Coutee threatening fastest 4-game starts
The sure-handed presence of rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee has provided a threat from the slot position that had been missing from the Texans’ offense.
Coutee has caught 20 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown in three games since he joined the lineup after recovering from a strained hamstring.
“I feel like I had a vital role since I came back, but it’s a team effort,” Coutee said. “I’m happy with the start, but I can always do things better.”
The fourth-round draft pick needs seven more catches to pass Andre Johnson for the most catches in a player’s first four games in franchise history. Coutee needs 78 more yards to pass DeAndre Hopkins for the third-most receiving yards through a Texans player’s first four games.
“That’s what we drafted him for: to help us win games,” Hopkins said. “Obviously, that’s what he has done so far. That’s a testament to him going out and making plays and just battling.”
Coutee scored his one touchdown on a shovel pass against the Cowboys in the red zone.
When the Texans tried to run the same play against Buffalo, it didn’t work as the Bills immediately recognized the ball was going to Coutee and shut it down.
“It’s very hard,” Coutee said of the red zone, where the Texans rank 31st in scoring. “The field is condensed. Once I lined up, they were calling the play out. It was hard to be successful.”
Watson’s progress pleases Ryan
Sacked frequently, hit often and occasionally prone to forcing the football when he shouldn’t, Texans quarterback
Deshaun Watson has had some rough moments this season.
Watson has been sacked 25 times, hit 66 times and is playing through a chest injury.
Watson has completed 64.5 percent of his throws for 1,798 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions for a respectable 90.8 passer rating.
“I think he comes along like a lot of good, talented, young quarterbacks,” quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan said. “We take a couple steps forward in this area, and every once in a while, there’s a step back. Then, you’ve got to coach off of that, you have to get better.
“Don’t make the same mistake moving forward. He does well at taking coaching, so I’ve got faith that we can get that done with him and keep moving in a positive direction.”
Although Watson has taken a beating, Ryan insists he’s not overly worried.
“I think every coach in America worries about quarterbacks getting hit,” Ryan said. “I don’t worry about it more than anybody else that coaches on the offensive side of the ball. You do your best to protect him, you do your best to educate them, meaning the quarterback, on when it’s time to get rid of the ball, get the ball out of your hands, don’t hold it.”
Tight ends need more receptions
The Texans’ tight ends were minimally involved in the passing game in Sunday’s win over the Bills.
Despite being targeted five times, starter Ryan Griffin had no catches. Rookie tight end
Jordan Akins caught the one pass thrown to him for six yards.
For the season, Griffin leads Texans’ tight ends with 10 receptions for 140 yards on 25 targets.
Jordan Thomas has four receptions for 91 yards, and Akins has nine catches for 89 yards.
“I think that the tight ends have been open, and I think we have to get them the ball,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “That’s part of some of the things we have to fix.”
Fulton misses another practice
Texans starting right offensive guard Zach Fulton (ankle) didn’t practice Thursday for the second consecutive day. If Fulton can’t go Sunday, he would be replaced by Greg Mancz.