Cunningham continues to be big hit this year
Zach Cunningham, the third-highest paid inside linebacker in the NFL, is justifying his new contract.
Signed to a four-year, $58 million contract before the season, Cunningham is leading the NFL with 101 tackles. He also has three sacks and five tackles for losses.
After some early-season struggles with missed tackles, especially in a game against Titans running back Derrick Henry, Cunningham has tightened up his game.
“Zach, he’s a really good football player,” Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “He’s got good instincts and he can get to the ball. He will hit. He will tackle. He will take on guards. He can go in coverage.”
Cunningham had nine tackles and one quarterback hit in a win over the Patriots on Sunday, helping the NFL’s last-ranked run defense hold New England to 86 rushing yards. The Texans are giving up a league-high 159.3 rushing yards per contest.
Cunningham is the fourth player in NFL history with 100 tackles and three sacks in the first 10 games of the season since 2000. He has the most tackles by a Texans player in the first 10 games since Jamie Sharper with 95 in 2003.
“It’s funny because I know if I’m not there, Zach’s somewhere around, literally,” said inside linebacker Tyrell Adams, who ranks third on the defense with 61 tackles as the replacement for injured linebacker Benardrick McKinney. “It’s literally a race to the ball every play.”
Trying not to run on empty
The Texans’ beleaguered running game actually misses David Johnson’s presence.
David Johnson, known more in Houston as the primary player acquired in the DeAndre Hopkins trade, hasn’t played up to his previous stats in Arizona, but he has been more productive than his replacement: Duke Johnson.
Since David Johnson was placed on injured reserve with a concussion on Nov. 14, Duke Johnson has been the starter and has rushed for 69 yards on 24 carries. Duke Johnson rushed for just 15 yards on 10 carries Sunday against New England.
The Texans rank 31st in the NFL with 84.6 rushing yards per contest.
Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said the Texans won’t stop trying to run the ball.
“Abandon the run? Absolutely not,” Kelly said. “We’re going to continue to try to do what’s best for the team. We are going to continue to try to attack defenses. It’s no secret we would like to have better results with rushing statistics.”
David Johnson is their leading rusher with 408 yards on 103 carries and three touchdown runs. He’s averaging 4.0 yards per carry.
Duke Johnson has rushed for 164 yards on 58 carries, an average of 2.6 per run.
Whether it’s the lack of push, particularly from center Nick Martin and offensive guards Zach Fulton and Max Scharping, or the backs not making decisive enough reads, the running game is substandard.
“Wasn’t as good as we needed to be,” Romeo Crennel said. “(David Johnson) probably could’ve helped us a little bit. We’re very confident with what Duke can do and it was just a rough game in the running game.
“The passing game was going so good we didn’t call that many runs, to tell you the truth. When we get back (Detroit), they will both have opportunities to play and we’ll see how it’s going.”
Coach: Omenihu ‘has improved’
When the Texans began the season, defensive end Charles Omenihu was in the starting lineup.
Since being replaced by P. J. Hall and adjusting his game, Omenihu has provided a reliable pass-rushing presence in limited action.
Omenihu leads the Texans with nine quarterback hits and has two sacks in 272 snaps, playing 39 percent of the defensive playing time.
Omenihu’s playing time figures to increase after Hall is out for the season with a torn pectoral.
“Charles has improved,” Romeo Crennel said. “The thing about Charles, he hasn’t played quite as much because we’ve rotated him in a little bit. I think Charles has kind of figured out what we need done, how we need it done. So, I think we’re going to see him more and he’ll continue to have an impact on the quarterback.”
Odds and ends
Left tackle Laremy Tunsil returned to practice Tuesday after missing last week with a non-COVID illness. … The Texans signed former Los Angeles Rams center Cohl Cabral to the practice squad. … The Texans cut defensive end-outside linebacker Kendall Futrell from the practice squad