Let’s shine a light on Lone Star State’s teams
Run defense rates among finest in NFL, especially with Clowney
The Texans are preparing to play the Dallas Cowboys in the third preseason game — the annual dress rehearsal for the regular season — and there are three things they know for sure.
As they get closer to the opener at New Orleans, the Texans can bank on the Deshaun Watson-DeAndre Hopkins connection, J.J. Watt putting pressure on the quarterback, and the run defense.
The Texans are strong in other areas, too, but there’s also uncertainty because those players, those units, still have to prove it during the regular season.
The most worrisome positions are the same as when training camp began: left tackle and slot cornerback.
At least they know Aaron Colvin is the slot corner. They don’t know if Matt Kalil, Roder
ick Johnson or a player acquired in a possible trade for Jadeveon Clowney will be their starting left tackle.
Coach Bill O’Brien and his staff can take comfort in the productive collaboration between Watson and Hopkins, Watt’s excellence at 30, and a run defense that could be as good as any in the NFL, especially if Clowney isn’t traded.
Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel knows his run defense is going to be good again. It’s just a question of how good if the defense is forced to play without Clowney, who’s outstanding against the run.
While O’Brien and his assistants try to figure out who’s going to start at some positions, Crennel has a defensive line that’s set: Watt, nose tackle Brandon Dunn and right end D.J. Reader. The coaches also know end Angelo Blackson is the most reliable lineman off the bench.
Veterans Joel Heath and Carlos Watkins and rookie Charles Omenihu are trying to contribute enough to become part of the rotation.
Crennel is always looking for pass rushers, especially someone who can provide pressure from the inside, but he’s confident in a run defense that starts up front and continues with the linebackers, especially Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham on the inside.
When the Texans finished 11-5 last season and won the AFC South, they were third in the NFL in run defense, allowing 82.7 yards a game. They surrendered a league-low 3.4 yards a carry.
“We work on it,” Reader said about the run defense. “It’s a product of guys who work hard and grind. Weave (defensive line coach Anthony Weaver) teaches us about it, and we pay attention to it. That’s something we really focus on so we can get our dogs out there that can pass rush on third down.”
To show how important run defense is, the five best teams against the run last season made the playoffs. The five worst didn’t.
The Texans also registered 43 sacks, including 25½ by Watt and Clowney. Ten teams had more sacks.
With another season playing
together, the defensive linemen put a lot of pressure on themselves to make sure they stop the run and help free the other defenders, particularly McKinney and Cunningham, to make tackles.
“I expect us to get better and put pressure on people,” Reader said. “I think that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll fly around and make plays. That’s what we expect going into every season.”
The Texans would like to lead the league in run defense. Health has a lot to do with it, of course, but the linemen have the kind of mentality that gives them a lot of pride in what they can do up front.
“You can always improve,” Reader said. “If you’re not improving, (then) you’re trying to stay still, (and) you’re going to get worse. There’s room for improvement for us up (front).”
The Texans are hoping to sign Reader to a contract extension before the season. He started 10 games at end and six at nose tackle in 2018.
Weaver said Reader’s contributions extend beyond statistics.
“D.J. is a phenomenal leader, and he's not afraid to share the knowledge he has and the wisdom he has,” Weaver said.
Weaver loves his lunch-pail guys, those who do the dirty work and don’t get a lot of attention. Reader, Dunn and Blackson fall into that category.
Before training camp, Weaver called Dunn “the unsung hero” of the defensive line.
“Dunn’s another guy who has been in a bunch of battles for us, understands that position, and tries to impart his wisdom on those young guys,” Weaver said.
The coaches thought so highly of Blackson’s contributions off the bench last season that he was rewarded with a new contract.
“He's consistent,” Weaver said. “He goes out there like a bull in a china shop daily. Those offensive linemen don’t necessarily like going against him because he’s going to roll off the ball with low pad level and he’s going to try to knock you back.
“I love him to death. He’s very versatile. You can use him all over the place. Because of that, he’ll always have value here.”
It’s unfair to ask the other linemen to put consistent pressure on the quarterback as Watt does. That’s not their strength. But when it comes to handling their responsibilities like stopping the run, few in the NFL do it better.