The Miami Dolphins come to Houston Methodist Training Center for joint training camp practices the week leading into their Aug. 19 preseason tilt with the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
The joint practices are one of two such sessions the Texans will participate in this preseason.
Coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Aug. 11 just what he hopes to accomplish in the joint practices with Mike McDaniel’s team.
“I feel like when you have the opportunity to go enjoy practices, it’s a controlled environment where guys are not hitting the quarterback, there are no side shots,” Ryans said. “Guys are in a controlled environment where you can get quality work, ones versus ones, twos versus — guys can just get after it, different schemes, different people you’re going against, and it breaks up the monotony of camp for me.”
The Texans had a little over two weeks worth of practices leading into their preseason opener with the New England Patriots Aug. 10. However, it is not just the rigors of seeing the same faces in camp as it is the same faces since offseason workouts started in April.
Said Ryans: “We’ve been going against each other for a while now, since OTAs. It’s time to see different — our receivers go against different corners, our O-line goes against a different defensive front schematically and goes against different people, so I think this is a chance for us to sharpen our tool belt as an offense and defense with Miami coming in this week.”
The quality work in a controlled environment also takes pressure off the second preseason game to provide meaningful snaps for starters.
