Texans morning huddle: Foster still waiting, Hopkins to miss time?
By Randy Gurzi
Good morning Houston Texans fans, I hope this Thursday treats you well. Today on the huddle we see the likelihood of one star missing time as well as get some less than encouraging news on another we are waiting for. Check it all out below, enjoy;
Arian Foster unlikely for Week 3; DeAndre Hopkins misses practice – by Tania Ganguli, ESPN
"The Houston Texans’ offense isn’t expected to regain Arian Foster’s services Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it lost another critical offensive piece, receiver DeAndre Hopkins, for practice Wednesday.Texans coach Bill O’Brien said he doesn’t think Foster will make his season debut against the Buccaneers. Foster, who suffered a torn groin in training camp, practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday after returning to practice last week.“I think that he’s a guy that really understands his own body very well,” O’Brien said. “He’s really looking good at practice. I’ll say that. I like the way he looks. He looks like he’s in good shape and feels better. I’m not sure about this week but I would say he will be back sooner rather than later.”Hopkins, meanwhile, missed Wednesday’s practice with a concussion, the Texans said. He played on all but one snap in last weekend’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.The third-year wideout has been Houston’s top offensive player through two games. He had nine catches for 98 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, and five catches for 53 yards against the Panthers.Foster suffered a torn groin Aug. 3 in the Texans’ first padded practice of training camp. He had surgery to repair the injury Aug. 7 in Philadelphia.Foster has not been made available to the media in about two weeks, but said before the Texans’ Week 1 matchup that he wanted to feel as close to 100 percent as possible before returning to play."
Texans intent on creating takeaways – by Drew Dougherty, HoustonTexans.com
"In 2014, the Houston Texans had six takeaways through the first two weeks of the season.This year, they’ve managed just one.After Week 2, the Texans were a perfect 2-0 and were plus-5 in turnover differential.It’s a different story in 2015, as they’re winless in a pair of contests and minus-2 in turnover differential.“We have to try to do a better job of getting some takeaways,” head coach Bill O’Brien said on Wednesday. “That’s something that’ll really help us. It really helped us last year.”J.J. Watt said he and his defensive teammates need to get back to their playmaking ways.“I feel like we haven’t played our brand of football yet on defense,” the defensive end said. “I feel like we haven’t played the way that we should be playing on defense.”O’Brien, however, pointed out that some of the disparity in takeaways last year versus this year, is due to good fortune.“We’ve had some batted balls, some of those went our way last year, where the ball was batted in the air and we intercepted it, or the ball was on the ground,” O’Brien said. “(Jadeveon) Clowney has had a couple plays where he’s stripped the quarterback or the back out of the backfield and the ball’s rolled out of bounds. I don’t think I’m using that as an excuse, I’m just telling you that the ball really hasn’t bounced our way.”"
Breakfast: Chris Polk, Toros Bravos volunteer at Casa De Esperanza – by Jesse Clark, HoustonTexans.com
"Bang, bang, pollo y camarón.Texans running back Chris Polk uttered his signature phrase (bang, bang, chicken and shrimp), made famous by HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’, in Spanish on multiple occasions as his outgoing personality was put on full display out in the community on Tuesday night.Polk, along with members of the Houston Texans Hispanic fan club Toros Bravos and Texans Cheerleaders, spent an evening volunteering at Casa De Esperanza, a safe haven for children in crisis due to abuse, neglect or the effects of HIV, where they helped serve food to families, played with kids, cleaned up flower beds, stained backyard fences, and helped with inflatable games.“This means the world to me,” Polk said. “I’m still a big kid myself. Just to have an impact and meet the kids and see what’s going on in the community, it’s just wonderful. I definitely will be coming back here to spend time with the kids. They are our future. I’m proud to be part of an organization that is really involved in the community. Putting smiles on these kids’ faces, it really goes a long way.”Polk’s playful nature was evident from the start. The running back quickly jumped in to play catch and take selfies with the kids. He also signed autographs for a long line of fans.Casa, which provides residential care and coordinates medical and psychological services according to the needs of each child, began in 1982 and has grown exponentially with the help of Michael Cordúa, the founder and chairman of the board of directors of Cordúa Restaurants.Cordúa Restaurants has sponsored Casa’s Building Hope for Children Gala for 26 consecutive years, providing food, beverages and staff for the event free of charge. The gala has grown from a $75,000-a-year event to one that now annually raises in excess of seven figures."
Bucs’ offense gears up for Houston Texans – by Olivia Stacey, TBO.com
"When the Bucs face the Houston Texans on Sunday, they’ll be playing without a core member of their offense. Tight end Austin Seferian Jenkins is expected to miss four to six weeks due to a shoulder injury he suffered in last week’s 26-19 win over the Saints.The Bucs strengthened their depth at the position on Tuesday by re-signing Cameron Brate off the Saints practice squad.In this video, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and quarterback Jameis Winston discuss the depth at tight end and wide receiver Mike Evans getting more involved in this week’s game plan."