Texans Coach Praises Young WR

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III is coming off of a career performance.

Nov 10, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (8) makes a reception as Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson (21) defends during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans wide receiver corps has taken a hit over the past few weeks, losing Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins for multiple weeks.

That has opened the door for players like John Metchie III, who has impressed coach DeMeco Ryans with his ability to embrace what is in front of him.

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“Just keep owning whatever opportunities you get," Ryans said. "That's what it's all about. Whatever the opportunity is, it's just about maximizing that opportunity. It doesn't matter how many it is, it’s what are you doing with the ops that you get?”

That led to Metchie catching five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions, marking the best game of his two years in the NFL.

Metchie is beginning to look like the player the Texans drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

“The thing that stood out about Metch is just his progression over these past few weeks, just seeing him play with more speed, jumping off the football, running his routes, being more decisive with his route running, and also just beating man coverage with his feet," Ryans said. "He took the practice, he took the coaching points, he took it to the field, and he executed the right way. He showed up and made plays, especially big on third down. We knew they would play aggressive man coverage going into the game, so we talked about it all week. You're going to have to make competitive catches, and that's no better play made than in the endzone on the touchdown. The defender has his hands in there, but he goes up, aggressive hands, and makes a competitive catch. So, I'm just really proud of just his improvement and him taking the coaching, taking the practice to the field on Sunday.”

It's been a long journey for Metchie to get to this point after his cancer diagnosis and burial in the depth chart, but his opportunity is here now and he appears to be making the most of it.

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