Houston Texans: Keke Coutee’s impact will be felt in NFL debut

The Houston Texans spent a fourth-round pick on Keke Coutee. He’s been hurt for nearly two months but is set to make his NFL debut today. Here’s why his impact will be felt today.

The Houston Texans will have their second divisional matchup today against the Indianapolis Colts. The two teams will face off in Indianapolis at 12:00 pm CT. You can catch the game on CBS or follow along on the radio on SportsTalk 610 and 100.3 The Bull.

This will be the first time this Texans team will face the new-look, Frank Reich Colts. It will also be the first time the team has faced Andrew Luck in quite some time. So, it’ll be interesting to see how these two teams matchup.

The Texans need this game to go well to avoid starting 0-4. Starting 0-4 could be one of the final nails in Bill O’Brien’s coffin but it could also spell some major roster shakeups. The season is a near loss already but there’s still time to right the ship to lay the foundation of something to build on for 2019.

One of those potential pieces to build on is making his long-anticipated NFL debut today. That man is Keke Coutee. He quickly became a fan favorite and a guy that the fanbase was itching to actually see on the field in game action.

Unfortunately, a pair of injuries has kept him off the field for nearly two months. He missed almost all of training camp after impressing early and has barely practiced prior to this week. But, he’s ready to finally get going this year and the Houston Texans need it more than ever after placing Bruce Ellington on the IR.

Coutee was highly anticipated at this level because of his athleticism and reliability in the slot. The Houston Texans have not had a reliable presence in the slot since Kevin Walter manned the position a decade ago.

Coutee has the potential to hold down this position for years to come. He has great size for the slot, 5’11”, 180 lbs and the tremendous athleticism to boot. He ran a 4.43 forty yard dash at the combine to pair with a 35 inch vertical and near 10-foot broad jump.

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He is fast, explosive, and agile. However, he is more than just an athlete. He needs to work on expanding his route tree after coming from a fast-paced yet basic offense at Texas Tech. But, Coutee would stick with the ball against all types of defenders and had very reliable hands for the Red Raiders.

Not only that, Coutee was an excellent returner at the collegiate level. Last year, he averaged over 30 yards a return for Texas Tech. That would beat anything the Texans have gotten this year plus he has the potential to take it all the way as he did for Tech.

It remains to be seen the size of the role Coutee will be given in his first NFL appearance. But however many snaps he’s given, offensively or on special teams, he is sure to make a major impact. That’s the type of player this rookie can be. Regardless, look for his role to increase every week for the rest of the season.

At Texas Tech in 2017, Coutee had 1,429 yards on 93 receptions. 10 of those 93 catches went for touchdowns. While he may not be able to duplicate that success in the NFL, his impact for this Houston Texans team should be tremendous.