The Houston Texans play their final preseason game on Saturday, and we likely won’t see the starters get any reps as they saw reps in Houston’s previous two games. That leaves the remaining battles to be decided this weekend, and the Texans have many remaining. Texans fans have a lot they want to see from this game, whether from high-end backups like John Metchie, or players who are fighting for a roster spot. Let’s take a look at three things we want to see from the Texans’ final preseason game.
Cam Akers takes the final RB spot
The days of Texans having poor running backs are no more. A former starter, Cam Akers is battling for the last running back spot on the Texans' depth chart, and he’s running away with it. In their week three game, Akers finished the day with 29 yards rushing on six attempts, and in the Week 2 game, he finished with six rushes for 17 yards. Akers has two Achilles injuries in his career, with his latest one coming in November of 2023. Just a few months removed from his injury, Akers looks to be running well and isn’t giving up the backup running back role too easily.
To be fair to Jawhar Jordan and Dare Ogunbowale, they’re both having good summers and the battle may be a bit closer than we realize. However, Jordan may take the year on the practice squad before he gets much action in the backfield, and Ogunbowale hasn’t shown he can provide much on offense.
John Metchie continues his success from last week
The Texans had high hopes for Metchie as a rookie in 2022, and they still do to this day. After some unfortunate setbacks that delayed the start of his career, Metchie seems to be ready to take the league by storm. Last week was his big breakout game, totaling 68 yards and one touchdown on six receptions. Metchie likely makes the team as the fourth wide receiver, but he should still have a big role in the offense.
The John Metchie from last week's New York Giants game is the same John Metchie we saw in Alabama, and is what made the Texans spend such a high pick on him. We may not see Metchie take the league by storm this year, but he should be a very valuable receiver in 2025 when Stefon Diggs becomes a free agent.
What backup offensive linemen will win a roster spot?
In the last two years, the Texans have brought in many talented offensive linemen, meaning some players who had a roster spot last year may not this time around. We mentioned Kendrick Green as a potential trade candidate at next week’s deadline, and that still holds true today. Most of the Texans line is versatile enough to play more than one position, like Tytus Howard. The team signed Cam Erving to a tackle position that’s already filled with talent and still has Jarrett Patterson, who has previous experience at every position on the line. Some players may receive trade interest, like Green, and others may be cut outright.
The Texans' offensive line ranked 22nd for this season, according to PFF. Which is criminally underrated for a group that helped Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary have productive seasons in 2023, and kept CJ Stroud upright. The potential of this group is off the charts, and if they play up to their potential this year, the offense will be unstoppable.
