Houston Texans: Three players key to stopping the Colts offense
By T.A. Mock
Zach Cunningham, MLB
Zach Cunningham is next up on the list for the Houston Texans as far as guys who need to have a great game. Cunningham had a spectacular season as a rookie after he was thrust into the fire by Brian Cushing‘s suspension. His sophomore season hasn’t been as great as many hoped and has seen several valleys and mountaintops.
Cunningham is the perfect modern NFL middle linebacker. He possesses tremendous size, 6’3″ 240 pounds, while also wielding excellent athleticism and straight-line speed. He will have a long career in the NFL because of it. The Texans are going to need every ounce of him in order to thwart the Colts offense.
One of the biggest threats on their offense, as previously discusses, is Ebron. Ebron is slightly larger than Cunningham and similarly athletic. His is a matchup nightmare for any defense but with a player like Cunningham, that nightmare is lessened.
More. Vyncint Smith will be a vital offensive cog. light
Cunningham will likely be tasked with covering Ebron frequently due to their similar profiles. This will become especially important in the red zone where Ebron does a lot of his damage. Elsewhere on the field, he’ll likely have safety from Tyrann Mathieu, Justin Reid, and Andre Hal help but the chances of help lessens in the red zone.
Cunningham will also be important in the run game, as most linebackers are. The Texans will need his burst, along with Benardrick McKinney‘s power to ensure they cannot get anything going on the ground, this includes Luck’s long scrambles he has a penchant for when the coverage is tight.