Descriptions:
Watch on YouTube
The Houston Texans have officially played their first preseason game — and now the questions get real.
Are you impressed? Or are we still waiting to see what this team looks like when C.J. Stroud and the starters take the field?
John Hickman and Big Sarge break down Houston’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers with the straight-up takeaways Texans fans need to hear.
The offense showed some serious promise. The biggest thing we wanted to see was functionality, and Houston gave us plenty of it. The situational play-calling stood out, and there was an aggressive effort to do more than simply get players into space — the Texans worked to CREATE the space.
But defensively? That’s a different story.
Houston had 10 missed tackles, and the Chargers recognized the Texans’ undisciplined defense and attacked it with play-action throughout the night. That’s NOT GOOD.
So whose stock is UP? Whose stock is DOWN?
Jared Wayne’s stock is UP. He’s making this roster decision a whole lot harder for Houston.
Jake Hummel is making a legitimate case for himself in the Texans’ linebacker room.
And then there’s Braden Smith and the question of whether Houston has enough quality depth coming off the edge.
We’ll break it all down.
In This Episode:
Segment 1 — Immediate Texans Preseason Takeaways
What did we learn about the Houston Texans offense?
Offensive functionality and situational play-calling
Creating space instead of simply finding space
Why the offense showed promise
10 missed tackles and Houston’s defensive issues
How the Chargers attacked Houston with play-action
Texans defensive discipline and tackling concerns
Segment 2 — Texans Stock Up / Stock Down
Jared Wayne is making a statement
Is Jake Hummel forcing his way into the linebacker conversation?
Braden Smith’s stock takes a hit
Texans edge rusher depth remains a concern
Which players are making the roster decisions harder?
Segment 3 — Where Do the Texans Go From Here?
What needs to improve before the regular season?
Why we still need to see C.J. Stroud under center
What changes when the Texans’ starters take the field?
Can Houston turn preseason promise into regular-season production?
The preseason is here. The evaluation is underway. And Texans football is back.
Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.
KALSHI
For a limited time,Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10.
Square
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/lockedonnfl! #squarepod
Gametime
Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.
Indeed
Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
WANT MORE DAILY HOUSTON TEXANS CONTENT?
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-texans/
Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nfl/
Follow on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/cotydavis_24
https://mobile.twitter.com/somesportsguyy
Follow the show on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/lockedontexans
