Houston Texans begin 2024 training camp

By Elwyn Henderson

ELWYN HENDERSON and TORO, official mascot of the Houston Texans.

CJ STROUD

The Houston Texans began their 2024 Training Camp at the Methodist Training Center across from NRG Stadium on Thursday, July 18th. It was an unusual day in that a cold front came through just as practice began and temperatures were in the 70’s for the entire practice and there were some spotty showers during the morning.
Prior to the beginning of practice General Manager Nick Caserio addressed the media. The Mirror asked Caserio how much it helped the team getting an extra preseason game in since the Texans are facing the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, OH on August 1st.
“We’re looking forward to it. It’s a good opportunity for us to kind of get an extra seven to 10 days, a few extra practices. So, going back to the earlier question, what do we do with those opportunities? So, do we come in with the right mindset? Honestly, it’s going to give an opportunity to some players to play that maybe they wouldn’t have otherwise received. So, we’re looking forward to it. We’re kind of embracing it. Everybody’s excited, everybody’s got a good attitude. And I think once we get on the field and have a chance to play, it’ll be great for the team, and honestly, it’ll be good for us too, becau even though it’s the preseason and teams are going to do different things, our second opponent is who we’re playing in the opener. So, there’s going to be some players that they may make the team, they may not make the team, but then you can start to learn about them individually, kind of get a basic scheme understanding and kind of use that information as part ofour preparation for Week two against Chicago here for the home opener.”
Following the practice Head Coach DeMeco Ryans faced the media and was asked if things felt different after what the team achieved last year winning the AFC South and what message that sent going into year two.
“As we open up our 2024 camp, for this season everything starts new for us. It’s about building a solid foundation. If you want to do anything great it starts with the foundation. You want to build anything great and grand it starts with the foundation. That’s what camp is about. So, I’m truly excited about being able to get started today. It is day one, as I told our guys, we have a lot of room for improvement. My expectations and what I expect to see from everyone, all of our guys, is let’s get a little bit better each day. If we get a little bit better each day, we’ll be exactly where we want to be. That starts with guys, their mindset of showing up on purpose, showing up with the right attitude, being a great teammate, guys being resilient no matter what we face. Whether it’s weather, it’s injuries, the tough days of camp, whatever we face, you got to be able to overcome it, sustain, and push through. I just want all of our guys to show up with a competitive spirit. If everybody shows up that way, we’ll be just fine.”
Quarterback CJ Stroud also held a presser following the first day of practice. He was asked what he thinks he can improve on this season to take his game to the next level.
“Yeah, I mean, there is a ton of things. Most of the things, you know, I really can say just like owning the offense more, the operation, putting more on my plate with run checks, protection checks, things like that. And then really just like everything inside the field. Xs and Os can always be better. You can always have better footwork. I want to definitely attack down the field more this year and press guys back and also take what the defense gives me. If it’s boring, if it’s a boring play, just stay with the boring stuff and just be efficient with that. So, those are all things I can get better at and I hope to do that.”
There are a lot of expectations for the Houston to make a deep playoff run in 2024, but due to their success in 2023, they will face a much tougher challenge than they had last season. For one thing, they will play 3 games in 10 days, something they have never faced before. Then they will have some nationwide game coverage which will be new to the team. They also have a Monday Night Football date on the road with the Dallas Cowboys, and will face a Christmas Day key matchup at NRG Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens, the team that eliminated them in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs last season. They have added a lot of talent to the team with offseason acquisitions and trades and the draft, the biggest of which was the addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs who they acquired from the Buffalo Bills.
IF the team can stay healthy and continue to grow they definitely may make a deep playoff run, but it is vital they get off to a good start and win at least 2 of the 3 games over the 10 day span in order to do so. Stay tuned. It should definitely be an exciting season to follow the Texans in 2024!