Bring on Tom Brady, states Texans’ Justin Reid
5 min read
Normally, if you are searching forward to taking part in from Tom Brady — the best quarterback in NFL background — you need to see a psychiatrist and prepare to get equipped for a straitjacket.
Training in the heat and humidity at coaching camp has not caused security Justin Reid to eliminate his thoughts. He is aware these are strange moments for the Texans due to the fact they’re going through a defensive transformation and need to have a challenge to check how nicely they’re evolving on his side of the ball.
The Texans have 7 sacks and 7 turnovers in preseason victories more than Green Bay and Dallas, but the defense averted taking part in versus quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott. Now, Brady and the Buccaneers are coming to NRG Stadium to give the kind of tune-up the Texans have to have right before they commence the regular season Sept. 12 against Jacksonville.
“Oh, this is the very best check you can have,” Reid explained Thursday following the final follow of coaching camp. “We’re likely versus the defending Super Bowl champs. Brady is the biggest quarterback of all time. That would make it a little bit much more thrilling.”
Tampa Bay is envisioned to engage in its starters into the third quarter. How considerably Brady plays is dependent on how properly the Bucs do in the to start with 50 %. If they score a ton of details, he could be finished for the night.
Brady will not realize a lot of of the Texans’ defensive players. Reid is one of only nine defenders who were being on the roster or practice squad in 2019 when the Texans defeated New England in a prime-time activity at NRG Stadium.
Brady is fairly common with the architect of the Texans’ metamorphosis this year, common supervisor Nick Caserio. He started out with the Patriots in 2001, 1 calendar year right after Brady, and was part of New England’s first Tremendous Bowl winner.
Caserio has brought in 25 new defensive players.
“The self esteem is large on the defensive facet of the ball,” Reid reported. “I really feel like we’ve been actively playing reliable so significantly. We have not experienced a check against a setting up quarterback yet, so this will be enjoyable for us to really do that.
“And it’s our 1st dwelling video game, way too. We’re likely to have a good group arrive out, so we want to protect the home turf.”
In 2018 and 2019, Reid’s initial two seasons with the Texans, he performed towards Brady and the Patriots, losing by seven and profitable by six.
“I have nevertheless to decide on him off, even though I really should have,” Reid claimed, laughing. “I wish I could have some of all those again, so this will be a enjoyable match to engage in in opposition to him.
“They’ve got real fantastic receivers (like) Mike Evans and (Chris) Godwin. Matching up from all those guys, earning certain we take away the deep ball and also participating in the run bodily, we want to just be reliable across the board, not conquer ourselves, and just engage in audio basic soccer.”
Not only are the safeties the previous line of protection, but Reid, Eric Murray and Lonnie Johnson have accomplished perfectly in follow and games. The coaches have significant expectations for them to make the sort of large performs Johnson pulled off versus the Cowboys with his 53-property interception return for a touchdown.
Like the gamers, the coaches are psyched to see how the defense does versus Brady and his receivers as properly as the Bucs’ working video game.
The protection has performed effectively towards backup quarterbacks at Eco-friendly Bay and Dallas. Now arrives the final take a look at. If the pass rushers do not stress Brady, the secondary is still left susceptible.
“Our defense is various now,” safeties coach Greg Jackson reported about the changeover to Lovie Smith’s 4-3. “I always convey to our back-close fellas that protection is about receiving to the quarterback. We’re not waiting around any more. We want to get the quarterback.
“When we pressure the quarterback, we have to be prepared to react and engage in, acquiring to your landmarks, enjoying with eyesight, breaking on the quarterback, producing open up-area tackles and getting a regular player.”
Jackson, who played safety for 12 many years in the NFL, likes what he’s observed of Reid. He was asked this week what he expects from Reid if he’s ready to keep healthier right after lacking 3 video games in 2020.
“I hope him to be a chief and take handle of the again end,” Jackson said. “I assume him to be a very good open up-discipline tackler, a great communicator and to be able to make adjustments.
“When items aren’t proper, he can make it ideal. I’m not going to say I expect him to make huge performs, since people are going to materialize if you’re in the proper location at the right time and you comprehend what is (occurring) on the subject. I assume he’s going to be a seriously great participant.”
Reid and Murray are the starters. Johnson arrives off the bench. They cannot find the money for to make psychological errors, mainly because faults necessarily mean massive plays, like touchdowns. Jackson is familiar with what he needs from Reid and his teammates on the again stop.
“It’s about remaining constant,” he claimed. “Stay at the identical level as a unit all over the year, and we’re likely to be seriously good. We’re not up or down. We’re even keel.”
Enthusiasts will start off to discover out just how even keel they can be Saturday night when they line up against Brady and his abundance of major-perform receivers.
john.mcclain@chron.com
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