MAKING PROGRESS
Smith preaching turnovers as key to better defense
ARLINGTON — One reason the Texans hired Lovie Smith was his history of coaching defenses that forced turnovers.
Considering how wretched the Texans were at getting takeaways in 2020 — an NFL-worst nine — as soon as Smith joined David Culley’s staff as defensive coordinator, he began his daily sermons of preaching turnovers.
It’s only preseason, of course, but if what Smith’s defense has done during the 2-0 start is a sign of what’s to come in the regular season, fans can look forward to substantial improvement in recording sacks, forcing fum
bles and making interceptions.
In victories over Green Bay (26-7) and Dallas (20-14) — playing against reserve quarterbacks in both games — the Texans totaled nine sacks and seven takeaways.
Not only did the defense have five sacks and four takeaways against the Cowboys, it allowed fewer than 100 yards rushing for a second consecutive game. In two games, the defense has surrendered 144 yards rushing, including 95 at AT&T Stadium, after being the league’s worst team against the run last season.
A better barometer of where the defense stands will come Saturday night at NRG Stadium, where the Texans end the preseason with a game against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
Culley figures to play his starters more before the Texans have two weeks to prepare for the Sept. 12 season opener against Jacksonville at NRG Stadium.
Something we’ve known since the start of training camp almost a month ago is the development of the defense is way ahead of an offense that continues to struggle and lack consistency.
Culley won’t admit he’s concerned about the offense, but you know he is. That’s why it’s vital to give more playing time to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who looked good against Green Bay and mediocre against Dallas, with limited playing time in both games.
The best thing the offense did against Dallas was avoid a turnover — amazing in preseason, especially considering three quarterbacks played, including a rookie in Davis Mills. But there were no interceptions or turnovers.
That’s not the case on defense. Not only did end Jacob Martin cause a strip sack that forced a fumble recovered by end Charles Omenihu to set up a 23yard touchdown drive, but safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown.
Forcing turnovers is one thing, but forcing them to set up a short field for the offense and later produce a touchdown is what Smith and position coaches on defense have been emphasizing since the offseason program began.
Interestingly, the three interceptions against Dallas by Johnson and safeties Shyheim Carter and Terrence Brooks came from players who didn’t start the game.
“They’re doing a good job in the secondary, and a lot of that has to do with what’s happening up front,” Culley said. “It all works together.”
Omenihu registered two of the sacks. Martin, tackle Roy Lopez and tackle DeMarcus Walker added one sack each. Of players recording the five sacks, only Omenihu started against the Cowboys.
“That whole front got after it,” Culley said. “We talked (Friday) night in our team meeting about the three E’s — effort, energy and execution. The effort and the energy from those guys were unbelievable, and with that group as deep as they are, good things happen. They had a lot to do with those turnovers.”
The embarrassing lack of takeaways last season contributed mightily to the Texans’ 4-12 record. Intercepting only three passes, including a pick-six by J.J. Watt, almost was mindboggling.
Getting only nine takeaways was freakish, and nothing the Texans did before 2020 showed any signs of that kind of anemic output.
In 2019, when the Texans won the last of four AFC South titles under Bill O’Brien, beat Buffalo in a wild-card game and blew the 24-point lead at Kansas City in the divisional round, the Texans forced 22 turnovers and two more in the playoffs.
In 2018, when they lost to Indianapolis in a wild card game, they had 29. Even when they finished 4-12 in their injury-plagued 2017 season, they had 16.
In 2016, they reached the divisional round and finished with 17 takeaways in the regular season and six more in the playoffs.
In 2014 and 2015, Romeo Crennel’s first two seasons as the defensive coordinator under O’Brien, the Texans forced 34 and 25 turnovers.
Then came the total collapse of 2020 in Anthony Weaver’s only season as the defensive coordinator. It wouldn’t be fair to blame Weaver. The blame should be directed at the players, who couldn’t get the ball out or take it away.
The priority this season is to take away the ball or, as Johnson said after the Dallas game, “see ball, get ball.”
Last week, Culley talked about the significant improvement of starting right tackle Charlie Heck. He can say the same thing this week about Johnson, who followed a terrific week of practice with the interception return for a touchdown.
Like Culley, Johnson praised the defensive line for providing the kind of pressure that helps put the secondary in position to make plays.
“It’s a big difference,” Johnson said. “These guys are getting back there (to the quarterback), and that’s helping us. It’s our job to make them look good. Everybody gets back there, and it’s like there’s no drop-off. If the ball’s in the air, our job on the back end is to go get it.”
The performance of the defense hasn’t been lost on an appreciative offense.
“The name of the game is being able to take the ball away,” running back Mark Ingram said. “They’ve been causing turnovers at a high rate. Get takeaways and give our offense short fields, and as an offense, we need to take advantage of that and turn those turnovers into touchdowns. That’s playing winning football.”