Sack attack against Bengals sign of a defense on the rise
The Texans’ defense frustrated one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL on Sunday in a 30-27 win over the Bengals.
Cincinnati entered on a four-game winning streak as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. It departed with an unexpected setback. And the Texans’ defense, a bottom-half outfit so far this season, stymied a potent offense led by quarterback Joe Burrow.
During the first half, the Texans forced the Bengals to punt on five consecutive possessions. The Texans’ defense got off the field on third down by winning first down and forcing second-andlong situations.
The pass rush was a persistent force behind a career-best game from defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and the continued emergence of defensive end Jonathan Greenard.
“They’re a good defense,” Burrow said. “Veteran guys, veteran linebackers, some really good safeties that make it tough. Their defensive front has some juice and is able to get pressure on teams. They’re a good defense, and they were able to slow us down in the first half.”
The Bengals got some offensive traction in the second half, rallying from a 20-7 deficit and eventually tying the game at 27 before Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud engineered a game-winning drive for the second consecutive week.
Burrow relied more on his legs in the second half to generate space and time.
“Yeah, any time you’re collapsing the pocket as we were and getting as many hits on him as we were, there’s going to be some adjustments made,” said Rankins, who had an outstanding game with a career-high three sacks to go with four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. “One thing that’s underrated about (Burrow) is his ability to run and his ability to use his speed. He’s able to do some great things with his legs, so we knew it was going to be on us to come up with some big plays, continue our gap integrity, and continue to collapse everything around him.”
Burrow was sacked four times, for a total loss of 33 yards, and intercepted twice by safety DeAndre Houston-Carson and cornerback Shaquill Griffin. Both interceptions came on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter.
Bengals receiver Trenton Irwin said it was “a little too late” once the Cincinnati offense got going.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said the defense showed how things look when they’re done the right way.
“It started up front with our rush — how Rankins rushed and our guys getting the picture of four guys rushing as one,” Ryans said. “And you see that coming together.”
The Texans, who had nine quarterback hits, have done well pressuring the quarterback all year. Now they’re finishing the job.
“We get pressure, we’ve created a lot of pressure, but when you see how Sheldon rushed, he was able to create separation and finish,” Ryans said. “I think the next step in our progression as we continue to get better as a rush unit is just having separation and finishing at the top of our rushes.”
Rankins had a careerhigh seven pressures, according to NextGenStats.
Having played against Cincinnati the last couple of years as a New York Jet, the eighth-year veteran was familiar with the Bengals’ scheme and offensive line.
“Just executing my plan I put together throughout the week,” Rankins said. “I watched a ton of tape. Just worked on my plan throughout the week, came out here and executed it, and boy, what a day it was. It was a nice day.”
Ryans likes to talk about having a team that is prepared and plays fast and physical. Rankins is a prime example.
“I’ve always been a guy who’s kind of seen the big picture, understand what’s coming, understand what teams are trying to do, and always trying to get my guys on the same page so we can play fast, understand how they’re trying to attack us, and go out there and try and make as many plays as possible,” Rankins said.
The Texans’ defense is far from a finished product, however. It is understood there is a lot of work to be done.
The Texans rank 18th in the NFL in defensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), which compares the success of each play to the league average. They allow 21.3 points per game (ranking 16th) on 335 yards per game (19th).
The Bengals game showed the highs and lows. The Texans allowed seven points in the first half and 20 in the second.
But signs are encouraging. The line is finishing plays, and as Ryans said, “If our D-line is playing well, our defense will play well.”
“I know we’ll go look at the game and review the tape, and we’ll be a little bit disappointed with how we finished, but we just kept fighting, and it’s always great to go out and win,” linebacker Blake Cashman said. “We felt really good about the game plan, and for most of the game we were executing at a really high level.”