Texans start the season 1-0! The Texans held the Redskins to 1 rushing touchdown and only 6 points thanks to a field goal block. Below are the 3 takeaways from ROR’s Josh Reese and Ben DuBose

Score one for the old guard – Ben

We knew going into the 2014 season that the Texans didn’t have a ton of depth and would need luck with a handful of veterans (injury-prone ones, in some cases) staying both effective and healthy. So far, so good. Johnathan Joseph didn’t play at all in the preseason and rebounded to lead the team with 11 tackles, many preventing potential big gains in the secondary. Foster ran 27 times for over 100 times and Andre Johnson caught 6 passes for 93 yards, stat lines that make it feel like 2011. Brian Cushing laid a few big licks from the linebacker spot, including one that may have contributed to taking Washington tight end Jordan Reed out of the game. None had injury concerns afterward. It’s just 1 week out of 16, but it’s a welcome sight.

Brooks Reed brings a career game – Ben

With top pick Jadeveon Clowney going down for 4-to-6 weeks with a torn meniscus, the Texans will need someone else to step up at outside linebacker. For one week, that was Brooks Reed, who finally reminded fans why he was a 2011 second-round pick and seen as a potentially strong pass rusher at the NFL level. Reed sacked Robert Griffin III once, added in four tackles and an assist, and managed to tread the thin line between sealing the edge against the run while also rushing the quarterback in clear passing situations. His motor was relentless. While Whitney Mercilus will technically replace Clowney in the starting lineup, it’ll take a team effort to try and compensate for his pass rushing, and a big year from Reed would go a long way. He might’ve had the best game of his career on Sunday .

Swearinger’s big plays outweigh coverage lapses – Ben

We get it by now. Swearinger isn’t going to be the traditional safety that protects you from getting beat deep in the passing game. He’s a playmaker who wants to make things happen around the line of scrimmage, which will leave the Texans vulnerable at times down the field. That’s fine, so long as he makes enough big plays for that equation to work in Houston’s favor. He didn’t do it often enough in his 2013 rookie year. He did on Sunday . Swearinger sacked Griffin for a huge loss on a blitz and also hurried and/or hit him on multiple other occasions. Oh, and he also had six tackles, two assists and forced a fumble inside the red zone — something the Texans didn’t do a single time all of last season. It’s a new year, and a new DJ Swearinger.

Fitzpatrick did his job – Josh

So people wondered what Ryan Fitzpatrick the Texans would get especially with the addition of Ryan Mallet… Would Fitzpatrick play with a fire under his butt, would he go above and beyond, would he be the INT Fitzpatrick. The veteran did his job, nothing more, and nothing less 22 passes with 14 completions for 206 yards. Even Arian Foster who has been not much of a talker liked what Fitzpatrick did “He’s very calm, I love the demeanor, he doesn’t get shook, he has this little air bout him that nothing really gets to him” Foster said. If the Texans get the game manger Ryan Fitzpatrick the Texans could be better than people think.

JJ Watt will not mail it in – Josh

Days after Watt got a 100 million dollar rise some people might have wondered will Watt coast now that Watt got paid. Watt had tackles, Watt got pressure on the QB, Watt broke up passes, and Watt blocked a FG. “You never want to be that guy that people say he got money and he shut down” Watt said post game. I guess it is safe to say that theory has been busted.

Arian Foster I guess is fine – Josh

I had wondered myself if Foster would be healthy after pretty much taking the whole training camp off. He instead had 27 carries for 103 yards and he even caught both off the passes that were thrown his way for 17 yards, ok I will buy in on Fosters health.