Texans morning huddle: Wide receivers needed
By Randy Gurzi
Good morning and a happy Tuesday to all the Houston Texans fans out there. Today’s morning huddle brings us a story about how great the team’s star receiver has been as well as a look at a padded practice which hopefully brings back some toughness.
Texans trying out wide receiver Josh Lenz on Monday – by Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle
"The Texans are working out former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Lenz on Monday, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.Lenz has previous stints with the Chicago Bears after going undrafted out of Iowa State along with the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.He made a strong bid for a roster spot with the Browns, but was released during the final major roster cutdown.At Iowa State, Lenz caught 96 passes for 1,213 yards and 10 touchdowns.Lenz ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds at his Pro Day and had a 38 1/2 inch vertical leap.Helmets, pads and “tough” practice for Texans – by Drew Dougherty, HoustonTexans.comAfter a weekend off, the Texans went back to work on Monday morning in helmets and pads.According to head coach Bill O’Brien, it was a “good practice”. The Texans fell to 1-4 following Thursday evening’s loss at home to the Colts. The players were free on Saturday and Sunday, but were back at it on Monday morning at the Houston Methodist Training Center.“Those guys really responded well,” O’Brien said. “It was a tough practice, wasn’t an easy practice. That was good to see.”O’Brien said the Texans hadn’t practiced in pads since before the regular season started, and that teams are limited in how many times they can do so.“There’s a rule there, which basically is one per week,”O’Brien said. “I think it’s a total of 15 for the year once the regular season starts. We kind of try to space it out, use them all, but maybe not all in a row basically.”Brian Hoyer, who will start at quarterback this Sunday in Jacksonville, said it was “fun” to get back out on the field.“Sometimes when things aren’t going really well for you, you just go out there and try to remember that you’re playing a game,” Hoyer said. “Go out there and have fun and embrace your teammates. Go out there, compete as hard as you can and, like I said, take it one day at a time.”"
Breakfast: Hopkins off to a huge start – by Eric SanInocencio, HoustonTexans.com
"Tops in the NFL in receiving yards.Tops in the NFL in first down catches.Second in in the NFL in yards per game.Second in the NFL in catches.It is safe to say that DeAndre Hopkins is off to a MONSTER start.Five weeks into the 2015 season, Hopkins finds himself among the league leaders in several receiving categories. The third-year wide out from Clemson had another big night in the team’s 27-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and is rapidly approaching rarefied air in Texans franchise history. His 11 catches for 169 yards on Thursday was his first career game with 10-or-more receptions and his third straight 100-yard receiving game. That three-game streak is tied for second-longest in team history. Hopkins posted seven of those 11 receptions in the first half, which is tied for the fourth-most in the first half in franchise history.Five games in, Hopkins has snagged 42 catches for 578 yards. Those totals are the most through five games of a season in Texans history. 81 percent (34 of 42) of his catches have resulted in first downs. Not only is he the Texans top target through the air, he’s becoming the Texans main weapon to move the chains.Even opposing players are noticing. Colts wide receiver Andre Johnson, who spent several seasons working alongside Hopkins here in Houston, commented on Hopkins ability. ““He’s a great player, man. You hate to see him make it against your team, but I love the way he plays, I love the way he approaches the game.”While stats projections aren’t ironclad, the numbers Hopkins are on pace to put up are staggering.135 catches, 1849 yards."