Houston Texans: Studs and duds from the week one loss to the Patriots
By T.A. Mock
The safety position was the strongest for the Houston Texans
As bad as Kevin Johnson was, this safety group was the exact opposite. Tyrann Mathieu was as advertised in his first regular season game as a member of the Houston Texans. The Honey Badger snagged two takeaways in his first game as a Texan and first game against Tom Brady.
The first takeaway was an interception off of a deflected pass by Angelo Blackson. He tried to make a play after getting the interception but, he never got anywhere. This was an extremely heads-up play by a defender that is lauded for his instincts.
The second takeaway was a fumble recovery off of a great punch out on Rob Gronkowski by Kareem Jackson. Mathieu scooped up the ball and gave the Texans offense another shot. This was the second forced fumble by Jackson on the day as he had another forced out by his helmet.
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Jackson played very well in his first game as a safety. He proved to be a nice convert from the cornerback position. He stepped in several ways including tackling, which has proved to be a troublesome area for him in the past.
Justin Reid didn’t play all that much but when he did he made his presence known. He had the best coverage on Gronkowski out of everyone on the entire defense. The play of these three plus the play of Johnson shows the Texans should consistently be trotting three safeties out on the field and only two corners, those being Johnathan Joseph and Aaron Colvin.