It should be a good week of work down in Houston for the Detroit Lions as they prepare to take part in joint practices with the Texans this week.
Cornerback Darius Slay is certainly expecting some good work as he anticipates squaring up with Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who Slay considers right up there with Julio Jones as the top receivers in the game.
Hopkins caught 115 passes for 1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, earning his second straight first-team All-Pro nod.
Slay, who is coming off his second straight Pro Bowl, has defended 91 passes since entering the NFL in 2013, the most by any player over the last six seasons.
Slay is used to matching up with the opponent's best receiver week in and week out, but this will definitely be a great test for him, and it should be for Hopkins too.
Houston's DeShaun Watson is one of the league's budding young quarterbacks, and wide receiver Will Fuller can take the top off the defense, so this week will be a good test for Detroit's defense as a whole.
"It's going to be a great week of work," Slay said after Sunday's practice. "Going out there to get better. That's our goal and I'm sure that's their goal. They are going to test us and we're going to test them and we're just ready to go to work."
Detroit is conducting joint practices with Houston on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Saturday's preseason matchup.
