–The Texans received a glimpse of what a slot wide receiver is supposed to look like in their offense with the arrival of Keke Coutee. Able to get into defenses and create issues for defenses with simple motions across the formation, the only thing slowing the talented rookie is his health. Dealing with hamstring issues all training camp and having a setback early in the Jacksonville game, Coutee wants to be healthy for the second half of the season.
“It is something I want to be 100 percent, just not to have another setback like I have this season,” Coutee said of his health. “I just want to be 100 percent before I go back.”
In his absence, the Texans have patched together the wide receiver group and have reeled off three straight wins without him. Watching from the sideline is taking its toll on Coutee.
“Watching those guys have fun (while) I’m not being able to play, hurts me a little bit,” Coutee explained. “I’m just ready to get back out there with those guys.”
With the extended rest for the team coming out of a bye week, the Texans are getting healthy and Coutee could be back on the field this week for the offense. Coutee is taking the necessary steps to make sure he is healthy and ready to get back.
Coutee said, “It is a high possibility.” that he could return this week against the Redskins.
This season Coutee has 21 receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown.
–Running back D’Onta Foreman is closing in on his return after a long rehab process back from the Achilles injury he suffered last season. Foreman returned to the practice field Wednesday with his teammates. The Texans have 21 days to evaluate him before making a decision of whether he will be activated to the 53-man roster.
There have been whispers on the conditioning of Foreman but with him behind in the process, it is hard to imagine the second-year back ready for game action. The Texans want to get a closer look at Foreman to see what exactly he can do for the offense.
“If we ignite that 21-day window and we feel like after watching him practice for however long we think we need to watch him,” head coach Bill O’Brien said prior to his return. “If he shows us that he’s in decent shape, he’s come back from the injury, then I don’t see why he wouldn’t have a chance to play at some point.”
It will be a full year to the day after the Redskins game since Foreman injured his Achilles and it has been a long tedious process to regain his strength to give himself a chance to get back on the field.
“I have made a lot of progress since I started my rehab process,” Foreman explained. “I feel really good, I am looking forward to getting back out there.”
Leaning on Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue and running back coach Danny Barrett, Foreman has made sure he has been in meetings and doing everything to stay involved with the team.
“It has been a long time,” Foreman said of his absence. “I am looking forward to coming back and getting back out there with the guys.”
–It was a minor shock that the Texans moved on from Tyler Ervin, who had been solid and not flashy as a returner this season. Add in his versatility to help out at running back and slot wide receiver, Ervin was used in many spots when needed. Head coach Bill O’Brien discussed the move of moving on from Ervin, a fourth-round draft pick from 2016.
“We evaluate guys all the time,” O’Brien explained. “Tyler did a lot of good things for us. Great guy, very coachable guy. Just felt like, at the end of the day, we try to make decisions in the best interest of the team and we felt like that was a good move for right now.
Last week the Texans put a claim on DeAndre Carter who was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles and awarded him off of waivers. The Texans moved on from Ervin and O’Brien discussed the move for Carter.
“Just like everything else, you never know,” O’Brien continued. “A lot of these guys, you end up seeing them back here at some point, but I thought it was a chance for us – (general manager) Brian (Gaine) and I – we saw a guy out there on the wire, (DeAndre) Carter, that had had some success doing some of those things, so we decided to make that move.”
With Carter in the fold now, the Texans now have another slot wide receiver and a potential big-play returner. When asked if Carter was the choice moving forward to return for the Texans, O’Brien said, “I would say probably, yes. There are several candidates to be the punt returner but I would say he would be the prime candidate.”
–Safety Tyrann Mathieu is looking forward to veterans Aaron Colvin and Johnathan Joseph returning to the field in the secondary. The Texans have had to mix and match in the secondary to get through this stretch of missing players. Mathieu discussed the chemistry that is being built in the secondary because of it.
“I think it’s just important to constantly build that chemistry, that continuity,” Mathieu said of the secondary. “Bad things happen in this league, guys have to step up, injuries may occur. I thought we did a great job of really just getting everybody prepared to play. I think everybody in our room has really seen some snaps on defense minus a couple guys, but I think everybody for the most part is prepared and ready to go.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 — The number of receptions DeAndre Hopkins needs to extend his streak to 89 consecutive games with a reception to start his NFL career. A single reception would pass former Texans TE Owen Daniels (88) for the second-longest streak in team history with at least one reception.
