Well one episode of “Hard Knocks” is in the books, and I know I am not alone in saying I am beyond ready for the regular season to begin! Now we will need something to hold us over for the next episode as well as the start to the 2015 NFL season. Luckily, we have the morning huddle! Enjoy;
Behind the scenes with the Texans for ‘Hard Knocks’ – by Tania Ganguli of ESPN
"Inanimate objects have become characters in Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien’s life at work lately. They follow him around. They peer at him in his office. They cling to him, recording his words.He talks to them sometimes.“Hey, you ‘Hard Knocks’ guys, don’t put that in there,” he’ll say into the microphone. Sometimes he’ll talk to an unmanned camera stationed inside his office in Houston.“I look up at the camera and I say, ‘Are you filming me?'” O’Brien said.The camera will nod.“When it says yes, I usually leave the office,” O’Brien said.Drew Matyas, the human operator of the robotic camera, makes the camera answer O’Brien. Matyas works from a windowless room in NRG Stadium that was previously used as a media workstation before NFL Films arrived.On Tuesday night, HBO will premiere the first episode of “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans.” The show is produced by NFL Films, and many members of the 32-person crew will stay in Houston for all six grueling weeks of shooting. The first show comes from months of planning and weeks of constant filming. The crew will shoot 350 hours for every one hour that airs."
First depth chart released by Texans – by Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com
"The Texans have a depth chart.But they still haven’t named a starting quarterback.The team released it’s first unofficial depth chart of 2015, and under center it has Brian Hoyer with the word “OR” capitalized next to his name. Ryan Mallett, with whom Hoyer’s been competing, is also listed as the starter. The chart is below, and there aren’t too many suprises so far.Cecil Shorts, III is the starter at the receiver spot opposite DeAndre Hopkins, and second-year running back Alfred Blue is slated to go with the first team as well.On the defensive side of the ball, John Simon slides into the starting spot at the SAM outside linebacker spot, opposite Whitney Mercilus, who remains the JACK outside linebacker. Stevie Brown is the listed starter at strong safety, while Andre Hal is the backup there."
26 observations: #TexansCamp on Tuesday – by John Harris of HoustonTexans.com
"Back to the grind, BABY!Tuesday morning was the first practice here back in Houston since the team got back from Richmond, VA. There were no fights, perhaps unfortunately, perhaps fortunately, to add to the Hard Knocks repository but the team got in a solid day’s work under the glare of the 95 degree sun. Let’s get some observations from the day’s work.1. Ryan Mallett spent the day with the first unit, which follows the alternating schedule the Texans coaching staff has followed from the first day of the spring. He made a few scintillating throws during practice. His best one was a launch deep downfield to Nate Washington that the former Titan/Steeler held on to for one of the best plays of the day.2. There are times when Mallett, with his powerful arm, makes it look easy. That was true when he hit Cecil Shorts III on a slant route. Mallett split the one and the eight for an easy pitch and catch.3. I didn’t get to see much of the initial parts of practice, but I did see some a bunch of 1-on-1 reps down in the end zone. One of those reps, I saw a pass break up by Charles James, one of the many he’s had in this training camp. He was draped on Alan Bonner in man coverage in the end zone. There was no place to throw the ball and James knocked it away at the last second.4. One of the best breaks on the ball today was cornerback Darryl Morris on a slant route completion to EZ Nwachukwu. Brian Hoyer hit Nwachukwu on time, but Morris exploded into the fray and almost broke up the pass. I just have a feeling that Morris is going to find a way to make plays in this defense this season. I don’t know when. I don’t know how. It’s going to happen."
Bill O’Brien asked parents not to watch ‘Hard Knocks’ because of his ‘colorful’ language – by Dale Robertson of The Houston Chronicle
"Texans coach Bill O’Brien has seen tonight’s first “Hard Knocks” episode and, as feared, he may have helped it earn an “R” rating. O’Brien coaches with a lot of energy and passion and sometimes that includes using, uh, “colorful” language.“I called my parents,” O’Brien said, “and asked them not to watch it. Especially my mother. She’s Irish Catholic and she goes to mass I think every day. She’s not going to be very happy with me.”But O’Brien had no quarrel with how the episode lays out or how the team was presented.“I think the “Hard Knocks” people, to this day, to where we are right now, have done a really good job of working with us,” he said. “(The director) Matt Dissinger is a guy that’s been very good to work with. I think that, again, it should showcase the players, and I think it does, showcases a lot of players in a good way, and that’s a good thing for the Houston Texans.”"
Next: Houston Texans: These three areas must improve in 2015