The Houston Texans had a solid outing against the New York Giants this past weekend. The defense handed Daniel Jones and the Giants offense the ball a few times too many for Giants' fans to appreciate, while the offense made sure to punish them with the running game for a good portion of the outing. If you looked at just the final score and Jones' box score, you'd think the Texans were perfect.
DE Malik Fisher (79)
They weren't perfect, however. They were far from perfect. The Texans had a few key players who were just awful. That's who we're going to talk about today, the four worst performers from the Giants game.
Once again, we're only looking at guys who played 20 or more snaps against the Giants.
OT Blake Fisher
If Blake Fisher wasn't a second-round pick and wasn't a young player in a position of need, there's no way he'd make this team with how poor he's playing. He'll make the team. He may even turn into a great player, all of that is possible. What is factual, however, is how poor he's been playing. He started not great in the Hall of Fame Game with a 56.6 rating, fell to a 42.3 rating against the Steelers, and bottomed out against the Giants with a 29.6 rating from PFF. He's struggled all preseason, and he's not filling us up with hope that he's the man long-term. That said, he is still a rookie so there is still the possibility to turn things around.
DE Malik Fisher
The former UFL standout is already fighting uphill to make the team and a bad outing against the Giants isn't going to help his case. He was graded at just a 43.3 and didn't make any meaningful contact all game. No tackles, no sacks, and no QB hits. Since that's what he was known for in the UFL, getting into the backfield, he has to prove that it translates at the NFL level.
TE Cade Stover
Like with Fisher, Cade Stover is a rookie and rookies are going to struggle. While some may have hopes of Stover becoming the next great tight end in Texans history, his 30.3 outing against the Giants (according to PFF) should remind everyone that Stover has a long way to go before he's a reliable starter. Not only that, he has a lot to prove before he becomes a reliable starter. He's got to be better at catching the ball if he's going to be a long-term target for C.J. Stroud.
CB Mike Ford
Some people thought Ford, who last played for the Cleveland Browns, would be a near-lock to make the team. That seems unlikely the more and more we see him play. He's not a bad player by any means, but everywhere he's been he's been essentially replaceable. Not bad, but not good enough to warrant being invested into. Now, pushing 30, this may be his last best shot to make the team and his PFF grade of 30.1 from the Giants game isn't going to help matters. Especially with how negative the views on the Giants' quarterbacks are currently.
