Texans morning huddle: Team bands together
By Randy Gurzi
Good morning Texans fans! So it was the Steelers and Vikings, and hardly anyone of mention played. Still, last night we had NFL football finally! And tomorrow we get the debut of the Houston Texans on Hard Knocks! Yes, this is a great Monday morning, and the only thing that could make it better is by catching up on all the Texans news we can find…so let’s do just that;
Vandermeer’s View: Texans band together – by Marc Vandermeer of HoustonTexans.com
"It’s hard to project how Saturday’s run-in with the Redskins will affect this team. You could look at it as a ‘wasted practice’ as Jay Gruden did. Or you could look at it as a moment this team bonded and perhaps defined itself for the season.Without getting into ‘who started it’ talk, let’s be clear. The Texans aren’t going to be pushed around. Everyone saw Vince Wilfork blast his way in the backfield on video. But what you may have missed is how fired up he was after the whole thing was over and the teams divided. John Harris painted a picture of the moment as one in which Wilfork vocalized the emotions of the entire squad and, if he hadn’t done it already, established himself as a leader of this team.Nate Washington told us afterwards “Everybody stands together, everybody protects each other. Nobody is out there to hurt anybody.”Bill O’Brien wouldn’t lament the fights, dismissing them as part of training camp intensity. Sure he didn’t want to cut off the joint practice that early but he may have gained more in the long run. After all, the team still got some solid, full pad work in and they inadvertently may have found a way to unite them as a group.Maybe they didn’t need it. Maybe it would have happened anyway. Or maybe we’ll look back on Saturday as a pivotal moment in the season."
Texans holding steady with RB group – by Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com
"Head coach Bill O’Brien had no update after Friday’s practice on Arian Foster, who is expected to miss time with a groin surgery and may require surgery. Veteran back Chris Polk, signed this offseason, has also missed time in camp with a hamstring issue.As of right now, the Texans haven’t added another body to the position group since Foster’s injury on Monday night.“Well, obviously we are continuing to look at all the rosters,” general manager and executive vice president Rick Smith said Friday. “You have to manage these training camp rosters, as you know, with injuries. Right now, we didn’t make a move immediately because we felt like we’re okay. Chris Polk is on the mend, so hopefully he’ll be back soon. So we’ll just keep adjusting to whatever happens out here on the field.”"
WHY, WHEN AND HOW TO WATCH THIS SEASON OF ‘HARD KNOCKS’ WITH THE HOUSTON TEXANS – by Eric Goldschein of Sports Grid
"Sports and reality TV don’t often mix, unless you’re Pat Mayo. But one of the best exceptions to this rule is “Hard Knocks,” the football training camp show created by HBO and NFL Films. It’s the perfect way to get hyped for football season, and it gives viewers a better understanding of what goes into making an NFL team — or what it takes to stay on the roster.For example: Remember that one time Carson Palmer had to tell his center to wipe his butt better?Classic.“Hard Knocks” returns next week, Aug. 11, for another five-episode run. Information on watching the first episode, via HBO, below:HBO SPORTS, NFL FILMS AND THE HOUSTON TEXANS TEAM UP FOR AN ALL-ACCESS LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WHEN THE 12-TIME SPORTS EMMY®-WINNING SERIES HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE HOUSTON TEXANS KICKS OFF ITS FIVE-EPISODE TENTH SEASON TUESDAY, AUG. 11 (10:00-11:00 P.M. ET/PT) ON HBO.OTHER HOUR-LONG EPISODES OF THE FIRST SPORTS-BASED REALITY SERIES – AND ONE OF THE FASTEST-TURNAROUND PROGRAMS ON TV – DEBUT SUBSEQUENT TUESDAYS AT THE SAME TIME, CULMINATING IN THE SEPT. 8 SEASON FINALE. EACH EPISODE REPLAYS WEDNESDAY AT 11:00 P.M.DEBUT: TUESDAY, AUG. 11 (10:00-11:00 P.M. ET/PT)OTHER HBO PLAYDATES: AUG. 12 (4:15 P.M., 11:00 P.M.), 13 (1:00 P.M., 2:45 A.M.), 14 (11:15 A.M., 2:55 A.M.), 15 (9:00 A.M., 2:55 A.M.), 16 (8:45 A.M.) AND 17 (11:10 P.M.)HBO2 PLAYDATES: AUG. 11 (1:30 A.M.) 14 (4:45 A.M.), 18 (4:45 P.M., 1:35 A.M.) AND 26 (2:00 A.M.)"