Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

DeAndre Hopkins Highlights (Week 13 victory over the Titans.)

michaelm

vox nihili
I figure a lot of you have seen this already, but it's the slow part of the off-season, and I thought I'd post it for discussion.
There are doubters here that Hopkins can be a true #1 receiver, and maybe he hasn't disproved them on the field yet, but for better or worse, he is our #1 receiver now.
I see some exciting things in Hop's game, and I think he will continue to improve and fill the #1 role nicely, although he won't ever fill the vacated cleats of #80.

DeAndre Hopkins highlights (Week 13 victory over the Tennessee Titans.)
 

cland

Waterboy
The first thing that comes to mind when I'm thinking about Hopkins are those massive, ball-inhaling, giant hands. It seems like they were made for a body type that could play center in the NBA.

In that clip you can see why he has #1 potential, as most of Fitz's balls were off target. If the Texans ever turn up a legitimate, above-average QB Deandre's stat sheet will benefit.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
That was such a good day. I know it was only the Titans but still, that was a lot of fun to watch happen. That and the Baltimore game were my two favorite games this season. Enjoyed them both a whole lot.

Thanks for posting.
 

Vance87

All Pro
That was such a good day. I know it was only the Titans but still, that was a lot of fun to watch happen. That and the Baltimore game were my two favorite games this season. Enjoyed them both a whole lot.

Thanks for posting.
The fact that it was the Titans, made it even better...

And I just realized how much I miss football. :(
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
I don't think Cecil Shorts is going to replace Andre, but I think he'll warrant enough attention to keep defenses honest.

& the biggest threat for those safeties is still going to be Arian Foster & the play action pass.

So I think Hop will do all right.
 

El Tejano

Hall of Fame
I don't think Cecil Shorts is going to replace Andre, but I think he'll warrant enough attention to keep defenses honest.

& the biggest threat for those safeties is still going to be Arian Foster & the play action pass.

So I think Hop will do all right.
Question is...can Shorts replace Hopkins as a #2?
 

Scooter

Funky
I certainly think Hopkins can be a strong #1. He's got adequate speed, learned from Andre how to run great routes and is much like Larry Fitzgerald with his ability to "go up and get it". Hopkins is solid, it's all the guys behind him that scare me.
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
DeAndre Hopkins is the Houston Texans' next great receiver
@FieldGulls on Jul 29, 2015

Very few players ever live up to the kind of hype they get in training camp. DeAndre Hopkins did, and now that Andre Johnson's gone, the spotlight's on Nuk to lead the Texans offense.

There was some major hype around Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins as we headed into training camp last season, and he didn't disappoint those that predicted a breakout season. A year later, after seeing Hopkins blow up for Houston's offense, he projects as their No. 1 receiver, with a shot to launch himself into the superstar discussion. Does he have tools to make that jump, or will he regress without a receiver like Andre Johnson lined up opposite? Let's take a look.

Blast off to superstardom in Houston?

Despite a shaky situation that saw Hopkins catch passes from four different quarterbacks (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage, and Case Keenum), he emerged as arguably the team's top receiver, grabbing 76 passes for 1,210 yards and 6 touchdowns.

He joined Andre Johnson as the only Texan ever to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, and set the franchise record with his 15.9 yards per catch. His six scores paced the 9-7 Texans, and his 127 targets were second only to Johnson. He became a focal point for a run-heavy attack in his second season.

I watched every Hopkins target from last year and a few things stood out. He's a physical player -- he plays to his 6'1, 218-pound frame -- and his hands are very good. I saw him drop a couple passes that he should've caught, but overall he was very consistent catching the ball. His hands technique was fundamental; he always framed the ball well, focusing in on it through the catch, and displayed the ability to go up high or crouch low.

These are two consecutive targets on separate 3rd and 4's for Hopkins, in Week 13's matchup against Tennessee. Both were extremely low, inaccurate passes, and he came up with both.

It wasn't surprising when I saw Pro Football Focus pointed out that over the last three seasons, no receiver has had better hands than Hopkins, who has grabbed 97 percent (128/132) of his catchable passes.

He had one catch vs. the Giants that, had it counted, could've...​
 

Number19

Hall of Fame
Yeah, I want to see him beat double teams.
The way I understand OB's offense, the QB will read the defense before the snap and find the receiver who will have single coverage. That receiver is the one you go to. You don't stand in the pocket waiting for a primary receiver to get open.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
The way I understand OB's offense, the QB will read the defense before the snap and find the receiver who will have single coverage. That receiver is the one you go to. You don't stand in the pocket waiting for a primary receiver to get open.
Wow, it's so simple. All these years NFL HC's couldn't figure this out.
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
The way I understand OB's offense, the QB will read the defense before the snap and find the receiver who will have single coverage. That receiver is the one you go to. You don't stand in the pocket waiting for a primary receiver to get open.
You are correct... but I think you saw Brady throwing it up for Gronk/Moss when bracketed. Human nature to give those #1s that shot, imo.
 

The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
You are correct... but I think you saw Brady throwing it up for Gronk/Moss when bracketed. Human nature to give those #1s that shot, imo.
Like Mallett throwing that 41 yd pass to Nuk against the Browns in the first quarter when the Browns were trying to disguise the doubleteam and the safety couldn't get back quickly enough to guard the inside?
 

Number19

Hall of Fame
You are correct... but I think you saw Brady throwing it up for Gronk/Moss when bracketed. Human nature to give those #1s that shot, imo.
You're right.

But what I think this means for the offense is that we're not going to have a true #1 receiver, like AJ was all these years, but the go to guy for any given game will be that receiver dictated by the defense. I don't think Hopkins will be targeted nearly as much as AJ was in his prime, if we can get a QB to properly execute the offense. What I'm expecting is 80 to 100 receptions a year. He had 76 for 1210 last year, so maybe just a slight increase over that, provided the other receivers are reliable. One thing almost certain to happen is that we'll see the TE's targeted more often than last year, and I'm thinking we'll get good production from the slot. And Foster will get his targets. Properly executed, we'll have a balanced passing attack with the ground game getting a bit more than 50 percent of the plays.

But we do need that clutch receiver who can come through in those big games against the upper tier teams. And DeAndre will be that guy.
 

vupac1

Waterboy
I've always imagined Nuk to become about a Roddy White level WR. A guy who could be very solid, yet not spectacular WR1, but ideally your WR2 next to a superstud WR1.

But since Andre's and Julio's don't just grow on trees, I think we can be get by with Hopkins running the Z in this scheme
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
I've always imagined Nuk to become about a Roddy White level WR. A guy who could be very solid, yet not spectacular WR1, but ideally your WR2 next to a superstud WR1.

But since Andre's and Julio's don't just grow on trees, I think we can be get by with Hopkins running the Z in this scheme
I don't know whether he can or can't. But I'd be fine with him being our Hines Ward (before Plax, before Antonio), Anquan Bolden (before Fitz), or Roddy White (before Julio).... nothing wrong with that.
 
Top