gonna be different and there there's like wind in there.
You know, it's not a full enclosed domes. So your canopy, yeah,
it's a canopy if you will. I'm not the architecture
speak on that, but I would say you're gonna feel
(17:28):
a little breeze if it's blowing.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Other winds blowing that day.
Speaker 8 (17:31):
So we definitely have to get out there and you know,
nothing different than we're used to. We play outside all
the time, and whatever it is, we'll be ready to adjust.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Our specialists are really in tune with that stuff.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And it's quote unquote in an outside game, so we
get some sort of storm rolling in.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Oh god, you.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Gotta take a thirty minute break because it's technically in
outdoor stadium.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
But well, you know we'll play by air. Yeah, anything
I ask of us, we're ready to. No, that's exactly right.
You've got both spectrums.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Coach in, a kicker in Kymie Fairbairn, who has done
every seen everything, seemingly, and then you've got a long
snapper and Austin Brinkman, who I don't know if Boston
has started or played in a regular season NFL game.
Those two being together, is it kind of good for
Austin to have Kayamie to kind of hey man, it's your.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
First time, call him down. We're good.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Likewise, Kymie having a young guy that can fire it
back there to Tommy. He's kicking extra points, so you
feel confident in that. How do you feel about those
two kind of on different ends of the spectrum starting
the season.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, and every year is gonna be different. You deal with.
Speaker 8 (18:27):
A long time veteran and then rookies come in. But
you know this, you know it's a young man's game.
Rookies come in every year and they got to perform
and play. It is a critical role, specially there's only
one of them at each position, so it's magnified. But
I'm very proud, Like we haven't played a snap yet,
and we know with every single young player that steps
on the field, they have to grow. And we don't
(18:49):
want growing pains, but you want growing progress. And so
to me, Tommy Townsend and Keymy Fairburn have done an
outstanding job of setting the table and leading for our
specialist room with with Austin and for that guy to
come in here work like he does you know no bs, yes, sir, No,
sir doesn't say anything, but he just goes to work.
(19:12):
So to me, like we'll find out where Brink is at,
but I'll just work with that any day guy who
wants to do it the right way.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
And to me, that gives you a chance to be successful.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
So excited, man, he should be excited working with such
experienced veterans of Emy and Tommy and guys that know
how to do it, know what they want and have
instructed and encouraged and grown as a group together.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, I think we have a chance if those guys
go out there and do just as you said.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
For both Tommy and Emy, how hard is it to
simulate pressure in practice, whether it be physical pressure or
game situation pressure.
Speaker 8 (19:47):
Yeah, I think it's very hard to simulate because there's
no bodies falling on the ground and the rush isn't
live if you will, you know, if if you're practicing
punt protection and they we we bust a punt protection
and practice, the guy doesn't come and rush and take
the ball off the foot, you know, like you would
in a game. Right, So for me and I think
(20:08):
if you ever ask one of those guys like it
is an internal game, those guys are pros. Pros at
the mental performance side of how they dial in and
compete on every single rep and every single kick of practice.
That way, when you step on the field and it's
a game winner, you've done it every time you've taken
(20:30):
a kick. So that amount in practice, so that amount
of mental focus and internalized self created pressure, all that
other stuff. Their job is to focus on that pig
skin in front of them and kick it or punt
it or catch it and set it down. Like they
have to have some version of don't want to call
a tunnel vision but narrowed focus.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Coach Each week we asked Nick Caseeri, hey, give us
a scouting report of what the Rams have whatever team
we're playing offense, defense, and he always get some special teams.
You talk about Chase Blackburn being a special team coach,
got played in the league for a long time. What's
your scouting report on the Rams special teams for Yeah? Yeah,
Chase is an unbelievable coach. Admiration for him for a
(21:10):
number of reasons. But first, when you take over a program,
when he went to the Rams, when you take that
over and it's a completely new roster, they've turned the
back end of the roster enormously.
Speaker 8 (21:27):
And then you're using wide receivers in coverage. Both of
their gunners are wide receivers. You're using three rookies specialists
at different points, snapper, they're all in year two or three.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
So when he gets there, he's got rookies.
Speaker 8 (21:40):
And to take that a simplistic approach, maybe they're less
or more talented in years past. They're pretty good right now,
less or more talented in years past. And make it functional,
competitive and limit any unnecessary risk. That's a hell of
a job. He coaches the he played, which is it
(22:02):
ain't gonna be pretty, but it's gonna be nasty, it's
gonna be complete, it's gonna be physical, and it shows
so to this year's players, like I had already alluded
to the two gunners, one's the Texas kid Whittington Xavier Smith,
a dynatic. Both of them are returners and gunners blockers.
They're specialist. Ethan Evans is one of their captains. He
can hammer the ball the length of the football field
(22:23):
as a punter. He also is a kickoff guy for them.
They've got a couple of real special teams linebackers Spates.
He hasn't played last year, but when last time we
played them at home, Troy Reider, he's a bowl. They
got an undrafted rookie making the team in Dolak from Buffalo.
So all these guys to me are Chase Blackburn reincarnated
(22:45):
playing football.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
And when you go against that, you.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
Know you're gonna get every single time, focused, intentional, best effort.
Whether it's the most exotic scheme or simplistic scheme. They're
gonna do things the right way. So for us, we
need to make sure that we are sound, we match
that intensity and physicality because they limit return yards. They
I think they're one of a team not to allow
one of four teams not to allow a twenty yuard
(23:09):
part return.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
So like, and that's not with you know, perfect coverage
across the board, but that's holistically. They do it together.
Speaker 8 (23:18):
So for us, we have to make sure that we're
winning our one on one matchups and playing sound ourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Great stuff, coach, Thanks a lot, good luck to you,
Thank you, good to see you, guys. Let's go week one.
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Like I said, that man has got energy for days
and days, and that's a good thing, especially on special
teams as you talk about going against a guy like
Chase Blackburn on the other side who had a long
career in the NFL highlighted by his special team's work
as a player. So big opportunity for the Frank Ross
and the special teams and Frank toles is back in
(23:48):
the spring, and I thought this was very telling that
divisional playoff round lost to the Chiefs. He took very
personally and said, I've got to change to get back
to doing what we do in setting a standard. And
I think the Texans have definitely done on special teams.
But the proof is in the pudding in the Week
one pudding against the La Rams.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
All right, coming up.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
Nick Cassario joined us this week to give us a
scouting report on the Rams.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
How to preseason go. We'll do all that next with
Nick right here in Texans All Access. We go on
Finals segment this Friday edition of Texans All Access. Typically
we have two hours on a Friday end season, but
tonight cut short a little bit because of the Brazilian
as Mark likes to call it, Chiefs chargers in Brazil
will take over at the top of the hour, So
(24:36):
only one hour tonight, and no better way to finish
up that hour on a Friday than to hear from
Nick Cassario. Nick sits in with myself, John Harris, and
Mark Vandermire each and every week. I love the scouting report,
It's my favorite thing. But we hit a number of
things here with Nick. Plus get updated what's going on
with Nick and everything in his life, his kids, everybody right.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Here and us now in the brand new Hyundai Texans
Radio Studio is executive vice president and general Manager Nick Cassario.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Nick, great to see him.
Speaker 7 (25:06):
Fellows, great to be here.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
You like the new studio, It's awesome. Congratulations, We're searching
for compliments here. I like that he congratulates us, of course.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Of course, well, after camp is over, preseason, over initial
fifty three set, how do you feel going into week
one with everything that's been done?
Speaker 7 (25:25):
Productive offseason, productive preseason. Hopefully we got a lot of
work done here in training camp. The team is in
place for the time being. As you all know, there
will likely be a number of moving parts throughout the
course of the year, But as far as the players
that are in the building between the roster and the
practice squad, feel pretty good about the group we've assembled,
and hopefully it gives ourselves a decent opportunity to get
(25:46):
ready for a really good RAMS team that we'll talk
about in a few minutes.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Nick, one of the things I asked to me, Coden,
I'll ask you going away, getting to the Green Brier
for a week, kind of being away from everything, getting
joint practice with Detroit before we played the preseason game,
those time frames, getting away, how valuable were those two
instances for this team.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
We felt they were tremendously productive, and they were each
kind of different. The whole notion behind the Greenbrier was
just to kind of relocate, kind of give us a week.
Not an isolation, but just kind of a way we
have to deal with the heat in Houston. It's real,
we all know that, but in an effort to make
sure that we optimize the player's performance and give them
recovery and some of the other things, and the Greenbrier
has enough facilities, a lot of resources that are available
(26:28):
to us, we're able to kind of simulate the processes
that we have in place. And when you're out there
by yourself, literally that's all you have is one another
to be around and rely on.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
So you meet, you.
Speaker 7 (26:38):
Practice, you eat together. You're doing things collectively as a team.
It's an opportunity for the team to grow. Dimiko has
talked about that it's vitally important. And then with the
Lion situation, similar but a little bit different with shorter timeframe.
Went out there simulate the travel we practice with another team,
got really really good work done to professional teams and
organizations that have some mindset, had a good day's work.
(27:02):
We kind of knew going into the game that the
practice was going to be for a certain cohort of players,
and there was another group that was going to play
in the game on Saturday. Had a really good day
of practice and then kind of had the off day
and then kind of the day before game or routine.
But we felt overall, but though both of those opportunities
are really productive for our team on a lot of
different levels, and.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
The offensive line made progress throughout the preseason, Nick, is
it safe to say week one we don't see the
finished product quite yet. It takes a few more weeks
to gel as an offensive line, especially a newly constructed one.
Speaker 7 (27:32):
In many ways, Yeah, as a team, you're always gonna
have moving parts in training camp and the spring is
one component of the team building and working with one another,
but you're really not practicing, and then once you get
the training camp, it's an opportunity for different people to
work with one another. The big thing on the offensive
line is consistent communication on a snap to snap basis.
You're gonna have sixty five to seventy plays offensively, the
(27:52):
more that whoever's going to be on the field can
work together. But by the same token, we know, if
something happens in a game, if you lose a player,
somebody else is going to have to go in there.
So you're trying to mix and match and simulate as
best you can what's going to happen when a group
is playing together. So work through practice here this week,
we put five out there on Sunday against the Rams.
Whether or that's the same group at the end of
(28:13):
the year, we'll see. Sure there's gonna be some changes
and things that we're gonna have to deal with during
the course of the year, but overall feel like we're
in a pretty good spot with that group.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I hardly ever ask you about somebody that I don't
think is gonna play, but I hope we never see
this young man on the field yet he made to
fifty three man roster and it's Graham Mertz. I feel
like that Minnesota game and I set it off in Nick.
The Minnesota game not really emblematic, but what he did
throughout training camp. What did you see from Graham throughout
the entire training camp that made you feel comfortable keeping
him on the.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Sure Really, from the time he walked in the building
in May to kind of this point here, has been
very consistent. He was in a situation where his season
was cut short at Florida last year, with the injury
pretty well documented. I think they actually talked about it
on the whole sec show in Netflix, which happened to watch,
and it was a good snapshot of where he was,
some of the things that he had to go through
from the injury to the time that we drafted him,
(29:03):
and then when he walked in the building. Graham's really smart.
Katie works very hard. The big thing from his standpoint
is working on his lower body strength and flexibility and
just playing football when you haven't been hit in a while,
when that's the first time you're playing football, there's going
to be an adjustment period that we all have to
go through, that all the players have to go through.
But he's handled everything. He understands kind of what his
(29:23):
role is on the team, and he's prepared. He's smart,
he works hard, and then when he went out there
against the Lions, took advantage of his opportunity. But as
a player, we drafted him for a reason because we
felt this is a player that we wanted to work
with on our program, and he's certainly made progress and
glad he's here.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Nick some of the new additions when you acquire them,
Christian Kirk, CJ. Gardner, Johnson, players like that, do you
know automatically he's going to play in this spot and
this is what he's gonna do, or is it Let's
get everybody together and figure it out sort of as
we go on.
Speaker 7 (29:52):
Well, that's a great question mark in some cases, yes,
some cases not necessarily. As an example, what safeties do
they have multi position flexibility? Are they a safety only?
We've seen CJ play a lot of football. He played safety,
He's actually played some nickel, he's played some dime, and
then at Kirk he's played inside the formation, outside the formation. Really,
what we try to do is say, who are the players,
(30:13):
how do we best allocate our resources and put them
in a position where they can maximize their overall skill set.
But I would say both players have a certain degree
of flexibility. How we actually deploy them will probably change
during the course of the year.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
So I've waited this long.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
I can't believe I've made it this long without talking
about the little longer I know, but I just feel
like it's time.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I mean, we've been talking about this for a while.
We're talking about twenty twenty five. The schedule comes out,
it's the Rams week one.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay, It's an NFC team, which is always kind of
fun in a sense because we don't get to see
this team often, which makes the scout of report for
the Rams all the more interesting. It starts with Matt Stafford,
we think deal with the back issue, but one of
the best defensive lines in the league, offensive line that's
worked together, a couple of really good backs. What are
your thoughts about the Rams and what you'll see scouting
(31:01):
report for the Rams here we go.
Speaker 7 (31:03):
Sure, great program top to bottom, significant challenge in front
of us. It starts to the top, you know, with
coach McVeigh and unless they put together an unbelievable team,
They've had a program that's been in place for a
number of years. Kevin Demoff is involved in in their
program as well, so they have really good leadership on
the top end, a good coordinator. They have a lot
of continuity and a lot of stability that's been put
(31:23):
in place. On the defensive side of all, Chris Shulos
defensive coordinator, verly good, really good coach, and Chris kind
of bought his time and did a really good job
last year with his opportunity. Happened to coach one year
at John Carroll as well, so he has a feather
in his cap. And Chase Blackburn in the kicking game,
you know, played in the league and it's done a
good job in a kicking game. So really good coaching staff,
(31:44):
really good coordinators, and offensively and defensively, they have a
lot of good football players. You started you mentioned the
defensive side of the football. Probably we'll see how it goes.
We're going to see a number of good fronts throughout
the course of the year. But really one through four,
in one through five if you include poona four who
they signed in the offseason. He was kind of a
little i would say, an underrated not really talked about
very much, but he's gonna help their team. Between Fisk, Kobe,
(32:08):
you know, Young and Verse and Ford, everything starts with
the front. I mean, they have done an unbelievable job.
They cause a lot of problems, so I mean that's
gonna be a big part of the game. Have a
number of players at the linebacker and secondary level, very instinctive,
some younger players, some veteran players. I think Landman who
they signed in Atlanta from Atlanta have been a very
productive football player. Sounds like he's the start at MIC
and be the signal caller. It's funny when you look
(32:31):
at the actual composition of the linebacker room. All those
players are undrafted, so it's a great job by their
group finding players who maybe aren't highly thought of, but
are good football players and have found a way to stick.
Curle is gonna make a big impacts. Made a good
impact for him. They draft the Kitchens last year, so
good safety group. And then I would say Lake kind
of fills some of the roles that Petrie does for us,
(32:52):
kind of nickel to safety, another undrafted or late round player,
and I have his experience at corner with Witherspoon Williams.
So this is a pretty deep football team on the
defensive side of the ball. On offensively, you mentioned it, Johnny.
Everything starts with Matthew I mean, one of the best
quarterbacks in the history of the league, borderline Hall of Famer.
He's going to be there. He's as tough as any
player in the league. And if he can't go, I mean,
(33:14):
they basically have another starting quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. Adams
is obviously a big signing for them this offseason. I'd
say the Adams acquisition, along with the drafting of Ferguson
at tight end, it's going to make a big imprint
on the offense, and they drafted Hunter in the fourth round.
Similar we drafted Woody Marx, and I think he's probably
gonna make a little bit of impact for him at
some point. Understanding Kyrins is good of an all round
(33:34):
back in the league, but deep at tight end, good
receiver group, and you throw a Puka in there. Who
I mean, Puka's career kind of speaks for himself to
this point. And then they have some players in the
kicking game that can be a factor. So this is
a very good football team. They won the NFC West,
they made it the divisional round, had Philly on a rope,
So we understand a challenge in front of us on
a road opening day, so which brings some challenges in
(33:56):
and of itself, but hopefully our team will be ready
to go.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
A lot of people talk about, well, Dimiko has seen
them before as a defensive coordinator, but can you discuss
the way they've evolved running the football.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
They've changed things a little bit.
Speaker 7 (34:06):
Yeah, for sure. It really goes back to when Kyle
when they drafted Kyrone, then Kyron is playing a little
bit more. They started to go to a little bit
more gun pistol not necessarily under center. You saw that
evolved and something Shawn had talked about, not this year,
but previous years, how they made a subtle tweak. And
I think that's kind of the brilliance of Sean is
just his ability to kind of see things and make
(34:28):
some adjustments. And all good coaches do that. You kind
of have some core things that you believe in, some
things in place, but then at some point you have
to evolve and make an adjustment or make a change,
and they did that offensively. So their run game certainly
has evolved over the course of time.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Nick, what's the biggest challenge in week one from a
preparation standpoint? Because you don't want to overdo it, but
you don't want to make sure that you want to
make sure you got everything in that you want to
have in for this plictar?
Speaker 1 (34:53):
How tough is that in week one?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
And also on that the non scouted look something they show,
you're like, WHOA, we haven't seen that. How quick do
you have to be able to adapt to those things
and get them taken care of so they don't fester
throughout the game.
Speaker 7 (35:05):
Really, that's what week one is about across the league.
A lot of unknowns from a personnel standpoint, schematic standpoint,
what are some of the tweaks that teams have made.
So really you have to go back to your fundamentals
and your foundation, your core principles, some of the things
that you've been doing going all the way back to
the spring, and then once you get into the game,
the game will start to evolve. Then you can figure
out how do we need to adjust or a little
bit less of this, a little bit more of this,
(35:26):
and just kind of figure out how the game is
being played. I think the big thing is from a
personnel standpoint, how are they going to deploy some of
the new players, Where are they going to line up?
What's their role in the offense? Between Ferguson, between Adams?
Does that affect Puka? Are they going to use multiple backs?
So there's always some unknowns that take place, especially the
opening game and in the RAMS case, none of these
players that we're going to see on Sunday have seen
(35:47):
a snap in a preseason, so we have to be
prepared for a number of things. But it just goes
back to basic fundamentals and hopefully communication and making sure
that we're doing the right things.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Playing on the West Coast, and Demiko told us going
out early for that, what is the key or a
few of the keys in a West Coast game, bodyclock,
whatever else comes into play.
Speaker 7 (36:05):
It's just acclimating to the overall climate. So just gives
us an extra date. It kind of gets simulated, get situated,
get maximized. The rest go through a normal Saturday preparation.
The game is later, it's early, but it's late depending
on the time zone that you're in, So all those
things kind of factor into the calculus. And we felt
(36:25):
that was the best thing for the team. And we've
always talked about whatever we can do to help the
players to maximize their performance on Sunday, We're gonna look
at and if we have to make a tweak along
the way, then then we'll do that.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Because it's an NFC team, a team we see every
four years, and last time we saw them twenty one,
I guess was here, does it make the preparation more
difficult because you haven't seen them at all? How does
it kind of make the preparation because this is not
team we face all the time.
Speaker 7 (36:52):
Yeah, with the NFC West in particular, we haven't seen
this group since three or four years ago, whatever it was,
So that game is probably not going to be relevant.
What you have to go back through and go back
through the twenty four season, what happened, What are some
of the things they did, and then evaluate their personnel,
look at the preseason. Who are the new personnel, how
are they using them, what are they doing? The preseason
(37:12):
is really not a big scheme sort of that's not
the theme. It's just more about getting the players to execute.
So they'll be an adjustment period like we just talked about,
and we'll have to be ready to handle something without
a doubt.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Well, so much talk in the preseason about getting down
to the initial fifty three and you always talk about
the practice squad and you got so many of your
guys coming back to you, which is great. How tough
is it now? Who is going to dress on Sunday?
And the guys that don't dress are good players? Whoever
it is, they're really good players, and that's going to
be tough to lay that news on them, if you will,
(37:43):
and just get ready to play.
Speaker 7 (37:44):
For sure, Mark, I mean, we're we have anywhere from
five to seven inactive players based on if there's elevation,
So if you don't elevate anybody, then you go from
fifty three you can only take forty eight to the game,
So you're gonna have to tell somebody you're not playing.
That is a pretty good football player. So I just
have to be honest with them, just to communicate with
them their role could change or evolve during the course
of the year. Part of their responsibilities to prepare as
(38:06):
if they're going to play, including the practice squad players
like we've talked about, and whoever, whatever decision we make
for that game, then we have to deal with it.
And then once we get through the RAMS game, then
what's our preparation look like for the Tampa for the
Tampa game? And are we using the same group. There's
always a lot of moving parts and it's never easy,
especially if a player has earned the opportunity to play.
But per the rules, you can't take everybody to the game,
(38:28):
so sometimes you have to make some difficult decisions.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Nick, you mentioned one of the most I think unheralded
assets of Matt Stafford's game, and that's his toughness. Beyond
that and including that what makes him so difficult to face,
especially in Week one.
Speaker 7 (38:42):
A gifted thrower can get the ball to any parts
of the field. He probably hasn't seen it. You're not
going to show him anything that he hasn't seen. He's
been in the league over many years. He's been in
the league, so his ability to understand and process information
at a high rate of speed is one of his strengths.
And he can literally get the ball to any part
of the field. He can kind of adjust his arm
angle and his arm slot, and it's hard to get
(39:05):
to him. I mean, he gets rid of the ball,
is a quick release, and he's willing to hang in
the pocket and take a hit to deliver the ball
under duress. Massive amount respect for Matthew and what he's done,
and he's earned all the accolades that he's received.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Week one.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
When you look at all the analytics, all the data
you have medically or whatever else on guys going the
full distance in a game versus whatever they've done in
the preseason, I felt like there were a lot of
reps in that joint practice with the Lions, a lot
of reps for the ones and the twos. But this
is a full game, now, how does that come into play?
And I got to think it really affects week two
as well.
Speaker 7 (39:39):
Yeah, we really the first three to four weeks of
the season, you're kind of all, right, where are the players?
They have they built up enough capacity to make it
through an entire game. Defensively, we rotate a lot of
players in on the front anyway, so you're probably gonna
we're gonna use our depths, We're gonna use everybody. But
nobody's played a full game to this point. So sixty seven,
(39:59):
sixty five seventy plays and he just side of the ball.
Nobody has played that amount in a real game in
twenty twenty five, and they've done it previously, sure, so
we're gonna have to monitor that and see what their
loads are, what are their speeds, and then their recovery
after the game. But the first week, the first few
weeks are all kind of tied together because then you
might have to look at practice. How do we just
practice and then we're gonna be so it's gonna be
(40:20):
a long week, but then it's gonna be a short week.
So how you handle that in the early part of
the season, you know, will be important part of our process.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Nick, right before the roster is unveiled, announced Joe's gonna
be out at least the first four weeks. How do
you like that running back room? What do you like
about that running back room? Starting with Nick and what
you got in there? Yeah, we think it's a pretty
versatile room.
Speaker 7 (40:40):
They've all played other than Woody, have all played good
football at different points of their career. They've all helped
their respective teams, you know, when they've been called upon.
So we're gonna need everybody not only in that room
but throughout the team as well. But I feel like
we have pretty good depth. They're all kind of different
in terms of what they bring to the table. Nick
is his own entity. DP has the that he brings
(41:00):
to the table. Daa probably has the most comprehensive role
because he has a role offensively and in a kicking
game as well. And then Woody has a pretty good
skill set. So how we're actually able to incorporate that
with any offense, We'll kind of have to see how
it unfolds.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
So I know there's a whole thing going on in
this building with you and your staff deploying guys out
to watch college and start scouting. We'll start, you've already started,
but for the six draft. I don't want to bog
us down in draft talk, but that's underway.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
People do it. Oh, I know you like this, you
like this part, but you're already examining everything there is too.
Speaker 7 (41:33):
Yeah, for sure, we've we've had folks out of training
camp over the month August, and then the first real
weekend of college football was this past weekend, so we
had area scouts, national scouts, scouting directors at different games.
There was a number of good games over the course
of the weekend, so that information is starting to come
back to us. I get a weekly update usually Monday
or Tuesday from what everybody saw that particular week and
(41:57):
started to start to build up you know my document
as well. So done a lot of work on a
lot of players over the course of the spring, and
then we'll be selective here picking you know, picking the
spots here during the course of the during the course
of the season, might be an opportunity to get over
the sc game they're playing, I want to say, Saturday
night or something like that. So we'll try to maximize
our opportunities and try to utilize our resources as best
(42:18):
we can.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
So this happened in week zero at Stanford I'm going
somewhere with this. Stanford Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Stanford kicked the ball off and the ball hit the
ground and it popped up in the air, and it
keep was standing at the one yard line and he
then waved a fair catch and caught the ball, thinking well,
the balls should go to the twenty five yard line.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
And it got me thinking about had they talked about that?
Speaker 7 (42:38):
Do you do?
Speaker 2 (42:39):
You do you guys as a staff sit and talk
with the players about particular new rules or new things
that have popped up that.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
They should be aware of.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
Because he didn't realize it, and I don't know if
you ever knew it, But is that something that you
guys talk about as a staff.
Speaker 7 (42:51):
Nick, Yeah, there's so many rules you have to be
careful of, inundated with too much information. But what are
the ones that are relevant and what are the ones
that are kind of germane maybe that are new or
new ish. Really in the NFL, to kickoff sort of
adjustment or rules are probably the biggest thing. There's some
other minor tweaks that they've made, but just understanding the rules,
what happens where the ball is kicked, if it's kicked here,
(43:12):
here's what happens, or if this action takes place, here's
what happens, so you prepare for it. Inevitably, there's going
to be things that come up in the game maybe
we haven't talked about or that we haven't practiced, but
it's a learning opportunity. So you take the information and
the next time that you're put in a position, hopefully
you make the right the right decision.
Speaker 4 (43:29):
The thirty five yard line touchback feels radical in that
everything's going to be returned now because you don't want
to give up the thirty five yard lines. So we're
going to see a lot more action and the way
Emy kicks the ball off a lot of bad hops
off his kickoffs.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
If he can get it to squib inside the twenty.
Speaker 7 (43:45):
Yeah, everybody'll probably have a philosophy that they're going to
go with during a year. The ball handling will be important,
and the kicker's ability to change his directory and put
the returner in a difficult spot. That'll probably be a
part of the strategy. And the calculus that's involved something
that we spend time on here in the spring. Once
you get into the game, kind of see how it evolves.
(44:05):
But really the line of demarcation, there is the twenty
yard line. So whatever you're gonna do, better make sure
it gets past the twenty because if it doesn't and
then the ball is at the forty, then you basically
cut the field in.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
Half at that point.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
With what we would think is gonna be more returns
in the game, does that, as you're talking about kind
of bridging the gap the conversation of the twenty twenty
six NFL Draft, because we're gonna have more returns, does
that add that other wrinkle to it that you want
to see from? Hey man, this guy returns kicks, you know,
like Ancepsion for A and M. He returned to plot
(44:36):
the other night. Hey he becomes maybe a little bit
more valuable because now the return game is that much
more value because we have more returns than we've ever had.
Speaker 7 (44:43):
No, it's a good question, Johnny. Let's say case by case,
more than likely ball handling. The ball handlers, they're probably
gonna put a premium on that. But I would say
kickoff or turn through the years, sometimes it's a trainable skill.
Maybe you have a player that hasn't handled the ball,
but you try him back there, I'd say Pierce is
really example that we didn't draft Piers because we thought
he was going to be a kickoff return. He's kind
(45:04):
of evolved in that because of his ability to make
plays with the ball in his hand. Punt return is
a teachable skill or trainable skill. You've seen a number
of players that hadn't done it before that they learned
it once they get in the NFL. So it depends
on the player's capacity and ability to take coaching and learn.
If they've done it, they have experience doing it, we
certainly make a note and then we're going to evaluate
it and if it's something that we can incorporate to
(45:24):
our advantage, and we'll certainly look at.
Speaker 4 (45:26):
I've got one more so quick family update, Nick, because
this is your fifth season that you are starting here
with the Houston Texans organization.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
That means your girls have grown up here. They're Texans
now does it feel like it? How are they doing?
Give us an update?
Speaker 7 (45:39):
No, they're doing great. We've been rock and rolling for
the last couple of weeks at school. They're active. Is
all get up so between cross country, soccer, field, hockey.
Our youngest is a big cheer fan, so she's immersed
in that process. So she's actually decent, so we'll see
how far that goes. But no, it's hard to believe.
(46:00):
I mean, they love being here. We've been here. It's
like you mentioned, it's our fifth season. So grateful for
the opportunity, excited to get started. And yeah, they're immersed
in the culture. They don't have a choice, but they're
happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
Very good, All right, Nick, thanks a lot, good luck.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
Thanks fellas, there is Nick Caserio joining us, and that
was some great stuff. You want to see the video
check out on YouTube. But appreciate Nick for coming in
with us each and every week. And it's such a
great job. With Sean and Seth on Sports Radio six
to ten as well. But we get a chance to
talk to him every week. I love the scouting reports.
Those are my favorites. But he's the best and we
appreciate him. We appreciate Frank Ross, John Carroll represent Yo.
(46:39):
Cannot wait. Week one, Sunday kickoff three twenty five. Listen
to us on Sports Radio six ten, Mark Andre and myself.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
We'll have the call.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
You have the pregame starting at twelve twenty five with
Sean and Seth. You'll have the post game, right after
we finish with Teran Peddergas and Clint Sterner. Hopefully they
are talking to a very happy Texan and text and
fan base.
Speaker 1 (47:01):
Hopefully we're talking about a win. Going one to O
what you gotta do?
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Like LSU last week, the head shirts just said one
to oh, that's the way you gotta start.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
One to oh.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
It's a third straight road opener for Tamiko Rans as
head coach of the Texans, and hopefully, like I said,
we finished one and oh. Appreciate everybody for being involved
on the show. Thank you so much for listening. We
will see you on Sunday. Have a great night, everybody.
Enjoy Chiefs and Chargers, the Brazilian up next right here
on Sports Radio six ten.
Speaker 1 (47:28):
See you on Sunday, and as always, go Texans.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
What Are We Even Doing? with Kyle MacLachlan
Join award-winning actor and social media madman Kyle MacLachlan on “What Are We Even Doing,” where he sits down with Millennial and Gen Z actors, musicians, artists, and content creators to share stories about the entertainment industry past, present, and future. Kyle and his guests will talk shop, compare notes on life, and generally be weird together. In a good way. Their conversations will resonate with listeners of any age whose interests lie in television & film, music, art, or pop culture.