Texans: Though Not The Main Problem, Defense Underwhelming To Start Season
By Yoni Pollak
“The starting 11 should be the league’s best this year.”
Yes, I wrote that just two weeks ago, prior to the Texans loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, I believed this defense had a chance to be “legendary” as I put it. Yes, I was totally wrong.
The Texans defense has been so underwhelming the last two weeks, it’s frustrating. They certainly aren’t the problem and the reason the team sits at 0-2, but I, and many other fans expected much more from the defense.
J.J. Watt was his All-Pro self in week one and should have been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week, but it appears the voters have “Watt fatigue” and expect much more from him. In week two, however, Watt didn’t stack the stat sheet. Sure he got his sack and pass deflection but he was double-teamed much of the game, meaning it was up to the rest of the 10 players to step up.
And they didn’t.
The Texans defense led the league in takeaways last season. That was a defense that was missing a healthy Brian Cushing. That was a defense that had safety issues. That was a defense with no real nose tackle.
All those issues were supposed to be taken care of this offseason. Cushing is back and healthy, the Texans signed Rahim Moore, and Vince Wilfork was brought in to shore up the middle of the line.
And what has all these additions meant to the defense? So far, nothing.
Maybe DC Romeo Crennel is the issue? Their coverage and tackling were very poor week one. They lacked a pass-rush for most of the game and the Chiefs offense owned the time of possession battle.
Yesterday the team looked somewhat better but it was against a very poor offense in Carolina. Cam Newton is a great quarterback and playmaker, but they have no one else on the team that should be able to beat the Texans. Yet somehow, receivers named Ted Ginn Jr. and Philly Brown torched the Texans for deep touchdowns.
Again, a lack of a pass-rush hurt the Texans secondary against the Panthers. Wilfork has pretty much been a bust through his first two games and some guy named Whitney Mercilus, who signed an extension this offseason, has been missing in action since last season.
Jadeveon Clowney and Kevin Johnson are the only two positive things, other than Watt, who have shown up in their first two games. Clowney has been able to get into the pocket and throwing lanes a few times in each game and Johnson isn’t getting picked on at corner. Johnathan Joseph (another player who signed an extension this offseason) however, has been the team’s worst corner this season and it isn’t really close.
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Players on defense need to step up and it starts with the pass-rush. Wilfork needs to show up and either command a double-team or simply be able to beat a one-on-one block. At linebacker John Simon has been terrible at containing the edge and needs to tackle better. The safeties also need to start playing better and maybe cover a tight end every here and there.
We finally saw our first interception yesterday when Moore picked off an errant pass. He should have had a second one on a tipped ball but Quintin Demps was called for a penalty before the interception. Other than that we haven’t seen much from the safeties.
The defense on paper got much better this offseason but they have been underwhelming through two games. Of course the offense and special teams are much bigger issues through two weeks but it would be nice if the Texans defense, from pass-rush to secondary, all played to the level of their talent.
If they don’t pick up their play soon, maybe Crennel needs to be on his way out.
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