AFC South

The NFL's Houston Texans donated new uniforms and equipment to the Uvalde High School football team Friday.

ABC's Good Morning America was on hand for the ceremony:

.@HoustonTexans surprises the Uvalde high school football team with brand new uniforms and new equipment. https://t.co/juXY67zRzo pic.twitter.com/mZ4VEkmu97

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 2, 2022

The franchise also announced as part of Friday's ceremony that it will wear a "Uvalde Strong" helmet decal for its Sept. 11 season-opening home game against the Indianapolis Colts, a game the Uvalde team will attend.

Texans’ Director of Sports Medicine Roland Ramirez, who attended Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, just told the Uvalde HS football team and coaching staff that the Texans will provide transportation and a suite for all of them to their 9/11 home opener vs. the Colts.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2022

Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School in May.

The tragedy was one of several mass shootings in the United States in 2022, leading to a renewed push for further gun control. In June, President Joe Biden signed the most significant gun-control legislation in decades after it received bipartisan political support in the Senate and House.

The Texans previously donated $400,000 to the Robb School Memorial Fund in June, which included contributions from the team's players.

"Texans care about Texans, especially in times of triumph and tragedy," Texans CEO Cal McNair said. "I'm so proud of our players for championing this effort and was inspired to support our neighbors in Uvalde alongside them. I also know we have a great responsibility to lend our voices to important and meaningful conversations that bring awareness to senseless gun violence."

Uvalde High School will play its home opener Friday night against C.C. Winn High School. The Coyotes beat Carrizo Springs High School in their first game of the season last week.

Dameon Pierce's future is looking a lot brighter after the Houston Texans released Marlon Mack, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Pierce ran for 1,806 yards and 23 touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns in 48 games over four seasons at Florida. Now, the 2022 fourth-round pick is poised to play a big role in Houston's offense.

Fantasy analysts see Pierce becoming a fantasy football threat right out of the gate:

It's very rare for Day 3 rookie RBs to make an impact in fantasy, but especially with Marlon Mack out, Dameon Pierce is well positioned to be the exception.

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) August 30, 2022

Dameon Pierce's impressive preseason showed the Texans everything they needed to see, in the words of coach Lovie Smith. They're sold on the rookie's power, explosiveness and moves. https://t.co/SornCQuDxl

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 30, 2022

Dameon Pierce’s ADP will be going from 11th round to 4th round in three weeks. https://t.co/hryBZush03

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) August 30, 2022

Live look at Dameon Pierce: 📈📈📈📈📈 https://t.co/WAqABUcyMB

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 30, 2022

Dameon Pierce ADP 🚀 https://t.co/6kOkNoKZii

— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) August 30, 2022

Rex Burkhead is the player anyone with Dameon Pierce has to worry about most, but this doesn't hurt the potential breakout. https://t.co/TFQNg3syEe

— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) August 30, 2022

🚀🚀🚀 https://t.co/3gFYRx4RMD

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 30, 2022

Most fantasy managers have already drafted their teams by this point, and Pierce hasn't exactly flown under the radar this year. He's rostered in 85 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you didn't draft him yourself, it's unlikely he's sitting there unclaimed.

If you've yet to hold your fantasy draft, then you'll want to calibrate Pierce's ranking accordingly.

Dontrell Hilliard has firmly locked down the backup running back role behind Derrick Henry in the Tennessee Titans backfield, according to The Athletic's Joe Rexrode.

"He is clearly the second-best running back on the roster, a guy I believe would get the bulk of the work if Derrick Henry were to miss any time," Rexrode reported Tuesday. "Hilliard, over rookie Hassan Haskins, should be the handcuff choice for fantasy owners at this point."

Hilliard performed well while filling in for an injured Henry last year. The 27-year-old ran for 350 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. The undrafted Tulane product also caught 19 passes for 87 yards.

That didn't stop the Titans from selecting Haskins in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. The Michigan product has drawn strong reviews this summer. Henry described him as a "beast," while running backs coach Tony Dews said he was "a pleasure to work with."

Before last season, durability wasn't much of a concern with Henry as he firmly cemented himself as the NFL's premier ball-carrier. Between 2018 and 2020, he appeared in 47 games and logged 896 carries.

However, his foot injury in 2021 that caused him to miss nine games inevitably raises questions about whether that's a sign of things to come. For fantasy managers who want some insurance for the 2020 All-Pro, Hilliard appears to be the safest bet.

It might be time to pump the brakes on the Travis Etienne hype.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told reporters James Robinson is expected to be ready for Week 1 as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles. Robinson has been participating in team drills as he ramps up his activity, which could make the Jaguars' backfield a timeshare.

Etienne missed all of the 2021 season with a Lisfranc injury that required surgery. He's been a full participant in the offseason program and has drawn significant hype in fantasy drafts, going as the No. 44 overall pick (RB20) in PPR drafts, per FantasyPros' composite ADP.

Robinson can be had at a far cheaper price, going with pick No. 103 as the 37th running back off the board.

Pederson's comments will likely bump Robinson's ADP inside the top 100. But given their current draft prices, Robinson is by far the better value of the two Jacksonville running backs.

The former undrafted free agent has been the only positive aspect of the Jaguars' offense the last two seasons, compiling 1,837 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 28 games. While Etienne is the better pass-catcher of the two, Robinson has racked up 80 catches in his first two seasons and isn't a slouch as a potential three-down back.

If Robinson is the same player post-Achilles tear as he was beforehand—which, admittedly, is a big ask—he'll play his way into at least a 50-50 timeshare. In standard and half-point PPR leagues, Robinson is an even better value given the decrease in his passing game volume won't hurt as much.

Etienne is being drafted close to the apex of his potential across the board. He'll still have value in PPR formats, but you can probably drop him into the RB30 range in standard leagues.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Bud Dupree reportedly pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after he attacked a Walgreens employee in Nashville earlier this year.

TMZ Sports reported Dupree reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence. He will be required to serve six months of unsupervised probation and pay $418 in court costs.

According to a police report from Dupree's January arrest, several shoppers got into a verbal altercation with a Walgreens employee before leaving the store and then later came back with Dupree. The Titans linebacker then grabbed the employee and his phone before a fight broke out.

TMZ Sports reported that "sources close to Dupree allege the employee had heckled" him and threatened to spit on the women with whom Dupree came into the store. Their connection to Dupree has not been reported.

The Titans released a statement in January saying they were "aware" of the altercation but have offered no further comment.

“Like always, we try to do everything we can to help our guys make great decisions on and off the field," Titans coach Vrabel said in January. "That’s my response. We’ll continue to monitor it, communicate with Bud and see how everything will eventually play out.”

It's unclear if the NFL will seek to punish Dupree under its personal conduct policy. The 29-year-old recorded 17 tackles and three sacks last season in his first year with the Titans.

The Houston Texans went just 4-13 last season, the second straight season the organization only won four games.

But quarterback Davis Mills believes big things are on the horizon for the team.

"We're ready to go out and shock the world," he told Peter King of Pro Football Talk.

The Texans no longer have the Deshaun Watson situation hanging over their heads and have a new head coach in Lovie Smith. They had a solid draft, adding players like cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., offensive lineman Kenyon Green, safety Jalen Pitre and wide receiver John Metchie III.

It's hard to see the Texans going from four wins to playoff contention, but if Mills takes another step forward—he threw for 2,664 yards, 16 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 66.8 completion percentage in 13 games (11 starts)—the Texans should be a scrappy bunch.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is highly unlikely to see any action during the preseason.

According to Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star, Colts head coach Frank Reich confirmed as much Saturday, saying, "That's really what [general manager] Chris [Ballard] and I talked about. I can't see that changing for any reason."

Taylor didn't play in the Colts' 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in their preseason opener on Saturday, and given his importance to the offense's success in 2022, he almost certainly won't play the next two weeks against the Detroit Lions or Tampa Bay Buccaneers either.

The Colts are clearly hoping to keep Taylor fresh and healthy for the regular season, which will commence for them on Sept. 11 when they face the Houston Texans on the road in Week 1.

Following a productive collegiate career at Wisconsin, the Colts selected Taylor in the second round of the NFL draft. He made a major impact as a rookie with 1,169 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns, but last season represented his ascension to elite status.

Taylor started all 17 games last season and led the NFL in carries (332), rushing yardage (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18), while also doing damage in the passing game with 40 catches for 360 yards and two scores.

As a result, Taylor was named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro for the first time, plus he finished second to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp in the Offensive Player of the Year voting.

Despite Taylor's dominance, the Colts went just 9-8 and missed the playoffs, as they blew chances to clinch in Weeks 17 and 18 with losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Quarterback Carson Wentz was the scapegoat for Indy's failures down the stretch, which led to him getting traded to the Washington Commanders. The Colts replaced him with longtime Atlanta Falcons signal-caller and 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan.

Still, Taylor will be the centerpiece of the Colts offense in 2022, and that is why he was one of the few offensive starters who didn't play Saturday.

With Taylor out, third-down back Nyheim Hines got the start against Buffalo, plus Phillip Lindsay, Ty'Son Williams, CJ Verdell, Deon Jackson and D'vonte Price saw plenty of snaps.

Since Taylor and Hines are essentially locked into their roles, the Colts will likely spend the final two preseason games determining the best fit for the No. 3 and perhaps No. 4 running back spots on the final roster.

Trevor Lawrence's rookie season was nothing short of a disappointment, as the 2021 top overall pick ranked among the NFL's worst starting quarterbacks in every statistical category.

ESPN's Todd McShay thinks the concern over Lawrence is a little overblown, casting blame on the Jacksonville Jaguars' ill-fated decision to hire Urban Meyer as head coach.

"It's easy to look at raw production and make conclusions, but even though Lawrence's rookie-season stat line is unimpressive, I'm not sure there are many QBs who could have even accomplished what he did, given the status of the Jacksonville team," McShay wrote. "Turmoil within the franchise, a midseason coaching change and a lack of talent around him on offense put Lawrence in a tough spot. And the Jaguars' offense system just didn't seem to fit him. Some of the struggles certainly fall on him, but we shouldn't discount his situation."

The Jaguars drafted Lawrence into a situation that was nothing short of a disaster. Meyer, one of the most successful coaches in college football history, was an utter failure over an ugly 13-game tenure as an NFL head coach. He clashed repeatedly with coaches and players, with the Jaguars finally firing him after former kicker Josh Lambo publicly accused Meyer of kicking him during warmups.

Not only did Meyer struggle with the interpersonal relationships necessary to be a head coach, but he also installed an offensive system that left Lawrence hanging out to dry. Too often the rookie quarterback was forced to make throws into tight windows as the pocket collapsed around him. Too often those throws would wind up going to the other team, with Meyer failing to make any noticeable adjustments.

By every measure, Meyer is on a very short list of worst coaching hires in NFL history.

Jacksonville also put Lawrence at a massive personnel deficit. The team surrounded its rookie quarterback with zero above-average starting NFL receivers and a poor offensive line. Meyer also seemingly had a disdain for James Robinson, a wildly effective back despite his circumstances, and intermittently benched him for an ineffective Carlos Hyde.

Lawrence finished his rookie season with 3,641 passing yards and 12 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. He carries his own share of the blame, often trying to do too much while being surrounded by too little.

The Jaguars attempted to atone for their mistakes this offseason, lavishing wideout Christian Kirk and guard Brandon Scherff with massive contracts and hiring a Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson.

While it wasn't a perfect performance by any stretch, Lawrence looked more comfortable in his preseason debut this weekend against the Cleveland Browns than at any point under Meyer last season.

Malik Willis flashed his next-level athleticism during his preseason debut against the Baltimore Ravens—perhaps a little too much, if you ask the rookie quarterback.

“I just made up for it with my legs. Can't continue to rely on that, though," Willis told reporters, admitting he missed some reads in the passing game. "But that's what the preseason is for—so you can just see those things against a live defense, one we hadn't played before.”

Willis completed six of his 11 passes for 107 yards while rushing for 38 yards on five carries. The third-round pick had a pair of highlight reel plays, beating several Ravens to the edge on a seven-yard touchdown run and connecting with Racey McMath on a 48-yard deep ball.

Still, Titans coach Mike Vrabel wasn't satisfied with Willis' decision making in the passing game.

"He needs to try to throw the ball when guys are open, be more decisive," Vrabel told reporters. "We'll evaluate that, see if there's a timing issue or what's going on. Wanted to get him out there, see how he responds. There were some good plays and obviously some plays we're gonna have to look at the timing on the release and if we're making the right decisions."

The Titans are expected to give Willis a full redshirt this season behind Ryan Tannehill, so any concerns can be worked on behind the scenes.

That said, Vrabel noted he pulled Willis earlier than he planned because Willis was missing open receivers. It's hard to find a good reasoning behind that decision. Preseason is, at its very core, about developing players in an exhibition setting. The Titans aren't going to suddenly find out they have a star in Logan Woodside, who replaced Willis and struggled mightily, completing 14 of 24 passes for 102 yards and two interceptions.

Preseason should be the time the Titans allow Willis to develop on his game and start to work the kinks out.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said rookie quarterback Malik Willis has room for improvement as a passer after Thursday's 23-10 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Willis made some highlight-reel plays with his legs in his debut, including a seven-yard touchdown run, but he completed a modest six of his 11 throws for 107 yards and no touchdowns. He was also sacked twice.

"He needs to try to throw the ball when guys are open, be more decisive," Vrabel told reporters. "We'll evaluate that, see if there's a timing issue or what's going on. Wanted to get him out there, see how he responds. There were some good plays and obviously some plays we're gonna have to look at the timing on the release and if we're making the right decisions."

Malik making plays! 👀 @malikwillis

📺: Watch #TENvsBAL on @WKRN pic.twitter.com/bpJHuRof27

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 12, 2022

Willis' progression is in the spotlight because of the slide he suffered during the 2022 NFL draft. Once viewed as a possible early first-round selection, he slid to the Titans with the No. 86 overall pick in the third round.

After starting his college career at Auburn, he transferred to Liberty ahead of the 2020 season for a shot at more playing time.

He starred for the Flames, tallying 74 total touchdowns (47 passing and 27 rushing) across 23 appearances, albeit against lesser competition than he would have faced in the SEC.

While Willis fits the mold of a modern quarterback with the arm strength to make a variety of throws and the ability to make key plays with his legs, the biggest question mark was how quickly he'd learn to read and take advantage of weaknesses in NFL defenses.

It's only one preseason game, but Vrabel's comments make it clear the coaching staff believes that area remains very much a work in progress.

Willis agreed with his coach's assessment, saying he's got "a lot to look at on film" after his first NFL outing.

"I should have done better," Willis said. "Like I said, it's a learning experience and you have to take it for what it is. It's preseason, but it's an opportunity at the same time, so I'm just going to try and continue to work and watch through the film and just keep on going."

Ryan Tannehill is locked in as the Titans' starter for 2022, so there isn't immediate time pressure on the 23-year-old Atlanta native, but the coaching staff would probably still like to see some tangible progress throughout the preseason.

Barring injuries, Willis may not see another meaningful in-game snap until 2023 after the exhibition slate ends, so this is his chance to take advantage of some expansive playing time.

Tennessee returns to action next Saturday when it hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.