Feeling disrespected, Lechler cites kicking schedule
Punter Shane Lechler said he felt disrespected by the Texans, who cut the veteran in favor of rookie Trevor Daniel.
“I never thought I would be beat out by a rookie,” Lechler said on the podcast of former NFL punter Pat McAfee.
Lechler also complained about the punting schedule the Texans had him and Daniel conduct during their competition.
“The kicking schedule we had, man, that was absolutely brutal,” Lechler said. “I really felt like a rookie again. I know what you’re trying to do: kick me out of the game.”
When McAfee asked Lechler if he felt disrespected, the seventime Pro Bowl punter replied: “Oh, yeah.”
The Texans are 0-2 and have lost 14 of their past 18 games, and Lechler was critical of coach Bill
O’Brien’s reaction to the mounting losses.
“Driving in every morning and I’m like, ‘… what is he going to say today,’ ” Lechler said. “I’m tired of hearing we are so close. No, we aren’t, we’re 2-10.”
O’Brien was surprised by Lechler’s comments.
“I just talked to Shane two nights ago, so I don’t know what to tell you,” O’Brien said. “It’s a very hard decision that you have to make. Shane’s one of the best punters to ever punt. I’ve said that time and time again. I consider Shane a friend, so I don’t know what to say other than that.”
Giants rookie RB Barkley a handful
Rookie running back Saquon
Barkley is justifying the Giants’ investment in him as the second overall pick of the draft.
Now, the winless Texans will try to contain Barkley on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
“He’s a very challenging player,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “He’s hard to tackle, obviously, in the running game, but he’s also used very well in the passing game.”
Barkley has rushed for 134 yards on 29 carries and caught 16 passes for 102 yards in his first two games. The former Penn State star had a 68-yard TD run against Jacksonville.
“He’s very tough to bring down on the first tackle,” defensive end J.J. Watt said. “I think you’ll notice that rarely does he get taken down by the first guy to hit him, which is impressive. So we know he has big-play capabilities, just like Odell
(Beckham Jr.) does on the outside. They have weapons.”
Jackson’s versatility comes in handy
Just because the Texans had
Kareem Jackson play cornerback against Tennessee doesn’t mean the veteran won’t be back at safety against the Giants.
Jackson started the season at safety but was shifted back to cornerback last week when
Kevin Johnson was placed on injured reserve with a concussion. Against the Titans, rookie
Justin Reid stepping into the starting lineup at safety.
“I think we have to think about that every week,” coach
Bill O’Brien said. “Kareem has a lot of experience.
“He’s one of our more versatile players on defense and he’s a smart player, so it’s easy to take him and say, ‘Hey, you’re a corner, you’re a nickel, you’re a safety.’ ”
With Jackson at corner, it meant cornerback Aaron Colvin got his playing time as a substitute, not as a starter.
“I think Aaron has played solid for us, and I could see scenarios where he would be out on the field more,” O’Brien said.
Clowney remains a question mark
Texans Pro Bowl Jadeveon
Clowney (back) was limited in practice Wednesday, and he is regarded as a question mark for Sunday’s game.
Clowney was sidelined for the Texans’ loss Sunday, but he still was penalized for taunting on the bench after an altercation with Titans tight end Luke Stocker.
Clowney previously had an elbow injury, but that is no longer listed as bothering him on the injury report.