Defense not hitting its mark
Mercilus, teammates are struggling to get to the QB since Watt’s injury
Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus’ status as a marked man has grown to the point where his territory on the field has become crowded with extra blockers.
In the wake of defensive end J.J. Watt’s season-ending injury, Mercilus and the Texans’ pass rush have struggled to generate much heat against opposing quarterbacks.
The Texans’ defense has 22 sacks, ranking 29th in the NFL. Only the Atlanta Falcons (18 sacks) Cincinnati Bengals (16 sacks) and the Miami Dolphins (14 sacks) are less successful getting to the quarterback.
Since Watt got hurt against the Raiders on Oct. 27, the Texans have had only five sacks in three games. They rank last in the league with 3.3 quarterback hits per game during that span.
While the Texans had four sacks and five quarterback hits on Jacksonville rookie Gardner Minshew in their first game playing without Watt, it’s gotten much worse.
Last week, they had just one sack, recorded by linebacker Jacob Martin, and four quarterback hits in a 20-17 win over Indianapolis. In a 41-7 loss to Baltimore, the Texans didn’t sack quarterback Lamar Jackson and only hit him once.
In the final year of a fouryear, $26 million contract, Mercilus leads the Texans with 5½ sacks and four forced fumbles. Since his half-sack Oct. 20 in a road loss to the Colts, Mercilus hasn’t recorded a sack. Watt ranks second on the defense with four sacks, followed by 3½ by Brennan Scarlett and 2½ by D.J. Reader.
“I’ve been receiving a little bit of attention,” Mercilus said. “We’ve got great guys. We’re not worried. I’m not worried about who’s giving me attention. It’s a team effort. We’ve got to get after the quarterback any way we can.”
Especially Sunday night against New England quarterback Tom Brady.
Although the Patriots’ offense is nowhere close to as formidable as the past when they were headlined by tight end Rob Gronkowski, Brady has still passed for 2,942 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He’s only been sacked 18 times, including twice Sunday in a narrow win over Dallas.
With a trademark quick release, the former NFL and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player has an excellent sense of timing, a well-practiced internal clock and the ability to slide in the pocket to avoid the rush.
“It takes a lot of work just to get there; it’s not as simple as getting there as fast as 1½- or 2-second release,” Mercilus said. “The biggest thing is taking away some of his weapons and just working. The rush and coverage has to work in combination in order to get there.”
At 42 years old and two decades into his NFL career, Brady never seems to age. He has passed for 73,456 career yards and 532 touchdowns.
"He's seen everything," Mercilus said. "He takes care of his body. He's got a bed time. That's what makes him such a champion. He demands a lot out of his guys, just doing those little things. Brady is always the same guy: very competitive."