At 6-3 with a legitimate MVP candidate in Deshaun Watson, the Houston Texans’ roster contains more overachievers than underachievers.
However, Houston’s road to relevance hasn’t been without its speed bumps. In the process of carving out an impressive season, the Texans have witnessed some of their members disappoint. Here are four on the team that fit that bill:
4. CB Johnathan Joseph
Johnathan Joseph received a $1.5 raise in July. While it was a smart legacy move — for the best cornerback in Texans history — it hasn’t paid off in 2019. The 35-year-old is showing signs of age in his 14th NFL season.
Joseph has missed two games in 2019 (neck, hamstring). When he is playing, he is allowing a 67.3% completion rate and a 106.8 passer rating in coverage, per Pro Football Reference. Though he still has a knack for making veteran plays, the rest of his body doesn’t seem to be following his mind as well as it did in the past.
Joseph’s contract runs through the 2019 season. After that, he is off the books. Considering Houston’s youth movement brewing at the position and a talented crop of cornerbacks on the market, Joseph shouldn’t be donning battle red and steel blue unless he’s on the coaching staff.
3. TES Kahale Warring (and Jordan Thomas)
Coming out of San Diego State, the hype for Kahale Warring was all too real. A 6-6, 251-pound multi-sport athlete with 4.67 speed and traits comparable to Travis Kelce, it appeared as if Houston had their modern-day tight end on the roster.
Until a hamstring injury and concussion forced him out of most of the offseason. Despite all the hype for their third-rounder, the Texans have not seen their new-shiny tight end on the active roster. Though eligible to return to the roster off of injured reserve, there have been no indications of so.
Warring joined second-year tight end Jordan Thomas on the injured reserve. After hauling in four red zone touchdowns as a rookie, Thomas entered the year expected to be a starter. A rib injury halted that talk.
Though injuries are out of their control, one can’t help but feel underwhelmed for the young duo. Luckily, the production from tight ends Darren Fells and Jordan Akins have been a bright spot for the Texans offense.
2. WR Keke Coutee
As a rookie in 2018, Keke Coutee could not stay on the field. When he was on the field, however, the Red Raider was an electric force that diced up the Indianapolis Colts twice. Expectations coming into 2019 were high until Houston witnessed him suffer an ankle injury in Week 1 of exhibition play.
Following his return to the lineup, Coutee didn’t play more than 57% of the snaps in one game until Week 7 in Indianapolis. Against the Colts, Coutee recorded 70% of snaps played, until the last offensive one: a dropped pass by way of himself turned game-ending interception.
Since his drop at Lucas Oil Stadium, Coutee has not played a snap. Houston effectively scratched him out of their game plan in back-to-back wins. Coaching staff alluded to him needing to be more detailed in practice, yet, say he should be in the game plan after the bye.
Game plan or not, Coutee has not fulfilled the hype surrounding him entering 2019.
1. CB Aaron Colvin
Aaron Colvin started the 2019 season as the Texans’ starting slot cornerback. That didn’t last long. After one pitiful game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, Colvin was demoted. Not to the bench, but to the free agency market. Houston cut him — and his partially guaranteed contract — outright.
The Texans’ release of Colvin was justifiable. Drew Brees diced him up, particularly on an improbable game-winning drive in an atmosphere and bout that embodied more of a playoff game than a season-opener. In all, Brees passed for a perfect passer rating (158.3) when targeting Colvin in the thrilling Monday night matchup.
Colvin’s play in New Orleans cost Houston a Week 1 win. Though one of the Texans’ prized gets of the 2018 free agency, Colvin — now in Washington — resembles one of the team’s biggest blunders as of late.
