WEBVTT - EVP/GM Nick Caserio Talks Bills Matchup | Texans All-Access 0:00:00.350 --> 0:00:03.990 What is going on, everybody? Welcome into a Wednesday edition 0:00:04.050 --> 0:00:07.230 of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio. I'm 0:00:07.270 --> 0:00:11.170 your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your 0:00:11.230 --> 0:00:19.820 Houston Texans. And it's game week! Yes! Oh, man, cannot wait. Now, 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:21.840 we have preseason games, and those have been fun, being 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:24.060 up in the booth. It's been great. But now it's 0:00:24.100 --> 0:00:26.960 time to get down to brass tacks, baby. Regular season, 0:00:27.380 --> 0:00:33.650 week one. Actually... starts this evening. The season starts. Real 0:00:34.030 --> 0:00:38.610 football that counts on the record starts tonight. Seahawks, Patriots, 0:00:38.630 --> 0:00:41.949 then tomorrow you got Rams, Niners, and then a full 0:00:42.030 --> 0:00:47.850 slate on Sunday. It is freaking awesome. It is back. 0:00:48.070 --> 0:00:51.650 So on this Wednesday show, as you know, during the season, 0:00:52.150 --> 0:00:54.390 we go for a couple hours. We go from six 0:00:54.430 --> 0:00:58.090 to eight. Friday, we'll go from six to eight plus 0:00:58.270 --> 0:01:02.390 eight to nine. Tonight's a little different because of that 0:01:02.430 --> 0:01:05.410 game I just mentioned, the Patriots and the Seahawks kicking 0:01:05.450 --> 0:01:10.020 off the season. That will kick at about 7.15, I believe. 0:01:10.110 --> 0:01:13.480 So we will go for an hour tonight plus a 0:01:13.500 --> 0:01:16.000 little extra. So we figured if we're getting that little 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.520 extra in the second hour, just a little 10-minute little 0:01:19.740 --> 0:01:22.880 doohickey there, we're going to give you Aiden Fisher. Yeah, 0:01:22.900 --> 0:01:24.060 Mark and I had a chance to catch up with 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:28.130 him in studio today. We'll have that for you the last... 0:01:28.390 --> 0:01:31.150 Little bit there right before we turn over to Westwood 1, 0:01:31.150 --> 0:01:34.310 and they'll have the game for you, Seahawks Patriots. So 0:01:34.330 --> 0:01:37.330 we'll go a full hour tonight, then a little extra, 0:01:38.390 --> 0:01:41.080 and then we'll go the full hour tomorrow before Rams 0:01:41.380 --> 0:01:44.620 and Niners, and then Friday we'll have the whole, we'll 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:46.380 have the three hours. We'll have 6 to 8, 8 0:01:46.380 --> 0:01:49.100 to 9, we'll have a blast in our final show 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:51.000 of the week as we get ready for a Sunday 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:55.490 visit from Westwood. The Buffalo Bills. Now, if you've been 0:01:55.530 --> 0:01:57.970 following us for the last six years in particular, you 0:01:58.060 --> 0:02:00.700 know how we kick off each and every Wednesday show. 0:02:01.140 --> 0:02:04.500 That's right. The executive vice president and general manager of 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:08.660 your Houston Texans, Nick Casario. And I know it's already 0:02:08.700 --> 0:02:11.790 been posted online. I think our buddy Streston's put it 0:02:11.889 --> 0:02:14.950 out there. The scouting report. You know, I ask him 0:02:15.169 --> 0:02:17.109 every single week. I started doing that probably a couple 0:02:17.130 --> 0:02:20.070 of years ago. People like hearing it. It's a general 0:02:20.090 --> 0:02:23.170 manager that shows you he knows everything about the opponent, 0:02:23.530 --> 0:02:25.930 about his own team. It's pretty amazing. I love it. 0:02:26.350 --> 0:02:31.040 We'll have that in this conversation with Nick Casario. That 0:02:31.100 --> 0:02:32.160 starts right now. 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.150 Here we go. Week one visit with Executive Vice President 0:02:38.190 --> 0:02:40.910 and General Manager Nick Casario. Nick, great to see you. 0:02:41.050 --> 0:02:41.910 Fellas, great to be here. 0:02:42.210 --> 0:02:44.550 Here we are. It's week one. And Nick, we had 0:02:44.590 --> 0:02:47.570 our last lengthy visit right at the start of training camp. 0:02:47.669 --> 0:02:49.910 So between then and now, how do you feel about 0:02:49.930 --> 0:02:52.010 the progress of the whole program, if you will? 0:02:52.190 --> 0:02:53.560 Yeah, for sure. A lot of work from a lot 0:02:53.580 --> 0:02:55.280 of different people to kind of get to this point. 0:02:55.300 --> 0:02:57.340 And it's hard to believe that training game is behind 0:02:57.419 --> 0:03:00.420 us and we're on the precipice of the first regular 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:02.480 season game here. But A lot of work from a 0:03:02.500 --> 0:03:05.710 lot of people, support staff, coaching staff, strength and conditioning staff, 0:03:05.770 --> 0:03:08.950 medical staff, nutrition staff. You know, we've had a lot 0:03:08.970 --> 0:03:11.190 of player movement, you know, which that's kind of par 0:03:11.210 --> 0:03:13.750 for the course this time of year. So kind of 0:03:13.910 --> 0:03:15.970 work with a number of players here during the course 0:03:16.010 --> 0:03:18.620 of training camp. There's still a decent amount that are around. 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:20.940 Some players aren't here. We know at some point we're 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:22.700 probably going to need a few more players here as 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:23.440 the season progresses. 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:23.960 But overall. 0:03:24.460 --> 0:03:26.080 Been a pretty good spot. And I think everybody's excited 0:03:26.100 --> 0:03:27.030 for the opportunity in front of us. 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:29.820 Nick, we always talk about each year is a different year, 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:32.060 especially in the NFL. Every year is a different year. 0:03:32.139 --> 0:03:34.400 Every year is a different year. How would you say 0:03:34.419 --> 0:03:37.430 this team is different? Just 30,000 foot view. How do you, 0:03:37.610 --> 0:03:39.530 how would you say this team is different than maybe 0:03:39.590 --> 0:03:40.870 the two or three that came before it? 0:03:41.710 --> 0:03:44.550 Yeah, well, we have a number of new players that are, 0:03:44.690 --> 0:03:47.640 you know, we're incorporating into the program and a variety 0:03:47.660 --> 0:03:50.410 of different roles. Um, So I'd say that's probably the 0:03:50.450 --> 0:03:55.190 biggest thing. The staff, schematically, we've advanced in terms of 0:03:55.250 --> 0:03:57.390 our development. And I think every year, you're always looking 0:03:57.410 --> 0:04:00.010 to make tweaks and modifications to whatever you do, regardless 0:04:00.030 --> 0:04:03.230 of how it goes, good or bad. And we understand 0:04:03.270 --> 0:04:05.950 that what's happened the past few seasons doesn't really have 0:04:05.990 --> 0:04:10.110 any bearing on what happens here starting on Sunday. But overall, 0:04:10.170 --> 0:04:12.850 I'd say the foundation of the program has been in 0:04:12.870 --> 0:04:14.410 place here for a little bit. We're always trying to 0:04:14.570 --> 0:04:17.250 add and enhance some of the things that we do programmatically. 0:04:17.790 --> 0:04:20.030 So that's probably the biggest difference and the biggest change 0:04:20.050 --> 0:04:20.830 that's probably taking place. 0:04:21.190 --> 0:04:23.630 Back in the offseason when we had the draft and 0:04:23.670 --> 0:04:27.450 free agency before that, player acquisition time, when we were 0:04:27.490 --> 0:04:29.430 talking about the offensive line, you said, well, we'll see 0:04:29.470 --> 0:04:31.430 how it all comes together in camp. And it did 0:04:31.490 --> 0:04:34.670 come together. Last few weeks you have this line. Seems 0:04:34.710 --> 0:04:37.310 to be solidified for now. Your thoughts on the development 0:04:37.350 --> 0:04:37.790 of the line? 0:04:37.950 --> 0:04:41.100 Yeah, overall, it's a good group. Worked really hard. Cole 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:43.120 and Alex have done a really good job. The players 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:43.839 have responded. 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:48.700 It's a combination of young and veteran players, older players, 0:04:49.260 --> 0:04:51.989 even some younger players that have experience in the system. 0:04:52.130 --> 0:04:54.850 It's his second season. He's a young player, but he 0:04:54.890 --> 0:04:59.550 has experience. Big Red kind of incorporating him into the 0:04:59.589 --> 0:05:02.690 group as well. EB's done a really nice job with 0:05:02.730 --> 0:05:06.060 his opportunities. And kind of, you know, that was a 0:05:06.110 --> 0:05:09.430 key resigning for us in the offseason. You know, we 0:05:09.470 --> 0:05:12.130 kind of had competition there at right tackle between Trent 0:05:12.150 --> 0:05:13.650 and Braden. You know, Braden's going to be out here 0:05:13.690 --> 0:05:16.330 for the first four games or whatever it is. You know, 0:05:16.350 --> 0:05:19.000 hopefully Trent is available and ready to go, which it 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:21.400 looks like, you know, he should be. And then, you know, 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:24.500 probably have three or four players that if they are 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:26.480 not starters, they're going to be available. We're going to 0:05:26.500 --> 0:05:28.669 take eight offensive linemen to the game, which we've talked about. 0:05:29.130 --> 0:05:31.210 But at some point, there's probably nine or ten different 0:05:31.250 --> 0:05:33.890 players that are probably going to at some point end 0:05:33.930 --> 0:05:37.510 up playing. So overall, you feel like it's a pretty 0:05:37.529 --> 0:05:41.060 good group, good attitude, good approach, good mindset, much smart, 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:41.659 tough guys. 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:43.160 And, you know, we'll see how it all unfolds. 0:05:43.500 --> 0:05:45.340 There are times you say things when you're at a 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:48.500 press conference and you say things and I'm like, yes, OK, 0:05:48.540 --> 0:05:51.760 got that right. You were talking about Blake Fisher and 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:55.099 throughout training camp. I think you had mentioned Blake had 0:05:55.140 --> 0:05:57.679 improved maybe more than a lot of other guys, however 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.339 you phrased it. But I remember thinking as I was 0:06:00.380 --> 0:06:02.700 watching training camp, this is a different looking Blake Fisher. 0:06:03.339 --> 0:06:05.750 And whether he starts or he doesn't, to see players 0:06:05.810 --> 0:06:08.110 improve year after year and to really see the growth 0:06:08.170 --> 0:06:10.190 he's made, I would think that's got to be one 0:06:10.230 --> 0:06:12.710 of the rich parts of doing this, Nick. But what 0:06:12.750 --> 0:06:14.590 have you seen from Blake and his improvement? 0:06:14.770 --> 0:06:15.130 Yeah, sure. 0:06:15.170 --> 0:06:17.560 It's really a credit to Blake and the coaching staff. 0:06:17.630 --> 0:06:20.240 And when we drafted Blake, he was a young player. 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:22.339 He was 20 or 21 years old, and he'd only 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:25.560 been in college for however many years. And sometimes it 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.260 takes younger players. They go through different stages of their 0:06:28.300 --> 0:06:32.750 overall development. But I'd say his mindset, his mentality, he's matured. 0:06:33.650 --> 0:06:35.850 His weight's in a pretty good spot, and he's really 0:06:35.910 --> 0:06:39.350 taken to the techniques that we're teaching and coaching. 0:06:40.150 --> 0:06:43.159 He had to work on both sides. We used him 0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:45.460 last year as a jumbo tight end. He was kind 0:06:45.500 --> 0:06:47.800 of the right tackle. That third tackle is really a 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:48.300 swing tackle. 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:50.640 You've got to be able to play on both sides. 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:54.279 He's really embraced everything associated with becoming a better player. 0:06:54.660 --> 0:06:57.810 He's still a young player and he's still improving. Like 0:06:57.830 --> 0:07:00.370 we just mentioned, at some point Blake's probably going to 0:07:00.730 --> 0:07:03.729 have to play tackle for us. Even going into the 0:07:03.770 --> 0:07:06.170 first game last year, we had to make some changes 0:07:06.290 --> 0:07:11.670 because the starter wasn't available. But Overall, for Blake to 0:07:11.750 --> 0:07:14.550 see his improvement, the arc of his improvement, it's a 0:07:14.550 --> 0:07:16.010 credit to him. It's a credit to the coaching staff. 0:07:16.150 --> 0:07:19.739 And it doesn't stop. You want to continue that growth 0:07:19.780 --> 0:07:24.220 and development third year in the program. So hopefully he's 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:25.300 going to continue to press forward. 0:07:25.750 --> 0:07:27.790 Nick, with Higgins going down, you made the deal with 0:07:27.830 --> 0:07:30.680 Kayshaun Booty. And here he is. Now, we haven't been 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:32.900 able to see him at practice with the full team. 0:07:32.940 --> 0:07:33.380 Nobody has. 0:07:33.420 --> 0:07:36.420 No media, no fans. Is that kind of an advantage? 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.830 And how does he change or affect the offense being 0:07:38.870 --> 0:07:41.190 in there, being in the mix with the wide receivers? 0:07:41.290 --> 0:07:42.650 Well, you guys will see him this week because the 0:07:42.710 --> 0:07:45.150 media will be out there at practice. But, no, overall, 0:07:45.190 --> 0:07:46.450 I mean, Kayshaun's had a good attitude. 0:07:46.470 --> 0:07:47.070 He's worked hard. 0:07:47.850 --> 0:07:50.360 The big thing is just kind of learning the system. 0:07:50.620 --> 0:07:53.500 There's some carryover relative to terminology to some of the 0:07:53.540 --> 0:07:55.680 things that he's doing in New England, but there's some 0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:58.280 things that are drastically different. And positionally, where we're going 0:07:58.300 --> 0:08:00.450 to play him, Maybe it's a little bit different than 0:08:00.510 --> 0:08:03.630 how he was used in New England. So overall, like those, 0:08:03.770 --> 0:08:05.770 I mean, the five that are on a roster, I mean, 0:08:06.010 --> 0:08:07.990 you know, those guys are probably going to all play 0:08:08.330 --> 0:08:10.870 in some capacity. They all have different strengths. They all 0:08:10.910 --> 0:08:13.410 kind of complement one another. But he's had a good attitude. 0:08:13.430 --> 0:08:15.450 He's been really good to work with. You know, so 0:08:15.500 --> 0:08:18.140 excited to see how the week of preparation goes. And then, 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:19.920 you know, hopefully he can take advantage of opportunities in 0:08:19.940 --> 0:08:20.860 the game when those are presented. 0:08:21.330 --> 0:08:24.710 Nick, I remember when trading for David Montgomery and Mark 0:08:24.750 --> 0:08:26.450 and I were sitting in the room, we saw the news. 0:08:26.570 --> 0:08:28.690 And I remember thinking at the time, not so much 0:08:28.710 --> 0:08:31.870 about David Montgomery, but I thought this might unlock Woody's, 0:08:33.030 --> 0:08:35.449 the Woody Marks box a little bit more. Might allow 0:08:35.510 --> 0:08:37.740 him to catch ball to backfield a little bit more. Obviously, 0:08:37.750 --> 0:08:39.699 he's a really good pass protector, but allow him to 0:08:39.740 --> 0:08:42.179 return kicks like Damian Pierce did a few years ago. 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:45.860 Your thoughts about what Woody has done in this second year, 0:08:45.900 --> 0:08:48.840 because it looked like he came back with a vengeance, like, hey, 0:08:49.179 --> 0:08:51.050 this is the real me that you're seeing, not the 0:08:51.090 --> 0:08:52.470 rookie me that was here last year. 0:08:52.690 --> 0:08:55.330 Yeah, they're both versatile players. They're both three down backs. 0:08:55.370 --> 0:08:58.209 And I would say Woody's a good example of went 0:08:58.230 --> 0:09:01.250 through rookie season. There was some ups and downs. He 0:09:01.290 --> 0:09:03.339 had a lot of positive plays and he really committed 0:09:03.380 --> 0:09:05.740 himself in the offseason because you really have an opportunity 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:08.170 to grow from year one to year two. He started 0:09:08.190 --> 0:09:11.170 training in February, March, April, May, had a really good offseason. 0:09:11.230 --> 0:09:13.170 He was out there. He was available. He was on 0:09:13.190 --> 0:09:13.650 the field. 0:09:14.270 --> 0:09:16.890 I mean, he and Higgins were probably the two players 0:09:16.950 --> 0:09:20.590 from the rookie class who had made the most growth 0:09:20.650 --> 0:09:23.030 in overall development. So fortunately, what happened to Higg there 0:09:23.250 --> 0:09:25.940 with the Raiders practice. But Woody had a good approach, 0:09:25.980 --> 0:09:26.540 good attitude. 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:28.420 He was in good condition. I mean, he looked strong. 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:29.360 He looked explosive. 0:09:30.100 --> 0:09:33.459 And those two players, Demo and Woody, We feel like 0:09:33.820 --> 0:09:36.069 they're kind of interchangeable to some degree, so we'll kind 0:09:36.090 --> 0:09:37.420 of see how it all comes together. 0:09:37.780 --> 0:09:40.370 Nick, do we have enough tight ends? A bunch of 0:09:40.390 --> 0:09:42.869 tight ends on this roster. And when people ask me 0:09:42.910 --> 0:09:44.810 about the receivers, I say, hey, don't look past the 0:09:44.850 --> 0:09:47.069 tight ends because it might not be a volume thing 0:09:47.090 --> 0:09:49.170 in terms of catches, but an impact thing. How do 0:09:49.210 --> 0:09:49.870 you see the group? 0:09:50.090 --> 0:09:52.150 Yeah, I mean, the tight ends are involved pretty much 0:09:52.190 --> 0:09:53.610 in every phase. They're involved in a big part of 0:09:53.630 --> 0:09:55.790 the passing game. I mean, Dalton was our leading receiver 0:09:55.850 --> 0:09:58.050 last year in terms of reception. So, I mean, he's 0:09:58.070 --> 0:09:59.459 been a good player in the passing game over the 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:02.260 course of his career. And we've seen what players like 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:04.540 Brevin have been able to do with his opportunities. You know, 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:06.620 Marlon's a young player who we feel can help us 0:10:06.700 --> 0:10:08.880 in the passing game. So, really, you have to look 0:10:08.940 --> 0:10:11.760 at the entire skill group. They're all involved in the 0:10:11.780 --> 0:10:14.000 passing game to some degree, whether it's route running, whether 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:17.670 it's protection, how you're going to formation things. But it's 0:10:18.030 --> 0:10:21.239 a deep group. Kind of similar to the receiver group. 0:10:21.260 --> 0:10:23.500 They all kind of complement one another. They're not all 0:10:23.580 --> 0:10:26.140 the same type of player. So some of it will 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:27.809 be figuring out, like, how do we want to play 0:10:27.830 --> 0:10:30.209 the game? And then who gives us the best opportunity 0:10:30.230 --> 0:10:31.449 to go out there and execute the game plan? 0:10:31.910 --> 0:10:33.949 OK, so I feel like I can check this box off, 0:10:34.070 --> 0:10:36.880 even though I'm going to ask you about undrafted rookie 0:10:37.220 --> 0:10:39.439 free agents. But the rookie box can be checked off 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:42.700 here if I ask you about Sebastian Harsh. and Colin Wright. 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:45.360 What did you see, Nick, from those two guys? And 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.439 what I find interesting, undrafted free agents, it feels like 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:52.810 they need every single second of time to show to you, 0:10:52.910 --> 0:10:54.929 to the staff, to everybody that they can make it. 0:10:55.110 --> 0:10:57.809 But both of these guys were actually hurt during different 0:10:57.890 --> 0:10:59.770 times of training camp, yet they both made the team. 0:10:59.790 --> 0:11:01.250 What can you tell us about Sebastian and Colin? 0:11:01.370 --> 0:11:03.250 Yeah, it's a combination of everything, like what goes on 0:11:03.290 --> 0:11:05.410 on the field, what goes on behind the scenes, and 0:11:05.429 --> 0:11:07.750 when they're actually on the practice field, what are they 0:11:07.790 --> 0:11:11.420 doing with those opportunities? Collin was a player who seemingly 0:11:11.460 --> 0:11:13.319 in the spring and even in training camp when he 0:11:13.340 --> 0:11:15.620 was out there kind of showed up every day. I mean, 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:17.939 he was on D'Amico's highlight tape just about every day 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:21.200 getting his hand on the football. And then Sebastian, when 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:23.680 he was on the field, like he had showed the 0:11:23.720 --> 0:11:27.280 ability to sort of rep our style. Played with the 0:11:27.320 --> 0:11:29.540 right mentality. He was able to get to the quarterback. 0:11:29.780 --> 0:11:32.359 Played pretty well there in the last few preseason games. 0:11:32.420 --> 0:11:34.540 And even going to the Carolina practice when we were 0:11:34.660 --> 0:11:37.020 working against their group, he showed up quite a bit 0:11:37.090 --> 0:11:37.950 on the practice tape. 0:11:37.990 --> 0:11:39.970 So it was a combination of things. 0:11:40.050 --> 0:11:41.589 And at some point, we just have to make an 0:11:41.630 --> 0:11:43.910 assessment about, hey, what do we think we want to do? 0:11:44.090 --> 0:11:46.130 How are we going to keep as many good players 0:11:46.150 --> 0:11:48.330 in the building? What does that look like? But those 0:11:48.370 --> 0:11:51.910 are two players, really good attitude, had the right mindset. 0:11:51.990 --> 0:11:53.760 And to your point, Johnny, They didn't get in the 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.130 building until May. So they had a short amount of 0:11:56.170 --> 0:11:59.429 time to potentially make an impact. But they're two really 0:11:59.450 --> 0:12:03.429 good young kids that have the right mentality, the right mindset. 0:12:03.450 --> 0:12:04.270 So we're glad that they're here. 0:12:04.670 --> 0:12:07.230 Nick, I do all these out-of-town appearances. And they're asking 0:12:07.250 --> 0:12:10.350 me about CJ. And they talk about the preseason games. And, well, 0:12:10.370 --> 0:12:12.050 we don't get to see the starters. But the joint 0:12:12.170 --> 0:12:15.230 practices is where so much evaluation is. And what did 0:12:15.250 --> 0:12:17.510 you make of how the offense and CJ looked in 0:12:17.530 --> 0:12:20.110 these joint practices? Very good against Carolina and the Raiders. 0:12:20.370 --> 0:12:21.010 Yeah, overall. 0:12:21.110 --> 0:12:22.670 I mean, really, as a team. 0:12:23.230 --> 0:12:25.390 Everybody's going to have moments like you're going to have 0:12:25.590 --> 0:12:28.290 positive moments the other team's going to have positive moments 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.040 it's not going to be all dissimilar on Sunday when 0:12:31.059 --> 0:12:34.720 we're out there against Buffalo but overall offense a really 0:12:34.820 --> 0:12:36.900 a lot of really good things I mean CJ probably 0:12:36.940 --> 0:12:39.520 had his best training camp since he's been here so 0:12:39.580 --> 0:12:42.090 excited to see kind of how he plays and performs 0:12:42.300 --> 0:12:44.569 I know he's excited about the opportunity in front of 0:12:44.610 --> 0:12:47.050 him to get started here this season but I mean, 0:12:47.070 --> 0:12:50.170 he was elected captain for the fourth time there since 0:12:50.210 --> 0:12:52.460 he's been a Houston Texan. So it says a lot 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:56.360 about what his teammates think about him. So looking forward 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:58.440 to kind of seeing how it all unfolds starting Sunday. 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.180 OK, it's great. Houston Texans are awesome. We're looking forward 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:04.059 to week one. But this is what the people want. 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:08.300 Let's give them what they want, Nick. Buffalo Bills scouting report. 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:12.380 We faced them two years, 24, 25, now 26, all 0:13:12.420 --> 0:13:14.910 taking place in this building, which is always fun. Let's 0:13:14.929 --> 0:13:17.010 dive into the scouting report of a team that is really, 0:13:17.030 --> 0:13:20.210 really good, but making some changes, especially on the defensive side, 0:13:20.730 --> 0:13:21.750 your scouting report for the bills. 0:13:21.870 --> 0:13:22.250 Yeah, sure. 0:13:22.410 --> 0:13:24.490 It's probably more about what Johnny Harris wants than what 0:13:24.510 --> 0:13:28.670 the fans, but no, this is, this is an outstanding program. Um, 0:13:28.770 --> 0:13:30.790 starts at the top with Brandon beans, one of the 0:13:30.809 --> 0:13:34.130 best general managers, um, in football. They've consistently put a 0:13:34.190 --> 0:13:37.319 winning product together, have a number of good players, uh, 0:13:37.340 --> 0:13:39.460 made the change in the off season going from coach McDermott, 0:13:39.530 --> 0:13:42.540 who really did a great job with the Buffalo program. And, um, 0:13:43.590 --> 0:13:46.069 elevated Joe Brady, the head coach. Joe will probably still 0:13:46.090 --> 0:13:48.410 be the play caller, but Joe's a really good coach, 0:13:48.470 --> 0:13:51.910 good offensive coach. They hired Jimmy Leonard as a defensive coordinator. 0:13:52.429 --> 0:13:56.050 Jimmy has always been a highly thought of assistant coach, 0:13:56.530 --> 0:14:00.229 whether in college or even in his role with the Broncos. 0:14:00.270 --> 0:14:02.490 And Jimmy had a really good career. They're talking about 0:14:02.530 --> 0:14:05.790 going undrafted player. He had a 9-10 gear career, whatever 0:14:05.830 --> 0:14:08.620 he had. They hired Jeff Rogers as a special teams 0:14:08.650 --> 0:14:12.819 coach who was in Arizona previously. So really good coaching staff. 0:14:13.340 --> 0:14:14.880 And when you look at their team, I mean, they've 0:14:14.900 --> 0:14:19.420 got great players really all over the roster. Offensively, everything 0:14:19.500 --> 0:14:22.760 really starts with Josh and James Cook. I mean, they're 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.130 two of the best players at their respective positions in 0:14:26.150 --> 0:14:29.590 the league. Certainly present a lot of problems. You know, 0:14:29.850 --> 0:14:32.830 Josh has been the MVP in a discussion almost every year, 0:14:32.870 --> 0:14:36.150 so we know what he's capable of. Really, offensive line 0:14:36.190 --> 0:14:38.340 has kind of stayed in place. The change, really the 0:14:38.380 --> 0:14:41.660 only change, was left guard with Alec Anderson. You know, 0:14:41.820 --> 0:14:43.880 Edwards left in free agency. but the core of the 0:14:43.890 --> 0:14:47.020 group is still in place, so it's a good offensive line. Very, 0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:49.980 I would say, diverse tight end group. Three really good 0:14:50.020 --> 0:14:53.720 tight ends in Hawes Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Same thing 0:14:53.760 --> 0:14:56.470 at running back, three really good backs. We talked about Cook, 0:14:57.330 --> 0:15:00.010 Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, who gave them a lot of 0:15:00.050 --> 0:15:01.930 plays as a kickoff returner as well, so kind of 0:15:01.950 --> 0:15:05.770 a dual threat. And the offseason acquisition of D.J. Moore, receiver, 0:15:06.350 --> 0:15:09.170 who's been a very consistent, very productive, very durable player 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:13.430 to go with Shakir. Josh Palmer, Coleman. So this is 0:15:13.450 --> 0:15:16.980 a really good offensive unit. And then defensively, probably going 0:15:17.000 --> 0:15:19.360 to be making some changes schematically. Honestly, we really don't 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:21.380 know what it's going to look like until we kind 0:15:21.420 --> 0:15:24.720 of line up there on Sunday. But really good front. 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:27.240 Walker looks like he's made a lot of progress there 0:15:27.980 --> 0:15:31.040 in the interior defense. Not having Oliver last year because 0:15:31.070 --> 0:15:33.750 of the injury probably hurt them a little bit, but 0:15:33.790 --> 0:15:36.870 he's a really good player. The Chubb acquisition is going 0:15:36.890 --> 0:15:39.390 to be a very, I'd say, big acquisition for their defense. 0:15:40.230 --> 0:15:41.900 He had a really good year in Miami last year 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:44.140 coming off the injury. So, you know, Chubb and Rousseau, 0:15:44.180 --> 0:15:46.859 they're on the edge. Bernard is one of the more 0:15:46.900 --> 0:15:49.160 instinctive football players we're going to play against. You know, 0:15:49.180 --> 0:15:51.460 Dory Williams, you know, gives them, I would say, a 0:15:51.500 --> 0:15:55.050 good compliment. And Elam's Orr, who they drafted from TCU, 0:15:55.130 --> 0:15:56.930 is at a really good training camp. So they're kind 0:15:56.970 --> 0:15:59.930 of three for two there at linebacker. The secondary, they 0:15:59.970 --> 0:16:01.930 kind of overhaul the corner position there a little bit. 0:16:01.970 --> 0:16:05.580 Benford's the one holdover. signed Alford to play nickel, drafted 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:08.400 Igbenosin in the second round. You know, Hairston, you know, 0:16:08.420 --> 0:16:10.140 who was the third corner last year, looks like he's 0:16:10.180 --> 0:16:13.380 going to play. And the secondary, I mean, adding Seedy 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:16.300 to the safety group, you know, him and Bishop are 0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:19.730 pretty versatile players. So, I mean, overall, this is a 0:16:19.770 --> 0:16:22.390 really good football team who are going to present a 0:16:22.410 --> 0:16:24.990 lot of challenges, and they've been one of the top teams, really, 0:16:25.030 --> 0:16:27.310 in the NFL for the last however many years. So 0:16:27.730 --> 0:16:29.830 you understand, you know, what's in front of us is 0:16:29.870 --> 0:16:31.890 a big challenge, but, you know, hopefully our players are 0:16:31.910 --> 0:16:33.350 excited about the opportunity on Sunday. 0:16:33.780 --> 0:16:37.130 Nick, everyone talks about the defense's success against Josh Allen 0:16:37.170 --> 0:16:40.470 last couple of years, but nine for 30 two years ago, 0:16:40.530 --> 0:16:42.990 last year eight sacks. These games come down to the 0:16:43.050 --> 0:16:46.130 wire anyway. He's that good. They are that good of 0:16:46.190 --> 0:16:49.300 a team. Which game stands out more to you as 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:52.940 far as the nerve-wracking meter, Nick? Two years ago when 0:16:52.980 --> 0:16:55.280 you needed that Robert Woods mini return and then a 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:57.860 quick little pass and then the field goal by Fairbairn, 0:16:57.880 --> 0:17:00.040 it was a long one, or last year when they 0:17:00.060 --> 0:17:02.460 hit the hook and lateral and And then Kalen had 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:03.500 to make the pick at the end. 0:17:03.580 --> 0:17:05.620 Yeah, no, they're all the same. But I think, look, 0:17:06.050 --> 0:17:08.070 games are won or lost in the fourth quarter. And 0:17:08.310 --> 0:17:10.389 when you have two good teams, I mean, typically it's 0:17:10.410 --> 0:17:11.890 going to come down to who can make the play 0:17:11.930 --> 0:17:15.030 there in the fourth quarter. We were fortunate to be 0:17:15.070 --> 0:17:16.810 able to make those plays here the last few years. 0:17:17.010 --> 0:17:20.389 I mean, nobody really knows what's going to happen here 0:17:20.410 --> 0:17:22.190 on Sunday. So there's always a lot of newness, especially 0:17:22.250 --> 0:17:24.700 week one in the NFL. I mean, it's the first 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:27.280 opportunity for everybody to play kind of a full game. 0:17:27.869 --> 0:17:29.369 There's some schematic things that you're going to have to 0:17:29.390 --> 0:17:30.689 deal with. So in the end, you have to go 0:17:30.710 --> 0:17:33.230 back to your basic fundamentals and your foundation that you 0:17:33.250 --> 0:17:34.810 have in place. And it's going to come down to 0:17:34.850 --> 0:17:37.729 which team executes better. And ultimately, in the fourth quarter, 0:17:37.950 --> 0:17:40.260 games are won or lost in the fourth quarter. So 0:17:40.380 --> 0:17:42.540 I mean, there's a good chance that the game is 0:17:43.119 --> 0:17:44.940 probably going to come down to who can play better 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:46.980 in the fourth quarter. So hopefully, we're in a position 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:47.580 where we can do that. 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:51.370 Nick, you've been preparing for Josh Allen for the minute 0:17:51.410 --> 0:17:54.110