The Houston Texans played their first preseason game against the Vikings in Minnesota last weekend, and are now heading into their first home matchup, this time against the Carolina Panthers.<\/p>\n
Carolina probably feels very up in the air about their quarterback Bryce Young, which means that he is always looking to prove himself, and show that he is that guy, whenever he receives the opportunity, and they have built several weapons around him to provide much needed help.<\/p>\n
Here are three players that you need to keep your eye on throughout the second game of the preseason:<\/p>\n
WIDE RECEIVER BRAXTON BERRIOS<\/strong><\/p>\n Berrios is in a crowded wide receiver room in Houston, and has been fighting for a spot on the roster. After last weekend, it is safe to say that Berrios has put himself in a favorable position with his recent performance.<\/p>\n The veteran caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown from quarterback Davis Mills, who also had a great performance.<\/p>\n It felt like Berrios was able to get open quickly, and create space for Mills to get him the ball, which bodes well for his chances of making the team.<\/p>\n Woody Marks was drafted by Houston in the fourth-round of this past draft, and he has been working his way up the roster, and gaining the trust of the coaching staff, and he continued that this past weekend, and it may not be in the way that you initially think.<\/p>\n You may look at the rushing stats of Marks in this game, and it was not great, rushing three times for only four yards, but his real impact was in the passing game, specifically his ability to protect the quarterback.<\/p>\n One way that you stay highly regarded on the roster as an offensive weapon is your ability to block, and he showed a glimpse of what he could do on a consistent basis, despite the actual stats not being there quite yet.<\/p>\n Speed has been with Houston\u2019s division rival, the Indianapolis Colts for the past six years, but has now signed a one-year deal with the Texans and is off to a strong start.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one thing that stood out when watching Speed, it was his ability to quickly diagnose plays, which leads to negative plays for the opposing offense.<\/p>\n The former Colt has not yet earned a starting spot on the Texans defense, but it would not be a shock to see him get deep into the rotation as the season goes on.<\/p>\n Houston will have a joint-practice with the Panthers on Thursday, along with their preseason matchup on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n