USL Austin mulls dozens of names
No major decisions on new team until after F1 race Oct. 22.
USL Austin officials said that no major soccer decisions will be made until after the Formula One race at Circuit of the Americas.
The U.S. Grand Prix is Oct. 22 at the Austin racing and entertainment complex, which also will be the home for the new profes- sional soccer team in 2019.
“We’ve got some time on the soccer front, and it only makes sense to wait until after the F1 race, which is obviously our biggest event of the year,” COTA chair- man and USL Austin majority owner Bobby Epstein said.
Soccer blogger Jerome Cor- tinovis tweeted Monday that “Austin Bold FC” was trademarked by USL Austin offi- cial Roberto Pinto da Silva Jr.
Pinto da Silva, the special events coordinator at COTA, confirmed to the American-Statesman that he did obtain Austin Bold FC but cautioned not to read too much into it.
“This is one of about 40 names we want to consider,” he said. “At least half of those names already were registered in some way.
“Some of these registered names we are interested in getting the rights from whoever has them. This was one name not trademarked that we wanted to go ahead and secure.”
Both Epstein and Pinto da Silva said more work will be put into the name selection late this fall. to have double coverage on almost every pass play.
Both teams are coming off humiliating performances in which their offenses were horrendous. Hopkins scored the Texans’ only touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Watson. The Bengals didn’t even score in their 20-0 home loss to Baltimore.
Hopkins, who signed an $81 million contract that included $39 million guaranteed, is under a lot of pressure to produce.
Receivers Will Fuller (col- larbone) and Bruce Ellington (concussion) aren’t play- ing. Tight ends C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson are sidelined with concussions.
Receiver Jaelen Strong returns from his one-game suspension. Receiver Brax- ton Miller is healthy again but didn’t catch a pass against Jacksonville.
That means Hopkins will catch the majority of the passing game even more than he normally does.
“Hopkins will be targeted several times in every game we play this year,” coach Bill O’ Brien said Tuesday. “Regardless of who’s out there — one tight end, four tight ends, no tight ends — the ball will be thrown in his direction quiteabit. I think everybody knows that.” O’Brien calls the plays. “He was targeted 16 times (against Jacksonville), and I really wish I had targeted him 20 times,” O’Brien said.
It would benefit Hopkins and the passing game for the Texans to run the ball more productively than they did against Jacksonville (93 yards on 23 carries).
They have to establish the running game early, and they have to use rookie D’Onta Foreman, the ex-Longhorns star, more than Sunday, when he carried one time for 4 yards.
So much depends on the offensive line. Don’t expect another miserable perfor- mance like against the Jaguars, who recorded 10 sacks.
If the Texa ns can run consistently, it’ll set up the play-action, and that’s when Hopkins needs to step up and ignite the offense with some electrifying receptions.
For Hopkins to provide a spark to the offense, the Texans have to develop a passing game that starts with improved pass protection. No more getting flattened by pass rushers attacking like heat-seeking missiles.
To get Hopkins the ball, the coaches have to put him in position to make plays the way the Texans used to set up Andre Johnson.
Johnson used to line up wide, in t he slot and in the backfield before going in motion. When the ball was snapped, he was often already on the move to get off the line of scrimmage in a flash. The Texans need to utilize Hopkins in similar fashion.
When the ball’s in the air, Hopkins has to attack it with gusto. When the pass isn’t right on target, he has to use those flypaper hands to make the catch, even if it’s a one-handed reception.
Protection is paramount, of course. Give a quarterback time to throw in Hopkins’ vicinity, and he’s got to be a difference-maker in a game that has a lot of early-season significance for both teams trying to rebound.