Here is everything Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley said ahead of the Texans’ game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, including how he plans to maximize newly acquired receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.’s potential, getting Harrison Jr up to speed and on the Jaguars defense.
Question: On maximizing WR Marvin Harrison Jr.'s potential
Nick Caley: "I just think we have a good culture. We have good people. I think we do right by people here. I think everybody's pretty unselfish and pretty welcoming in terms of just trying to be at our best. Honestly, I don't think there are a lot of egos. We've got guys that want to win. We embrace those guys with open arms. Obviously, there's some familiarity, too. He's got some familiar faces here, too, which certainly helps. I think just generally speaking."
Q: On WR Marvin Harrison Jr.'s culture and system fit
Caley: "He's got flexibility. We've got a lot of guys to do. We've had two good days on the field with him. I think we can adjust and be able to move guys around accordingly. I think he's a good addition. We've just got to continue to work with him and continue to take it day by day."
Q: On WR Marvin Harrison Jr.'s usage within the offense
Caley: "You've got to just be mindful when anybody comes in here and you're in here for 48 hours or whatnot. You're trying to just onboard and he does a good job. He's a really smart guy that's conscientious and works hard. We go in there and not have expectations to have a million plays or whatnot. You grow it as you go. The more we can just stack days and build some momentum on that, you feel more comfortable and you just keep building it. He's done a really good job since he's been here and I think we'll be able to put together a good plan we have this week to be able to incorporate all the guys we have and he's fit in just fine."
Q: On WR Marvin Harrison Jr.'s skillset
Caley: "I think he has a really good skillset. He's got good savvy. He's a very smart, instinctive player. He's got size and he's been a productive player. You look at what he's been able to do, I think he's got flexibility and there are no limitations in terms of being able to move around the formation from those things. I think just like a lot of our guys, he has the flexibility and allows us to use multiple different groupings, whether it's 12, 11, wherever. He can flip and adjust to different personnel identities too. I think he gives us good flexibility."
Q: On balancing the offense as a play caller
Caley: "We're always trying to use the guys that we have at the game to help us in whatever role that they can that week. I think for all of our guys, I would say in general, we try to put those guys in position where they've been able to accumulate reps or maybe this guy's better in this specific role relative to certain routes or whatnot. Then you have all those things. What I think the biggest thing is, I think [QB] C.J.'s [Stroud] shown that this year too, just with all the skill guys. I think he does a really good job of distributing the football where the coverage will dictate through his reads and progressions. Certainly, some guys are earlier in the progressions than others at different times. I think all those guys are viable options on the plays. I think you see that just the balance of the distribution of a lot of the where some of the balls have gone this year too."
Q: On the process of getting WR Marvin Harrison Jr. up to speed on the offense
Caley: "Doing work on him when he was coming out and then going back and being able to watch the tape throughout his career so far. Being able to have a knowledge of what he's done, where he's played, what locations, some of the route trees and stuff. Are there similarities to some of the things that we do? Are there any differences? Then just being able to obviously organically grow those things when he gets here. He's caught on pretty well in terms of the the verbiage and the systematic piece of it. We just keep stacking days. We've had two days on the field. So certainly it's not like you get to have exposure to a million different routes and stuff like that in a two-day span. We'll just keep building those things. That's how you get confidence and the rapport with all the guys out there, the quarterbacks, et cetera. We'll just take it day by day and keep growing it."
Q: On TE Marlin Klein
Caley: "There's a learning curve for everybody. Marlin's worked hard. He's shown good improvement. I think we have a deep room. I think there are other factors. It's all offensive, it can bleed into the kicking game, it's a multifaceted deal. I've been impressed with his development. That position, I would say, there are a lot of you're asked to block, you're asked to run routes, you're asked to do protection pieces here with what we ask those guys to do. We move you around the formation, attach, detach. There are a lot of different things, ‘Are you the Y? Are you the F? Are you the X or the Z based on multiple tight end groupings?’ There's certainly a curve for everyone at that position and I think he's done a good job of continuing to stack days and get better out there and keep working, like everybody. I’m not discouraged one bit with him."
Q: On the difficulty of plugging a player into the offense in a short period of time
Caley: "I think it's like anything else. Every situation's a little different. Every person's different. Everybody's going to get caught up to speed or stack days at a different pace and our job is to be able to assess where they're at with that and be able to go from there and find a good role that we feel can help us win and that's what we try to do every week. It might look different from week-to-week. Some weeks there might be some carryover, et cetera, but that's what we try to do."
Q: On QB C.J. Stroud spreading the ball around
Caley: "He's always done a good job of that. I really do. Just turn back the clock a year ago, San Francisco game of 2025, he hits 10 eligibles. He has distributed the ball and I think he reads coverage as well. He has a good feel for the pass game and just seeing it very well. Again, within the timing and rhythm when guys, whether it's coverage that may take away a read that forces you to progress to your second or third option or it's your primary, I think he does a good job of throwing to the open guy. Which we're not trying to bypass guys in our progression. Certainly, there are times you have yes-no's and stuff like that on the backside or at certain locations, but he does a really good job of that and I think he's done that since I've been here and I think you're just seeing it, you know, this year play out as well."
Q: On the Jacksonville Jaguars defense
Caley: "They're very well coached. I think they play with great energy and effort to the ball. For the last going back to last year, they disrupt the football as well as any team in the league, really. They're always forcing their strip attempts. They're aggressive to the ball on contact when they get there. I think they do a good job in general. Everything starts up front. They play aggressive as hell. They set edges. They're relentless in their pass rush. They don't shut it down. They do a really good job working as a unit and rushing off of games together up front. I think the linebackers play off of them extremely well. They're instinctive. They play fast. They cover ground. They get depth. They swarm to the football and I think you see that in the back end. They're tied together and I just think in general, they present a multitude of different front variations. They keep it mixing in terms of some of the stuff they're trying to do up front and I think they do a really nice job of just trying to be multiple and to present different challenges. They play really hard. They play with technique and they turn the ball over. They force turnovers. So, you got to be at your best. Really talented and well-coached defense for sure."
Q: On how WR Marvin Harrison Jr. enhances the pass offense
Caley: "It may be different from week-to-week in terms of how much pass or less, et cetera. I think it's going to all be game plan specific. He's got a great skill set, has great size, good catch skills and stuff like that. Fits in really well with our guys and what we try to do in the passing game. It'll be a week-to-week deal."
Q: On balancing the offense
Caley: "You can't sit there and be completely one-dimensional. I think you have to have some level of balance and I think that goes back to finding the opportune times to be able to consistently, whether it's throw the ball, whether it's sticking the runs, whether it's starting with a run-first mentality or a throw-first mentality. Ultimately, I don't think the pendulum's got to swing 90% one way or the other. I think there's got to be an element of balance and I thought last week in the run game there were some positives. [RB] Woody [Marks] had a 24-yarder taken back called off the board, but there were some definite positives and I thought some momentum built in there and I thought that helped us. We've got to continue to be better in all phases, but, yeah, I think there's always going to be a balance one way or the other."
Q: On RB Woody Marks
Caley: "He's explosive. He can put his foot in the ground and be a slash runner. He's got good play speed. He does a good job in pass protection as well, not to mention the run game stuff and in the pass game he can catch the ball and make people miss. Open field explosiveness, decisiveness as a runner and I just think he's improved so much dating back to even spring when we had him out there and into Training Camp and continuing to get better through the early part of the season. So, I've been really pleased with his development."
Q: On WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Caley: "My initial reaction was, quality person, obviously have a lot of respect for him, did a lot of work on him when he came out and nothing but great things I've heard about him in terms of work ethic, the football character, the human being, the love of football and stuff. Anytime we get an opportunity to bring people into our program that love football, that work hard and they're good people,, you welcome it and you're excited about those things."
Q: On WR Marvin Harrison Jr. getting acclimated to the offense
Caley: "He's come out here and he's been able to take the things that we've installed and go out there and apply them and done a good job with it. What we've installed in this week window per the game plan for the Jaguars and what we've asked, he's done a good job of doing all those things. I think it's just like anything else, we just keep on building that and the only expectation just to keep on improving as a unit and keep on going and I think we have a lot of guys, not just in the receiver room, tight end room, et cetera, where you want to be able to utilize those guys to their strengths. I think it gives you some flexibility within packages, to be able to do those things. I'm happy with that."
Q: On RB Jawhar Jordan
Caley: "Steady, consistent, been locked in. I think it feels very similar to last year. We brought him along and had a good camp last year and then we finally got an opportunity to come on up and you saw. I thought he did some really nice things with the ball in his hands. You see the same steadiness in the build that we had from Training Camp this year. I've been really proud and pleased with him. He doesn't say a whole lot. He's businesslike. Just a great dude that loves football and has a spark to him. I'm excited for opportunities whenever he gets those opportunities and I know he'll be looking forward to it as well."
Q: On if it excites him to bring in new pieces to the offense
Caley: "Sure. It excites me to just be around guys that love football that compete and there's good energy out there every single day. It's the people that make it go and being around that. I firmly believe that. He's [WR Marvin Harrison Jr.] a great addition. Fits in really well with our guys. We've got a bunch of unselfish guys. I'm always excited to be around guys that love football and want to compete and grow. That's what we're all trying to do."
Q: On the best version of WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Caley: "I think he's going to continue to get better. He's got great feel. He's got great hands, good size. There are no expectation for me other than to come in here and just continue to work to be at your best. I think he's going to continue to do that like all of our guys are going to continue to try to work to do those things. I don't really put any expectation on it and just keep working to be at our best and let the chips fall where they may."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans OC Nick Caley said ahead of Week 6 game vs Jaguars