The Mario report: Rookie making key strides

By Connor Byrne  |   Sunday, August 20, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Houston Texans
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Following a disappointing debut showing against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 12, Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams drew plenty of criticism. After all, he was the No. 1 pick in last April's draft, chosen before Heisman Trophy-winning halfback Reggie Bush.

In his first preseason game, Williams struggled to make his presence known, tallying just one tackle and getting nowhere near Chiefs quarterbacks.

Williams' detractors had their fun after his inadequate debut, but they're all on hiatus for the time being. The Texans and Williams played their second exhibition game this past Saturday, defeating the St. Louis Rams by a score of 27-20. Williams' numbers weren't gaudy, but he didn't disappoint.

In total, the ex-North Carolina State superstar finished with another one-tackle effort, but he also batted down a pass and forced a pair of offensive penalties. Those numbers don't show up in the box score for fans to see, but rest assured Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Richard Smith took notice.

"I don't want to go overboard because I haven't watched the film, but Mario made some plays," said Kubiak. "You could feel his presence. He definitely showed up, and he's only going to get better," the first-year head coach continued.

Against St. Louis, Williams was moved from left defensive end over to the right, where he began flourishing. Rams perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Pace was out because of injury, so Williams didn't get the opportunity to take that big-time test, but he faced a wily, capable veteran in 35-year-old Todd Steussie.

The 6-foot-7, 295-pound Williams' preseason tour will continue this Saturday when he and the Texans travel to Denver to take on the AFC West winners from last year, the Broncos. The rookie could have a difficult time making a key impact, however, since he's matched up with 10th-year veteran left tackle Matt Lepsis, one of the finest offensive linemen in the game.

If Williams does perform well against Lepsis, the fans in Houston have every right to begin getting excited, since it very well may be the start of an All-Pro future for the 21-year-old.

News and notes for Houston:

-In their victory over the Rams, the two offensive players that stood out the most were quarterback David Carr and reserve running back Vernand Morency. Carr, the draft's No. 1 overall pick in 2002, completed 10-of-17 passes for 99 yards. Morency, meanwhile, rushed 11 times for 95 yards and two scores, including a game-high 43-yard scamper. With starter Domanick Davis constantly hampered by injuries, Morency, a second-year man, may have opened the eyes of the Texans' coaching staff.

-Defensively, end/linebacker Antwan Peek came to the forefront. The 26-year-old accumulated three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against St. Louis, perhaps separating himself from Jason Babin, a competitor of Peek's for all-important playing time.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

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