Tonight Marks First for Texans

OK, Houston Texans. Let’s see if you’re ready for some NFL football.

The league’s newest expansion team will take another historic step tonight, when the Texans make their exhibition season debut against the New York Giants in the Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio.

“It will be the first time anyone has seen the Texans,” Coach Dom Capers said. “Right now, nobody knows a thing about the Houston Texans.”

We’re about to learn. On prime time national TV. In broadcaster John Madden’s debut with partner Al Michaels in ABC’s Monday night booth. And against the Giants, a veteran team eager to put a 7-9 season behind.

It would be understandable if the Texans were feeling a little pressure.

No time for that though.

“You never know how fast you’re going to progress, but the most important thing is you continue to progress,” Capers said. “These guys have been working hard, and now they’ve got to get ready for the Giants.

“We don’t have much time to sit around and evaluate this. We have to look forward to the next game.”

It’s been nearly three years since the league awarded Houston an expansion franchise, and now the Texans will get a chance to showcase what they’ve been up to.

Rookie quarterback David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, is expected to play the first few series, but Capers said Houston will keep its game plan “fairly simple.”

The Texans have been pleased with Carr’s progress, and their young quarterback won over a few more teammates by jumping into the middle of a fight with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.

“You see your center on the ground and somebody on top of him and you step in to help,” Carr said. “It just shows you how far we’ve come as a team.”

Houston’s defense is eager to get off on the right foot too.

“It’s time to see where we are,” linebacker Kevin Mitchell said. “It’s time to stop talking and take this chance to see how far along we are as a defense. We’ve got a lot of young guys who are going to have to learn to be aggressive.”

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New York Jet defensive end John Abraham received treatment for his sprained left knee Sunday and will undergo an MRI today.

The injury, sustained in practice Saturday, typically causes a player to miss anywhere from 10 days to three months, according to Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

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Chicago Bear starting right guard Chris Villarrial will miss 10 days of training camp after undergoing surgery on his broken right thumb Saturday. Villarrial, 29, was injured in practice on Friday. He’s started 73 of the 74 games he’s played over the last five seasons.