Former top pick Clowney ‘disruptive as ever’
Tim Kelly and Jadeveon Clowney arrived in Houston at the same time, but only one is still here.
Clowney, the celebrated defensive end from South Carolina, was the first overall pick in the Texans’ 2014 draft, a generational talent who would terrorize quarterbacks and running backs for a decade.
Kelly was a snot-nosed offensive quality control coach who followed Bill O’Brien from Penn State and was stuffed in an office barely larger than a closet.
Funny how things work out.
Kelly, the offensive coordinator, is in his eighth season, his second as the play caller. He has a game plan for Sunday’s game at Cleveland that he hopes will contain Clowney and keep him from disrupting the running and passing game.
Clowney, the vagabond who’s playing with his fourth team in four years,
hopes he has finally found a home with the Browns after signing a one-year, $8 million contract.
This is the second consecutive season the Texans have gone against Clowney. He had one tackle for loss and an assist in the Texans’ 42-36 overtime defeat at Tennessee last season.
In Clowney’s first game with the Browns — a 33-29 loss at Kansas City — he was in on four tackles, had one sack and made three hits on quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“From the moment he got here, he was a guy you had to know where he was on every single snap, or he has the ability to wreck every play,” Kelly said Thursday. “That hasn’t changed. “He’s as disruptive as ever.” With the exception of Romeo Crennel, who works in an advisory capacity, Kelly knows Clowney better than any other coach on the team. He watched tape of Clowney against the Chiefs and saw the terrific performance he had working both sides and even sliding inside to tackle.
“We didn’t see him when he was out in Seattle (2019), but getting ready for him these past two seasons brings back a lot of memories of him on the field, and you still see the playmaking ability he has,” Kelly said.
Clowney overcame microfracture knee surgery as a rookie, other knee surgeries and a lot of nagging injuries to play five seasons with the Texans. His last two in 2017 and 2018, he was at his best, recording 9½ and nine sacks. He and J.J. Watt (16)
combined for 25 sacks in 2018, their last season together, when the Texans finished 11-5 and won the AFC South before losing a wild card game to Indianapolis at NRG Stadium.
“He’s still sudden, strong and explosive,” Kelly said. “He’s a guy we’re going to have to take care of if we’re going to have a good game.”
That puts pressure on tackles Laremy Tunsil and Marcus Cannon. They’ll have their hands full with Clowney and Myles Garrett, one of the NFL’s premier defensive ends who’s a game-changing pass rusher.
“They’re both very talented, obviously,” Kelly said. “They have similar traits. They both play with good length, and they have really good explosion and athleticism. Playing styles are a little bit different, but they’re both very dangerous off the edge.”
That’s where Tunsil and Cannon come in. The worst thing that can happen to the offense in Cleveland is for the Texans to fall behind, be forced to abandon their running game, and have quarterback Tyrod Taylor throwing more than Kelly and coach David Culley want. The coaches want balance because it’s the best way for the offense to play well enough to keep the game close.
The Texans can’t let Garrett and Clowney not worry about the run and concentrate on Taylor on every snap.
“That’s a very dynamic duo,” Taylor said. “They have one of the better fronts in the league. Garrett is a premier pass rusher. Clowney is a top pass rusher as well. I spent a year (2018) with Myles, and I’ve played against Clowney and understand the
type of player he is, too.
“They’re trying to be the first one to the quarterback, obviously. We’re definitely going to have to handle those two in pass protection.”
Which is easier said than done, of course. The Browns have talent all over their defense. The Texans saw it last season when they scored one touchdown in a 10-7 loss at Cleveland, where the weather was horrible with wind, rain and lightning.
Tunsil and Garrett got after it in that game. Garrett was in on six tackles, two for loss, and was credited with one-half sack. Now Tunsil has to contend with Garrett and Clowney because they often switch sides.
“They’re great players,” Tunsil said. “We have to come with our hard hats on and work. It’s going to be a battle for sure. In the game plan, we’re mixing up some things to get those boys off track. The main thing is stick to our game plan and be ready to play.”
Tunsil relishes the kind of competition he’ll have against Clowney and Garrett.
“I love the battle,” he said. “Let’s do it, man. You’ve got to compete, and I think that’s the best thing about being in the NFL — you see great pass rushers every week. Got to be ready to compete.”
But you don’t see many combinations as disruptive as Garrett and Clowney can be. If Tunsil and Cannon can’t keep Clowney and Garrett under control, they can make Taylor’s return to Cleveland one miserable afternoon.