For the second week in a row, Matt Patricia will guide his Detroit Lions against a familiar coaching foe on the other sideline. Last week was New England and Bill Belichick, when the Patriots came to Allen Park for three days of joint practices and the preseason opener for both.
This week sends Patricia and the Lions to Houston to face Bill O’Brien and the Texans. Both Patricia and O’Brien worked as assistants under Belichick, with Patricia on defense and O’Brien handling offenses before both landed head coaching gigs. The familiarity extends beyond Patricia, too; Lions QB coach Sean Ryan held that role in Houston under O’Brien until this year.
Patricia and O’Brien know each other well, which should lead to some interesting practice sessions. Here are some of the things to watch for when the teams clash at the Reliant complex in steamy Houston.
The Lions rotation at left guard vs. J.J. Watt
There is no better proving ground for interior offensive linemen than J.J. Watt. The perennial All-Pro is a bull on parade, a moniker that extends to cover the Texans defense at its recent playoff peak.
Watt has no chill in practice. He simply does not operate at half-speed or in friendly competition. I attended the Texans joint practices against the Patriots two summers ago when the team trained in West Virginia. Watt was still working his way back from back surgery that had wiped out most of his 2016 and many expected him to take it easy.
Instead, he blasted away at the Patriots young line like it was the last play of the Super Bowl on every rep. His intensity was almost disturbing. That’s how Watt practices.
He presents a major challenge, but also a chance to prove worthy, for the combatants in the Lions search for a starting left guard. Joe Dahl, Kenny Wiggins, even Oday Aboushi — the Texans starting LG that summer of ’17 — will have opportunities to win over Patricia and teammates with a strong week in Houston.
DeAndre Hopkins vs. Darius Slay
Hopkins is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. He is certainly the focal point of the Houston offense and a dangerous weapon at all levels of the passing game. His speed, power and ridiculously strong hands make him a deserving All-Pro.
He’s the type of receiver the Lions pay Darius Slay the big dollars to slow down. Slay has tended to play well against top wideouts in his career, rising to the challenge often when pushed by greatness on the other side.
Expect to see them match up in practices more than in the preseason game, where neither is likely to play more than a series. Slay is still working back into form after missing the first couple weeks of training camp. Hopkins is the ultimate barometer for where Slay’s physicality and mental toughness are right now.
Deshaun Watson vs. Jarrad Davis and Jahlani Tavai
Watson is a very different type of quarterback from what the Lions see in practice every day in Matthew Stafford. His ability to throw on the run and extend plays with his agility is special.
The Texans do operate some read-option looks with Watson, similar to what the Chicago Bears do with Mitchell Trubisky. Watson is a much more accurate passer than Trubisky, however.
For the Lions linebackers, the dual-threat and the ability to still attack the middle of the field and the deep seam is a major challenge. Jarrad Davis and Jahlani Tavai will be on the spot as the starters, forced to make proper reads quickly and react in the right way. It’s great preparation for the division rival Bears, as well as the regular season opener with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. Again, Watson doesn’t run by design often, but he’s really good at it when he does.
Lions young defensive line vs. Texans OL
If Lions fans think Detroit’s offense line isn’t very good, they will be pleasantly shocked at how awful Houston’s OL has been — and still appears to be. Really.
The Texans drafted a major project at tackle in the first round. Tytus Howard from Alabama State has legit athletic potential, but he’s been a serious work in progress for Houston. Their second-round pick, Northern Illinois tackle Max Scharping, quickly washed out at right tackle and is now playing guard. The starting tackles are former Vikings bust Matt Kalil and oft-injured Seantrel Henderson. Center Nick Martin is probably Houston’s best offensive lineman. He would not start for the Lions at their problematic left guard spot. It’s that bad for Houston.
This is a chance for the young Lions on the defensive line to feast. Guys like Da’Shawn Hand, P.J. Johnson and Kevin Strong can impress the coaches and build confidence against what sure appears to be the worst offensive line in football once again.
Lions training staff vs. the Houston heat
I moved to Houston from the Grand Rapids area in 2010 having never been there before. The climate change everyone talks about is very real, and it presents a challenge for the Lions staff not used to the intensely humid and windless climate.
There is relentless mugginess. That’s the best way to describe it. Houstonians typically don’t do much outside during normal business hours in the summer. When it’s 85 degrees at 6 a.m. and all the windows on the house are fogged up, it’s hard on people to be outside at any time.
Keeping the Lions players hydrated and loose is critical. Cooling off players between reps will be a rigorous job for the training and conditioning staff.
And I don’t miss the Houston heat since moving back to Michigan in 2013…
