Cunningham sniffs out plays 1st time out
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Texans rookie inside linebacker Zach Cunningham reacted instinctively Wednesday night, shadowing the sudden moves of Carolina Panthers rookie running back Christian McCaffrey to tackle him in the open field.
It was a snapshot of Cunningham’s athleticism. The second-round draft pick from Vanderbilt had an encouraging NFL preseason debut, displaying his speed and ability to diagnose plays.
Starting in place of injured second-team All-Pro inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney, Cunningham led the Texans with seven tackles during a 27-17 loss at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
“For a first NFL outing, I thought Zach did some nice things,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “Defensively, I thought he played physical. Couple things we can improve on, just like everybody else. I was pleased with how Zach played.”
Cunningham was a tackling machine in college, finishing with 295 career tackles, 39½ for losses, six sacks and seven forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries in three seasons. He led the Southeastern Conference with 125 tackles last season.
Cunningham has run the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds and owns a 35inch vertical leap, traits that allow him to keep pace with fast backs like McCaffrey out of the backfield in pass coverage.
“He had a couple oneon-ones with the back where they completed the pass, but he made the tackle right on the spot,” O’Brien said. “Even on special teams … (he) had a couple tackles there.
“I thought he did a good job. Now, he’s got to build on it. It’s just one game, one preseason game, but I thought he had a pretty good first outing.”
Foreman, Blue take battle to field
For a powerful man, Texans rookie running back D’Onta Foreman also is extremely nimble.
Foreman made it look easy when he hurdled Panthers cornerback Cole Luke on an outside run. The third-round draft pick from the University of Texas dashed away from pursuit on a 41-yard run. He finished with a gamehigh 76 yards on nine carries.
“D’Onta did some good things.” coach Bill O’Brien said.
Foreman was supposed to supplant Alfred Blue, but it’s a competitive situation.
Vying for backup duties with Foreman behind Pro Bowl alternate running back Lamar Miller, Blue also had an impressive performance. Blue ran through tackles, showing excellent body lean to bust through holes. He had a 16-yard touchdown run and totaled 33 yards on five carries. The Texans also have speedy Akeem Hunt as another option.
“I think there’s a lot of talent in that backfield, I really do,” O’Brien said. “I think there’s some guys that really work hard and have unique skill sets. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.”
Blue rushed for 420 yards last season, including a season-high 73 yards on 21 carries and a game-winning 24-yard touchdown run during a 12-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. In three NFL seasons, Blue has rushed for 1,646 yards and five touchdowns and has caught 42 passes for 262 yards.
“I thought Alfred did a nice job on the drives that he had,” O’Brien said. “He ran hard, saw the cut, had a nice touchdown run. “
Johnson’s return critical to defense
The return of cornerback Kevin Johnson remains a critical storyline surrounding the Texans’ top-ranked defense.
After the Texans lost cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Jacksonville Jaguars, having Johnson regain his health became an even more pivotal factor for the secondary.
Now, Johnson’s foot is fully healed after undergoing surgery last year to repair a fracture for the second time.
The former first-round draft pick got to play in a football game for the first time in nearly a year, starting at Carolina.
Johnson is still shedding rust and was limited to a few series against the Panthers. He got stiffarmed to the ground by Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin during a 17-yard reception on Carolina’s first play from scrimmage.
Overall, though, it was a solid outing for a player the Texans are counting on heavily.
“I thought Kevin had some good plays, probably had some plays he wants to have back,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “That’s to be expected. Kevin’s going to be fine.
“He’ll work out the kinks and be better next week.”
Injuries not deemed serious
Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney emerged as one of the top young defensive players in the NFL last season.
Sidelined this past week with an unspecified injury, the second-team All-Pro is expected to return to practice Friday, according to coach Bill O’Brien.
The former secondround draft pick from Mississippi State was the only player in the NFL last season to record at least 100 tackles and five sacks.
Tight end Stephen Anderson also is expected to return to practice Friday.
O’Brien downplayed the severity of an injury suffered in Wednesday’s game by starting wide receiver Braxton Miller. The former Ohio State quarterback went to the locker room to be examined, but he returned.
“Braxton Miller, I think he’s fine,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think it’s life-threatening with Braxton.”