Seven takeaways from Texans-Lions practice: Offensive line struggles early, two receivers stand out

Jonathan Alexander from the Chronicle was at the joint practice. Some of his observations:

1. Offensive line starts slow, but regains footing

It wasn’t a great start for the Texans’ first-team offensive line. The Lions got constant pressure, sacking quarterback C.J. Stroud and forcing him to throw the ball in the dirt.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson got the best of rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery on a few reps and went back-and-forth with tackle Tytus Howard.

But even though the line started slow, they made up for it over the second half of practice, finally giving Stroud enough time to make a few plays and find open receivers.

1. St. Brown, Williams have success vs. Texans' secondary

The Texans are expected to have one of the better secondaries in the league, but Lions receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams made Houston work for it.
While cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. made several plays against St. Brown, he also got beat when Williams split Stingley and safety M.J. Stewart for what looked like a touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Goff.
Another review showed his second foot was not in bounds, however.

Meanwhile, St. Brown was like a knife, cutting through the middle of the field. He caught two passes for touchdowns in the red zone.
A third attempt from Goff to St. Brown on a similar play was intercepted by second-year safety Calen Bullock. St. Brown, thinking he had another touchdown before Bullock jumped in front, playfully picked up Bullock before setting him down.

1. The two Texans standouts

While the Lions’ defense made plenty of plays against the Texans’ offense, they never had an answer for Nico Collins, who often found himself open for big gains.
But that was mostly the result from getting separation from the cornerbacks guarding him. The Texans probably should have gone to him more often.

The other standout was rookie Jaylin Noel, who made several plays in team drills, including a touchdown from Stroud in the corner of the end zone. He was dominant against the Lions' second-team defense.
Noel has displayed his playmaking ability all throughout camp. He’ll find some time on the field this season and should make an impact.

1. Two-minute drills end in stops

Both first-team offenses ended practice with the two-minute drills.

The Lions’ drive included a big play from tight end Sam LaPorta, but it ended at about the 18-yard line. The Lions were forced to kick a field goal.

The Texans’ drive ended at the Lions 35-yard line. It’s possible the officials missed a call. It appeared Stroud found Xavier Hutchinson for a deep gain that would have put them at about the 20-yard line.
But after intense discussion between two officials who appeared to disagree, Hutchinson was ruled out of bounds although it looked like he kept both feet in.
Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was forced to kick a deep field goal, which he made.

1. Xavier Hutchinson emerging

Hutchinson, who is entering his third season with the Texans, is finally starting to emerge as a legitimate weapon.
He’s become one of Stroud’s go-to options in recent weeks, which would be a huge boost for the former sixth-round pick.

“I’m super proud of him,” Stroud said. “He’s playing with the most confidence I’ve seen. He’s balling. He’s doing really well.”

1. Christian Harris back, but Azeez Al-Shaair not practicing

Christian Harris is back practicing in pads. In his first full practice against another team, he made several plays. He had a run stop as well as a diving pass deflection.

Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair did not practice Thursday. It’s unclear what he is dealing with, but Ryans said Al-Shaair is dealing with something minor and will be fine moving forward.

1. Who won the practice?

While the Lions' offense got a few chunk plays on the Texans' defense, the defense was better as it neared the red zone and came up with a few stops. The Texans’ defense was also credited with two strip sacks, including one by edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
Still, Goff and his receivers were able to have success and frustrate Houston’s secondary. The Lions showed why they’ve been one of the NFL’s better teams over the past few years.

The Texans weren’t bad. They made improvements over the latter part of practice, which included getting into more of a rhythm on offense.

But if we’re grading who won, you’d have to give it to the Lions, who had just a little more success on both offense and defense.

This was a litmus test for where the Texans stack up against one of the top teams in the NFL.

“Our guys are ready to compete wherever we go,” Ryans said when asked what he learned about his team. “You have to go on the road a few times throughout the year — can you travel on the road? I thought our guys handled this really well.”

More here: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/article/joint-practice-lions-20827243.php