TUNSIL HELPS OFFENSIVE LINE GET MORE AGGRESSIVE.
With left tackle Tunsil now leading the way, ‘violence is the tempo’ group tries to achieve
When the Texans traded for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, they acquired a talented athlete with the strength and movement to excel at the most important position on the offensive line.
But another reason they paid so dearly to get Tunsil was his nasty, physical, tone-setting disposition, kind of a WWE mentality that’s been infectious enough to affect his teammates on the offensive line.
Six games into the season and entering Sunday’s AFC South confrontation at Indianapolis, the Texans’ offensive line is downright hostile, playing with such aggression it’s as if they’re on a revenge tour against everyone who offended them.
Nowhere is that destructive demeanor more evident than the success of the running game.
The Texans go to Lucas Oil Stadium ranked fifth in rushing with 139.8 yards a game. Subtract one bad performance in the victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in which they were limited to 39, and the Texans have averaged 160 yards rushing. That total increases to 164.6 over the last three games and 179 over the last two.
“That position is tough, a car crash on every play,” coach Bill O’Brien said about his line. “It’s not like playing any other position. You’re in physical combat on every single play, so I think you have to have that attitude.”
Tunsil won’t take credit for bringing the “car crash” attitude to the Texans.
“We all set the tone, not just me,” Tunsil said. “We rub off on each other. We want to be great, so we try to set that tone early in games and get things done.”
Watch how the linemen play from the first snap, and it’s easy to see how physical they’ve become. They’re not satisfied to just block their guy — they want to bury him and jump on top to make sure he stays down.
“That has to be our mentality every time we step on the field,” Tunsil said. “I feel like that’s every offensive line’s job, to kick the butt of the person in front of you to get the job done.”
There’s no denying Tunsil’s impact on the line’s performance, especially rookie left guard Max Scharping. One reason the coaches liked Scharping so much to draft him in the second round was the way he liked to punish defensive players as if challenging their manhood.
Center Nick Martin is playing better than any time in his career. Right guard Zach Fulton has made significant improvement over last season. Rookie right tackle Tytus Howard was playing well before suffering a knee injury. He’s been replaced by Roderick Johnson.
“Violence is the tempo of the offensive line,” offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said. “We want to be a physical group that runs the ball and protects the quarterback. It starts with those guys up front and the mindset they have. The offensive line is vital in setting the tone for the offense.”
There’s a fine line between being overly aggressive and disciplined.
“Yeah, there definitely is, especially in our offense, and with the rules of the game,” O’Brien said. “You’ve got to be really specific about your technique, footwork (and) hand placement.
“You’ve got to be precise in knowing the play and when there’s time to be really aggressive and other times where you may need to tone it down a little relative to the play call. I think our guys are starting to get a pretty good grasp of that.”
Deshaun Watson hasn’t been sacked in the last two games. Asked to describe his line, he said, “Physical, smart with a lot of confidence.”
“They’re doing a heck of a job of playing as a unit,” Watson said. “Everyone is up there with the right mindset, positive attitude and always playing the next play. They’ve been doing a heck of a job.”
And the play up front is a reason the Texans are first in the NFL on third down (51.4 percent), tied for first in red-zone touchdowns (71.4 percent), eighth in scoring (27 points) and eighth in time of possession (31:22).
Perhaps the most impressive improvement the offense has made has been in the red zone. In 2018, they were 28th in redzone touchdowns (36.2 percent).
“They (linemen) have a lot to do with it from a protection standpoint and the ability to run the ball,” Kelly said about the success in the red zone. “It’s hard down there because the field’s condensed, and there are more people close to the ball. They’ve done a good job at being physical in the running game and keeping Deshaun clean.”