Flexible defense makes up for missing parts
To see how the Texans might adjust their strategy to replace three linebackers in Sunday’s game at Jacksonville, let’s look at who’s available and how the defense performed in last month’s 30-14 victory over the Jaguars at NRG Stadium.
It will be up to interim coach Romeo Crennel and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to tweak the game plan. They’ll never admit it, but the Texans are fortunate to be playing the Jaguars when they are starting rookie quarterback Jake Luton, a sixth-round pick who’ll be taking his first NFL snap.
Luton won’t have to worry about outside linebackers Jacob Martin and Whitney Mercilus and inside linebacker Dylan Cole, who have been placed on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list and will be unable to play.
Martin tested positive this week. The league’s contact tracing protocol caused Mercilus and Cole also to be isolated and subject to daily testing until they’re cleared to return.
Weaver shouldn’t have too much trouble making adjustments, especially against a quarterback who hasn’t played since the 2019 season at Oregon State.
Mercilus, who’s tied with J. J. Watt for the team lead with three sacks, is the only missing linebacker who starts. He had one of his three sacks and a fumble recovery in the victory over the Jaguars and quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who’s out with torn ligaments in his thumb.
Martin, who comes off the bench, had one of his two sacks against Jacksonville. Cole will have to be replaced on special teams.
“It’s never easy when you lose your top guys, and these are some top guys on defense,” Crennel said. “One of the things I always talk to the players about is how important their roles are, and they have to be ready to step up and play when called on.
“I always tell them if you’re in the game when the ball is snapped, you’re a starter, and you’re expected to react and respond as a starter. Hopefully, they’ve been in their playbooks (and) they’ve been taking advantage of their reps they get on the practice field. When they get an opportunity to go into the game, it can be a positive outcome for them and for us.”
In the first game against the Jaguars, the Texans played their best run defense since the first half of last season. They limited Jacksonville to 75 yards rushing on 20 carries. Minshew threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Since that victory over Jacksonville, Weaver has started four defensive linemen in losses to Tennessee and Green Bay. The idea was to beef up the run defense with Watt and Carlos Watkins at end and P. J. Hall and Brandon Dunn at tackle.
That strategy didn’t work in the 42-36 overtime loss to the Titans, who ran for 263 yards. It did work against the Packers, who played without leading rusher Aaron Jones and finished with 96 yards rushing in their 35-20 victory.
In the last three games, only once has a defensive player other than Watt played on more than 63 percent of the snaps, and that was Mercilus (67 percent) against the Jaguars.
Weaver plays six linemen, including Charles Omenihu and Ross Blacklock off the bench.
“We have flexibility in what we do with our defense and what we can do,” Crennel said. “A lot of it depends on the scheme and how guys fit into the scheme and how they produce within the scheme.”
Crennel didn’t want to disclose any strategy when he was asked about using four linemen more, considering Mercilus and Martin are unavailable.
“If they can rush the passer, yes, we’ve played them more,” he said. “I think how many linemen we play might depend on how many linebackers we have available and how the linebackers perform.
“If the four linemen perform better than the linebackers, then you put the linemen in and let them play. But if the linebackers bring more to the table than some of the linemen, then you need the linebackers in the game.”
Weaver plays a lot of players based on how he wants to attack an offense. If somebody’s hot, like a lineman rushing the passer, he’ll get more playing time. There are a lot of passing situations in which he uses three linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs.
Because coaches always have to be prepared for injuries, they’re forced to call audibles on the roster and strategy.
“One of the good things about the NFL this year is they allow more guys on the practice squad (16),” Crennel said. “They allow you to move up a guy from the practice squad to play in a game, and then he can go back down to the practice squad after the game.”
No matter who replaces Mercilus and Martin, or what game plan Weaver has prepared, the Texans are playing against a quarterback who hasn’t appeared on tape since his college career.
Defensive players have to fear the unknown. Denver’s Drew Lock made his first start as a rookie against the Texans in 2019 and carved up the defense in embarrassing fashion in the Broncos’ upset victory.
“I think when you talk about a young quarterback, sometimes they (defensive players) can get overconfident and think the young quarterback doesn’t know anything and can’t do anything,” Crennel said. “When you get overconfident, then you get burned. You give up a touchdown, and then you say, ‘Wow, that guy was better than I thought he was.’ I don’t want that to happen.”
Crennel doesn’t want a repeat of Lock’s 309-yard performance at NRG Stadium.
“I want them to understand this guy is a professional football player,” Crennel said. “If he didn’t have ability, he wouldn’t be there. We’ve got to treat him just like he’s the best guy in the world. He is the best in the world, because he’s going against us (Sunday).”