HOUSTON — Everything's bigger in Texas, and that includes the practices, the heat, and the opportunities. The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of a four-day stint in Houston, after a joint practice with the Texans on Thursday, leading up to the second preseason game of the year on Saturday afternoon.

Thursday's practice was a good opportunity to assess the Panthers' progress compared to this point a year ago, against a team that has notched 10 wins each of the past two seasons. The result was a relatively evenly matched day with both defenses making it tough, and both offenses dominating in the two-minute drill.

Now, Carolina will look to carry it over to Saturday's game. With that in mind, here are five things to watch against the Texans.

A chance to see more from Legette

Second-year receiver Xavier Legette showed off what he's been working on this offseason during practice on Thursday. On one catch in particular, Legette got in front of Texans corner Jaylin Smith. He framed out Smith to keep the DB from breaking up the pass, brought the ball in with his hands, and kept it cradled through the ground for the touchdown.

It's the kind of play that reminds those watching just how athletic Legette is and showcases some of the specific things he focused on since his rookie season.

"I think everything that I did this offseason is carrying on," Legette shared earlier this week. "I feel like I'm in a good spot right now.

"Like getting in and out of the breaks, I'm cutting off of the right foot and not cutting off the inside foot; catching with them hands, it's all coming into play."

Saturday is also a good chance to see Legette in game speed in his second year. He was ejected for a fight with Browns DB Rayshawn Jenkins last week on only the second drive before receiving a target.

The D-line plus DB

The Panthers' run defense has noticeably been better this training camp, and there's a big reason for that, as offensive coordinator Brad Idzik pointed out this week, saying, " Derrick Brown is back. He's very much back, and he shows up at practice, and that makes all of our guys better."

But Thursday was the first time we've seen Brown against a different opponent since Week 1 of the 2024 season (he was held out of joint practice and the preseason game with the Browns due to a rib/oblique issue). And all Brown did was lead the charge all day to swallow up running back Nick Chubb and open up pressure on CJ Stroud.

Brown wasn't among those Canales questioned for availability on Saturday, and if he does play with the starters, the Panthers will finally get a full-speed, game-like look at their rebuilt defensive line with Derrick Brown back in the middle of it all. If Thursday is any indication, the addition will shore up the run defense and allow edge rushers like Patrick Jones II—who had two sacks in practice—even more opportunity to get to the quarterback.

Can the first team "finish"

For as well as the Panthers' defense held against the Texans' offense on Thursday, CJ Stroud was still able to march down field during the two-minute drill. On the other field, the Panthers' offense started and ended strong, but lagged in the middle with penalties and what Canales described as "fatigue." The touchdown during the final two-minute drill, though, was the push Canales wanted to see from his offense.

"I just keep convincing our guys that's who we are," Canales said after practice. "We finish. Games can get ugly in the middle. We have to be able to focus and rebound. So I was really excited about that part."

Both sets of starters—offense and defense—have a chance to push through and prove they can "finish" again Saturday. Canales said the plan, for now, is still play the group around three drives each. It will be dependent on how they came out of Thursday's practice, and barring no injuries arose in the aftermath.

Hello Lathan Ransom

As rookie Lathan Ransom has become more and more comfortable with the defense, he has begun to throw himself into the action—literally. The safety has jumped headfirst into the run defense in practice as he did Thursday, showing a willingness to lower his shoulder across the middle, or dive into the scrum to stand up a rusher.

The turning point for Ransom seemed to come in the last two weeks, when he started sniffing out the ball more in practices and the first preseason game. Now, as the defense starts to narrow in on what this safety unit could look like, Ransom has a chance to come out in Saturday's game and put on display why he deserves more looks.

Special teams, special opportunities

The Panthers' kicking competition will continue for the foreseeable future. Canales said Monday there wasn't clarity yet, so "just going to keep letting them kick."

Both Matthew Wright and Ryan Fitzgerald kicked during the preseason game against the Browns, and the assumed plan is to have both kick again versus the Texans. While field goals draw a lot of eyes, the new kickoff rules that implement a landing zone put the impetus on creative kicking, something the Panthers are watching closely with both Wright and Fitzgerald.

"Ryan had a nice kickoff that he put on the ground in the landing zone," Canales said of the Browns game.

"Matt did a great job putting the ball on the ground on our kickoffs as well, with some different types of looks, which I'm excited about, like one of the highlights of the game really was the way that those guys were able to put the ball on the ground in the landing zone."

Saturday is also another chance to try out options at the returner spot. Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith used a carousel of guys against the Browns, and the group has remained large during practice. Canales has consistently emphasized the importance of special teams making a difference for anyone on the bubble, so keep an eye on those sent back to return and what they make of the opportunity.