The NFL season is so close that we can almost taste it. For those wondering, it tastes like BBQ, sweat, and face paint.

The Houston Texans travel to Santa Clara, California, this week to hold joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers before their first preseason action on Sunday. Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller will see their first real action in the new uniforms, along with an anticipated rookie class.

While preseason football may not be the most exciting affairs ever created, they still serve an important purpose–shaping the final roster. Almost 40 players will be playing with the sole intention of making the Texans’ final roster, and their development will be fascinating to watch. What else should be the focus on Sunday afternoon?

Brock Osweiler’s First Reps at QB

The former Denver Bronco’s journey to Houston has been one of the most discussed news stories of the entire offseason. General manager Rick Smith signed Osweiler to a massive contract in hopes that the 25-year-old quarterback would lead his team to ultimate glory.

Given that this is a preseason game, it’s hard to tell exactly how many series will feature the starting offense. In 2015, former starter Brian Hoyer and the starters lasted one series as they scored a touchdown and sat out the rest of the first preseason game, but this is a vastly different scenario. Even head coach Bill O’Brien isn’t sure how long his starters will remain on the field.

“We have a pretty good idea of what we’ll do there,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, Brock will get a decent amount of snaps in the first half. Whether it’s by quarter, or by the amount of snaps or maybe the series, we’ll have to kind of see how the game’s going, try to get him into a rhythm, which will be good.”

Ka’imi Fairbairn vs. Nick Novak



So kicking battles may not move the dial for many football fans, but kickers are some of the most important players on an NFL roster. Just ask the Vikings. Actually, ask Bill O’Brien. The Texans kicked Randy Bullock to the curb after he started the 2015 season in rough fashion. Trying to salvage the early season, O’Brien and Rick Smith brought in veteran Nick Novak to finish the year.

Novak did decently enough during his time with the Texans, converting 18 of 21 field goal attempts for a percentage of 85.7. Solid enough numbers, but Novak isn’t getting any younger or stronger. To push the 34-year-old, the Texans brought in undrafted rookie Ka’imi Fairbairn. The former UCLA kicker became the PAC-12’s all-time leading scorer in 2015, and he could greatly improve Houston’s kicking game. Of course, this all depends on how Fairbairn reacts when the lights come on.

More importantly, will Phil Simms be the announcer for Fairbairn’s first game? Watching the former Giants quarterback try to pronounce Fairbairn’s full name–John Christian Ka’iminoeauloameka’ikeokekumupa’a Fairbairn–would be endlessly entertaining.

Jaelen Strong’s Continued Development

All offseason, the Texans coaching staff has been hyping up Jaelen Strong’s work ethic, slimmed down figure, and all-around improvement. ‘Tis the season of over excitement, so it’s easy to dismiss the excited comments. However, the team released the first depth chart of the preseason, and Strong is listed as the starter across from DeAndre Hopkins.

Given the rookie status of Will Fuller and Braxton Miller, Strong could use this game as an opportunity to take control of his roster spot. The second-year receiver has great size and hands, which will be extremely helpful in the red zone. It will be very interesting to see how Strong reacts with the pressure of being Hopkins’ co-star.

The Defensive End Position

The most discussed story of the past week has to be J.J. Watt’s surgery. The Texans’ star defender is in danger of missing the season’s opener, and now the team is scrambling to figure out some quick replacements. One option that has been explored is moving second-year defensive tackle Christian Covington to defensive end. Covington had a decent rookie season playing in a reserve role, but now he has the opportunity to become a major part of Romeo Crennel’s defense. Covington just needs to have some solid performances throughout the preseason, pressuring the quarterback and opening up lanes for Whitney Mercilus.

Another player with a major opportunity this Sunday is Devon Still. The former Bengals second-round pick signed a future/reserve contract with the Texans in January, and now he is officially part of the team. Still showed flashes with Cincinnati, but he was still trying to reach prime skill levels. Only 27 years old, Still has the perfect opportunity to surpass his career totals of 40 tackles, one-half sack, and one forced fumble. He just needs to avoid making any mistakes while filling in.

The Texans preseason bout against the 49ers will be aired live this Sunday on NFL Network at 7:00 p.m. EST.