Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard made his season debut this past Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons after spending the past few weeks on IR from hand surgery.
The 27-year-old and the rest of the offensive line played a very solid game, as they allowed rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to only be hit twice but never sacked.
However, Houston's upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints may pose more of a challenge due to their talented pass-rush led by defensive end Cameron Jordan. Howard is expected to face Jordan for the majority of the matchup, and detailed what he expects from the eight-time Pro Bowler.
"He's one of those savvy and strong vets," Howard told KPRC2's Aaron Wilson on Wednesday. "He's got a lot of moves to him. He's been playing the game for so long, there's not much stuff that you can do to trick him. He's a smart player that's been good for this league. I'm looking forward to playing against him."
Howard will have a tough task when he's assigned to the Saints' all-time sack leader (116.5), but admitted a few other obstacles the rest of the team will have to face.
"They have a good D-line and the linebackers are really good," Howard said. "I've been watching (Pro Bowl linebacker) Demario Davis for a long time too. Those guys play hard, fast and active, so it'll be a test up front."
In addition to protecting Stroud, Howard and the front five must consistently create gaps for running back Dameon Pierce to burst through. Howard explained that feeding the angry runner on Sunday will be crucial if they want to go into the bye week with a 3-3 record.
"We just have to keep pushing," Howard said. "I feel like we're always one guy away from an explosive run. We have one of the best backs in the league in (Pierce), so we have to keep giving him carries and do our jobs up front."
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