HOUSTON – Inside and outside the Texans’ locker room, it’s not a secret that Tytus Howard prefers to line up at his natural right tackle position.
Although Howard has played left guard previously, including last season before a patellar tendon and knee injury after a broken hand that required surgeries ended his year on injured reserve, he was drafted in the first round by former general manager Brian Gaine to play tackle for the Texans.
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Now, the narrative and positive is changing surrounding Howard. When asked to shift back to left guard due to Juice Scruggs injuring his foot and out for two to three weeks, Howard was willing and able to make the switch. And rookie second-round draft pick Blake Fisher replaced Howard at right tackle, lining up next to right guard Shaq Mason. Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and center Jarrett Patterson make up the rest of the starting offensive line, which remains unchanged this week for the AFC South division winners heading into a road game against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.
“Just trying to do what I can do, so we can win,” Howard said Wednesday. “We’ve got guys down and we have Blake who can come in at tackle. So, I was open to moving so we can get some more wins and clinch the division. I feel like last week was pretty solid, not gonna like and I had a pretty good game. A couple of plays here and there, I’ve just got to get used to being inside.
“I mean, I’m a tackle, but, if I can play guard and help us win, I’m gonna do that. We’re trying to go win a Super Bowl and go deep in the playoffs. So , that’s what I’m trying to do. Being a guard right now, if that’s a way for us to do that, then I have to do that.”
Although there were some issues with line stunts against the Miami Dolphins and speed off the edge as Fisher allowed 1 1/2 sacks against athletic edge rusher Chop Robinson and four quarterback pressures and defensive tackle Zach Seiler had 1 1/2 sacks, there were at least two coverage sacks as quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked four times overall. Where the Texans had more issues was run blocking as running back Joe Mixon was held to 23 yards on 12 carries as the run was largely abandoned and ineffective.
Having Howard playing in the interior offensive line gives the Texans a large, powerful blocking presence.
“I thought Tytus did a heck of a job with what was a tough situation last week, asking him to bump inside,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said. “I thought he played a heck of a game on the inside. He had one or two things here and there that is just a little different when you go from tackle to guard, how fast it is on the inside, how quick things happen. He adjusted within like six snaps, and he was rolling. He played really well which was really cool to see, credit to him.”
And Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker well aware of Howard’s preferred position, praised Howard for his unselfishness and willingness to grasp the bigger picture of the situation as the Texans were able to clinch an automatic playoff berth and home playoff game.
“Really pleased with the offensive line and what they did, really liked the lineup that we had,” Ryans said. “And first, I’d like to thank Tytus, he should get some love for being unselfishly moving over inside to the left guard position and Blake coming in playing the most snaps that he’s played. I think he had a good start there and he still has room to grow and improve. But I think for his first time, his first outing there, I think he did a really good job. And just collectively, the group held up pretty well in protection, always things to clean up. But I was pleased with the O-line play and we’ll see where we can grow from there.”
Howard has started 21 career games at left guard, so he has a significant background at the position.
“For Tytus moving inside, first off, we are thankful for him making that move and transition,” Ryans said. “He has been there before, so it is not totally new to him just things happen a lot quicker on the inside than the outside. Tytus has that power and size to handle the big rushers on the inside. So, he is a really good fit for being in there.”
This week, Howard faces a tough blocking assignment against Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris “Stone Cold” Jones.
“We’ve got to lock him down,” Howard said. “He’s a good player. I’m confident in what I can do.”
“Make sure you know where ‘95′ is at all times,” Ryans said of Jones, who has five sacks this season with 16 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for losses. “Chris is an outstanding player, size, strength, pass rusher ability. Not only inside, he lines up outside, can get in on the edge as well, does a great job of batting passes down. He just totally impacts the game for them, and you see why he has been a dominant defensive tackle in this league. His pure will, strength, everything about him. He is just a great player.”
Playing next to Tunsil, Howard’s friend and one of the top pass protectors in the NFL, gives Howard a comfortability factor as they’ll prepare for their second game lined up to each other Saturday.
“LT, good player, me and him have been here the same amount of time, it’s always fun playing inside of him,” Howard said. “I enjoyed it. We play good beside each other.”
In the debut of the Texans’ new-look offensive line, it was a mostly workable performance as they reconfigured the lineup due to Scruggs’ foot injury.
Stroud was sacked four times during a 20-12 win, but one occurred when he ran out of bounds. He was hit six times overall, but was never under heavy duress and had enough time to throw two touchdown passes.
“I felt like we had a solid game,” Fisher said. “From top to bottom, I was just trying to do my job for the guys out there. I’m playing for them and they trust me. I’m just trying to make sure I’m doing my piece. Obviously, there was a couple of sacks there. We want to correct that and fix those. Other than that, I thought we had a solid day.”
Texans right guard Shaq Mason said that Fisher’s awareness for a rookie was a plus.
“He was communicating, he had a very good understanding of the game,” Mason said. “Every time he got to the bench, he was telling me what he was seeing with the same vision you wanted to take away.”
Stunts gave the Texans trouble, as did the power and quickness of defensive lineman Zach Seiler, who had 1 1/2 sacks and two quarterback hits, and Calais Campbell, four tackles, one for a loss, and Robinson, who had four pressures, 1 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss.
“I thought it went great,” Stroud said. “I thought with Tytus not really practicing there all week, he stepped in and did the best he could. I thought he did really great. You know, I thought that was one of the best interior D-lines that we played this year. I think [Sieler] is very underrated. Calais is like the Terminator. He’s huge. He’s like 6-foot-7, and he’s putting his hands up. He’s really good.
“So, that interior does a really good job and their D-line coach, hats off to him. They do a good job of pick stunting and things like that. When the time was there, I felt like they did a great job picking those up and I was able to deliver in those instances. But definitely think they did a great job. For Blake to step in as a young guy is amazing.”
The run blocking wasn’t as good as the pass blocking. The Texans rushed for just 77 yards on 20 carries with 35 of those yards coming on running back Dare Ogunbowale’s fake punt run. Running back Joe Mixon was slowed by an ankle injury incurred on a hip drop tackle by Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks that wasn’t flagged. He remained in the game and rushed for just 23 yards on 12 carries.
“He held his own,” Tunsil said of Fisher. “He did everything that you could do in the game. He’s a good player. Next man up mentality.”
Fisher came away encouraged by his debut.
“I think it’s just a test to the work I put in practice, going up against the other guys that we have,” Fisher said. “It’s just the consistency. That’s one of the biggest things that I’m trying to work on. I just want to see consistency. I feel like I’m a talented player and just trying to put it all together.”
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
