HOUSTON — More than the temperature was heated at Houston Texans training camp Sunday at Houston Methodist Training Center.
Linebacker Christian Harris put a strong hit on running back Devin Singletary on the sideline during team drills with fans in attendance. As the two rose to their feet, they exchanged words, and Singletary got into a fighting stance but was quickly pushed away by other offensive players.
“To see scuffling in training camp, I would say: ‘Finally,'” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans about the minor skirmish. “Sometimes you get tired of hitting the same guy over and over again, right? It’s linebackers and running backs; they’re going to thud up a lot in practice. And of course, we want to be safe, we want to make sure we keep guys up, but also, it’s going to get a little edgy, it’s going to get a little chippy, and that’s how I want to play.
“Offensively, defensively, I want to play with an edge. I want to play with a chip on our shoulder, but also, we still have to play within the rules. So, it’s a part of camp, you see it, it is not the worst thing to happen because it shows that guys truly care about what they’re doing. They want to be really good at it. It’s just two really good competitors going at each other, which I don’t have a problem with.”
Ryans played with that same chip on his shoulder during his tenure in the NFL, and his players are taking on his attitude toward the game.
“To see the scuffling in training camp, I would say, ‘Finally,’” said Texans HC DeMeco Ryans about the skirmish between LB Christian Harris and RB Devin Singletary during Sunday’s practice. #Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/T0QxR1WvMf
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) August 13, 2023
Tensions have been running high amongst the offensive and defensive side of the ball, with safeties Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward leading the way with trash-talking and hard hitting which was evident when tight end Dalton Shultz ran a pass route towards Ward and ended up having to be taken off the field by the training camp as he missed the rest of practice.
“That energy, it becomes contagious,” linebacker Blake Cashman said after Sunday’s practice. “I think today the defense was feeding off of that, and you can just see the intensity, guys flying around, maybe hitting a little harder, and that’s what you want in a defense.
“We want to be very tenacious and a ball-hawking defense because that’s what’s going to win us games. So, it’s great that the guys brought a little juice today because it’s going to make us a better football team.”
The Texans will have that same mentality when they participate in joint practices on consecutive days this week with the Miami Dolphins before facing them in their second preseason game on Saturday at NRG Stadium.
