While preparing for Sunday’s tilt with the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans may run into an issue: emulating the dual-threat skill set that quarterback Lamar Jackson presents.
Though the Texans boast their own dual-threat star, in Deshaun Watson, they won’t be using him to help train the defense to adjust to Jackson’s play-style. Nor will A.J. McCarron do so, considering, as a quarterback, he is a polar opposite.
“As far as the quarterback goes, we don’t have — besides Deshaun — a person that has the same skill set as Lamar,” said outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus on Tuesday on the Texans Players Show on Sports Radio 610.
Watson and McCarron won’t prepare the defense to face Jackson. Dual-threat/wide receiver/gunner Joe Webb also won’t be able to do so, either, as he is on the injured reserve. Instead, Houston will turn to second-year practice squad quarterback Alex McGough.
“We have McGough at quarterback, so he is the closest thing that we have in order to give us what Lamar might do — shaking and baking and all that to the best of his abilities,” said Mercilus.
Though McGough can’t quite replicate Jackson’s running totals (702 yards, six touchdowns in 2019), he doesn’t run as if he is in quick-sand. At Florida International, the quarterback earned his fair share of fans for his scrambling and ability to pinpoint passes on the run.
If McGough’s legs don’t cut it, however, the Texans may just opt to put in a running back or wide receiver to replicate Jackson’s savvy, speed and agility as a runner.
“Come Wednesday, that may change,” said Mercilus. “We may just put a running back in there at the quarterback position and run plays all day. Kind of just mix it up.”
Whatever Houston does wind up doing, they must get one thing down for certain: be prepared. The Texans cannot be caught flat-footed against Jackson; he will scorch them. Luckily, as Mercilus alludes to, they seem to have a plan.
