Texans Vs. Bucs: Four Players Who Need To Sack Up!

The Houston Texans are off a hobbling 0-2 start for the 2015 season.

This is not the position the team hoped to be in but it’s certainly the reality that this team faces at the moment.

More from House of Houston

It’s certainly not time to count out this team as there is still a chance for this team to turn around.

Although every game in the season is considered a must-win, this game is more pivotal than ever to ensure that this team continues to churn out some meaningfulness out of the remaining 14 games of the season.

The division still wide-open and this team must pounce on every opportunity to excel to help this team win football games.

Anyway, the following four players have been lackluster in terms of production and really need to step it up in order to warrant their first-string status:

Akeem Dent

He’s playing out of necessity because of Mike Mohamed‘s calf injury. Because if Mohamed were healthy, he’d certainly would be taking the lead at inside linebacker. Running backs tend to have an easier time getting around on his side and it’s showing. One of Mohamed’s greatest assets is his ability to be light on his feet and have the ability to shut down the run.

But a calf muscle is a big part of what makes one explosive and if it’s non-functional, there’s no point in playing. Dent does have nine tackles — seven solo and two assisted — through the two games this season.

Johnathan Joseph

It seems as if he’s coming back into 2013 form. After a very solid 2014 campaign, Joseph has started out this season quite flat. He continues to get burned left and right and it’s getting serious. He has been lately victimized by Travis Kelce and Corey “Philly” Brown who both respectively caught touchdowns in Week 1 and 2.

He’s got to get it going to earn that two-year, $13.5 million contract extension he just signed. He’s got to become that lock-down corner we know he can be as I see him chasing more than he is tackling. Joseph has nine tackles — eight solo and 1 assisted — and one pass defended through the first two games.

Ryan Mallett

Is he just what the doctor ordered? It remains to be seen but he does have the most upside between he and Brian Hoyer who was benched in favor of this past Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Pro Football Focus gave Mallett a negative grade of an (-8.2) because of his inability to convert under pressure — going 0-for-16 as far as attempts under pressure and going 5-for-20 for attempts over 10 yards.

Live Feed

3 best offensive players from the loss to the Jets /

Toro Times

3 best defensive players from the loss to the JetsToro Times

Redrafting the first five quarterbacks taken in 2023 after Will Levis breakout gameFanSided

Every NFL Team's Playoff Odds Following Week 14 (Two New Division Leaders in NFC)Betsided

NFL Week 15 Survivor Pool Picks (Trust Rams, Fade Panthers in Top Predictions)Betsided

AFC Playoff Picture after Dolphins blow it vs. TitansFanSided

There seemed to be always something wrong with his passes — whether too high or too low — which accounted for the six drops the receivers had against the Panthers. He has got a heck of a cannon for an arm but needs to focus being accurate with his throws. His offensive line is banged up but that shouldn’t be a total excuse — good quarterbacks know how to be resourceful with the resources they have.

Let’s hope he has figured that out. Mallett was 27-for-58 for 244 yards with one touchdown and one pick for a 57.0 rating last Sunday.

Derek Newton

He has been quite lackadaisical as far as his performance so far this season. With the injury to left tackle Duane Brown, the offensive line needs to come alive more than ever. The Texans did try to place Newton in Brown’s spot last week but it worked out terribly, allowing the Panthers’ D-line to bust through his side of the coverage to get Mallett to make a quick, rash not always correct decision.

For the second week in a row, PFF has given Newton a negative grade (-4.5) as a result. He also has given up on 10 pressures so far this season. Not the kind of stat that you’d want to see for an offensive lineman. He’ll likely be back at right guard as they’ll likely experiment with Oday Aboushi at left tackle to see if there’s any improvement.