SHORT AND SWEET FOR QB TAYLOR.
Quarterback provides glimpse of potential when he’s healthy during his one series
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor got one series against the Packers on Saturday night, and the coaches got exactly what they wanted from him.
In the first preseason game — a 26-7 victory that ushered in the Nick Caserio/ David Culley era — Taylor started and guided the Texans on an 11-play, 53-yard scoring drive that ended with Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 37-yard field goal.
The Texans and Packers played a lot of reserves at Lambeau Field, but that didn’t dampen what Taylor achieved on his only series.
Taylor, who is going into his 11th season and has replaced Deshaun Watson as the starter, showed against the Packers what he’s been showing in practice since training camp began 3½ weeks ago.
Taylor was 4 of 4 for 44 yards, including three completions that produced first downs. He connected with Chris Conley three times for gains of 17, 8 and 11 yards — two for first downs.
“I thought Tyrod managed the game well,” Culley said. “He did what we wanted him to do. I didn’t feel like we finished that first drive. We can’t get a field goal in that situation. We have to score a touchdown.”
Playing without three of his offensive tackles — Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard and Roderick Johnson, all of whom are on the reserve/COVID-19 list — Taylor didn’t make a mistake.
When Taylor departed after his one possession and turned over the offense to rookie Davis Mills, Caserio, Culley, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and passing game coordinator/quarterback coach Pep Hamilton had to be pleased with his performance.
Taylor threw on the run. He threw from the pocket. His timing was terrific, and he was accurate.
If the Texans had been able to run more effectively — a problem that plagued them last season when they were 31st in rushing — they might have completed Taylor’s drive with a touchdown.
The Texans began the game on defense. They forced the Packers and second-year quarterback Jordan Love to go three and out.
The Texans’ first series began on their 28. Phillip Lindsay carried for 4, 0, 1, 4 and 5 yards. Taylor’s four completions left them with third-and-1 at the Green Bay 18.
David Johnson, the starting running back last season, entered the game in place of Lindsay. Johnson tried to run up the middle, got no blocking and was dropped for a 1-yard loss.
Rather than go for it on fourth-and-2 and work on their short-yardage running game, Culley elected to kick the field goal. It would have been better to test the run blocking again or to let Taylor throw on the run or take off for a first down, but the Texans chose the easy way out and called on Fairbairn.
“When it was third-and-1, we had two plays ready,” Culley said. “When we didn’t get any yards, we decided to kick it.”
In his brief appearance, Taylor provided a snapshot of what the passing game is capable of doing as long as he stays healthy. His injury history is well-documented.
Taylor hasn’t been a regular starter since his last season with Buffalo in 2017 when Culley was his quarterback coach.
Taylor was the Browns’ starter in 2018 and was injured early in the season, allowing rookie Baker Mayfield to take over. In 2020, he entered the season as the Chargers’ starter and suffered a freak injury that resulted in a punctured lung that gave rookie Justin Herbert his opportunity before the coaches expected it.
Mayfield and Herbert used Taylor’s injuries to take over their teams, and they’ve become two of the league’s better young quarterbacks.
If Taylor stays healthy, he should benefit from an improved running game that’s supposed to provide Culley’s offense with more balance. Because he’s a nifty runner, Taylor can contribute to the run. He didn’t help in that way against the Packers, but that wasn’t the intention.
Like last season, the Texans weren’t able generate a running game, but keep in mind, they were playing a lot of backups against backups from Green Bay, so Saturday night wasn’t an accurate barometer of how effective they’ll be running the ball.
Truthfully, Saturday was a night for passing and not running. Caserio and the coaches wanted to see Taylor passing on his one series, and they wanted to get a good look at Mills, who was hot and cold in the first half that ended with the Texans leading 13-7.
The Texans’ most impressive receiver in the first half was Conley. Like Taylor, Caserio signed Conley as a free agent. He should start opposite Brandin Cooks, who didn’t play against Green Bay. Rookie Nico Collins, a third-round pick, should continue to get opportunities in practice and games to earn playing time behind Cooks and Conley.
With Randall Cobb traded to the Packers at the request of quarterback Aaron Rodgers,
Keke Coutee, Anthony Miller and Alex Erickson have been competing for playing time in the slot. Taylor needs weapons who can work the middle of the field. Miller was carted off the field in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Coutee and Erickson look as if they can handle that responsibility.
What Caserio and Culley want to see is improvement and consistency. Once Taylor left the game, they didn’t get much of either, but neither did the Packers. And don’t forget, one team is supposed to be a Super Bowl contender and the other a contender for the first pick in the draft.
Now it’s on to Arlington and the preseason game at AT&T Stadium fans want to win the most.