Special teams starting to do their share
Mumphery, James, Lechler play big parts
Almost lost in the anguish over the Texans’ 3-5 record has been the steady improvement of the special teams.
When the Texans were struggling with a 1-4 record, it was easy to target the special teams as a reason for the disappointing start.
There was a revolving door for kickoff and punt returners.
They couldn’t return or cover without committing a penalty.
They couldn’t kick consistently, so Randy Bullock was released and replaced by Nick Novak.
Over the last three games, though, coordinator Bob Ligashesky’s special teams have undergone a transformation. They’ve helped the Texans go 2-1 during that stretch.
“We weren’t doing what needed to be done to help the team win,” said deep snapper Jon Weeks. “Everyone’s worked his butt off to correct mistakes. It’s a credit to each guy that he took it personally and worked his butt off to fix the mistakes.”
‘Improving every day’
No more shuffling returners. Rookie receiver Keith Mumphery returns kickoffs (25.1-yard average) and punts (8.3 yards). He is showing consistent improvement.
“For Mumph, it’s about improving every day, not only on the field but in
how to study the tape,” Ligashesky said. “He’s improved on tracking and catching the football.
“We have to help him with what we’re doing schematically and the guys helping around him. It’s just not one guy; it’s all of us making each other better.”
The special teams were called for eight penalties over the first five games, including six over the first three. They’ve been whistled twice in the last three games for an illegal formation and cornerback Charles James running out of bounds.
Since he returned to the Texans from Baltimore, James has been a sparkplug on coverage.
“I try to bring a lot of energy, and I hope guys feed off it,” James said. “We’re a bunch of guys that’s hungry and want to make a difference.
“We have to be a positive for the team and make ourselves as important as the offense and defense.”
In Sunday’s 20-6 victory over Tennessee, there were no penalties on the special teams. Rookie safety Kurtis Drummond forced a fumble on a kickoff return that safety Eddie Pleasant recovered to set up a Novak field goal.
“We try to set a high standard for ourselves, and we try to reach that every week,” James said. “It’s something we take pride in, something we hold each other accountable for.”
Lechler steady as usual
The Texans are fortunate to have one of the greatest punters in history in Shane Lechler. In the victory over the Titans, Lechler had a 50.9yard gross and a 40.5-yard net. Not too shabby for a 39-year-old in his 17th season.
“Earlier in the season, I didn’t kick the ball with hang time very well,” he said. “I figured some things out, and (I’ve) given them more time to make plays.”
Some of Lechler’s teammates were in diapers when he was a rookie with Oakland in 2000.
Ligashesky was an assistant with the Raiders in Lechler’s 12th season at Oakland. He appreciates Lechler for more reasons than his ability to punt.
“Nothing he does amazes me,” Ligashesky said. “Not only is he a special player, (but) he’s a special person, not only because of his production on the field but because of his leadership on and off the field.
“He leads by example, and he leads everybody on the team.”
If the Texans are going to rebound over the second half of the season, they’ll need Lechler to get hang time, Mumphery to break a few long returns, and the coverage teams to force more fumbles. They also need to minimize penalties.
“We’ve been needing somebody to step up and make a big play, and now it’s happening,” Lechler said. “Once you get some confidence, it seems to snowball.”