MERCILUS STEPS UP IN THE PLAYOFFS
Outside linebacker always consistent but continues to step up during playoffs
Texans’ wild-card victory over Buffalo was more proof the playoffs bring out the best in outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus.
As the Texans prepare for Sunday’s divisional round game at Kansas City, the coaches and players know they’re going to get the best Mercilus has to offer against the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mercilus played one of the best games of his eight-year career in the 22-19 overtime victory over the Bills.
“I feel like I played great in the season and just transitioned into the playoffs,” he said Monday.
Mercilus made plays all over the field against the run and pass. He had four tackles, sacked quarterback Josh Allen once and knocked him down three times. He also had a forced fumble.
What doesn’t appear in the stat sheet is how Mercilus and outside linebacker Jacob Martin harassed Allen and caused him to commit intentional grounding in the fourth quarter. The stats also don’t show how many times Mercilus forced Allen out of the pocket before throwing an incompletion.
“He does a lot of things that don’t show up on a stat sheet that help you win,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “He sets the edge in the running game. He does a good job internally in the passing game relative to some of the things we do up front. I'm talking about working with the defensive tackles (and) working with inside linebackers.”
Mercilus knows defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel’s system inside out. The coaches trust him to do his assignments and not make mental errors. In the victory over Buffalo, he carried out his role in Crennel’s game plan expertly.
Mercilus’ performance against the Bills continued a terrific season that helped him get a new four-year, $54 million contract that included $18 million guaranteed.
Mercilus, 29, got off to the best start of his career. He joined J.J. Watt and Chicago outside linebacker Khalil Mack as the only players in league history with at least five sacks and four forced fumbles in the first four games of a season.
This season, Mercilus had a team-high 7½ sacks, tied for second most in his career. He recorded 48 tackles, including nine for loss, 15 hits on the quarterback, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.
“He's a very consistent player,” O’Brien said. “You know what you're going to get out of Whitney every day. He's got the same routine every day. I think if you're that consistent, then in big games and critical moments, that consistency is going to show up in a good way for your team.”
O’Brien needs Mercilus to show up against the Chiefs. A victory would enable the Texans to advance beyond the divisional round for the first time in team history and give Houston a team in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1979 season, when the Oilers lost at Pittsburgh for a second consecutive year.
Mercilus excelling in the playoffs shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who’s followed his career. Since 2015, he’s registered seven sacks in the playoffs, more than any player in the NFL.
He also has 24 tackles, including seven for loss, and 12 quarterback hits.
The first of Mercilus’ five playoff games was against the Chiefs in the 2015 wild card round at NRG Stadium. It was a game he and his teammates – not to mention O’Brien and his assistants – have tried to forget.
Mercilus put together an outstanding performance that got lost in the fog of an embarrassing 30-0 defeat in the team’s first playoff appearance under O’Brien.
Looking back on that game Monday, Mercilus didn’t want to talk about his statistics.
“It was a sick feeling from the first kickoff,” Mercilus said about the Chiefs’ kickoff return for a touchdown. “That was a different team, and I was a different player. I feel like I’m a better player, and I feel like we’ve got a great team heading into this playoff game.”
The Chiefs are hoping to avenge their 31-24 loss to the Texans on Oct. 13 at Arrowhead Stadium and advance to the AFC Championship Game for a second consecutive season.
“It’s a different KC team this time,” Mercilus said. “They’ve got a few guys back that were banged up. We’ve got to get prepared for what they’re going to throw at us. Nobody’s going to be holding anything back.”
Especially Mahomes, who threw three touchdown passes against the Texans, including two to receiver Tyreek Hill.
“He’s a great player, and they center their offense around him,” Mercilus said about Mahomes. “(He’s) a guy who can definitely sling that rock and is also able to run. We’ve faced several quarterbacks like that this season, and it’s difficult to go against somebody like that.
“We have to have a disciplined pass rush going against him. We’ve got to be disciplined in the secondary, too, handling their receiving and tight end corps.”
It should help that Watt is back to play opposite Mercilus. They combined to put consistent pressure on Allen, and they need to do it against Mahomes.
When asked about him benefitting from having Watt back, Mercilus said, “Not me specifically but everybody.
“He’s an emotional leader and a vocal leader, too. With the type of energy he (brings), I think it was a great way for him to come back from this injury (torn pectoral muscle) and get a sack that really juiced up everybody -- the crowd as well as us.”
Mercilus was asked where Mahomes ranks among the quarterbacks he’s played against. That distinguished list includes Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan.
“He’s definitely top five, and he continues to get better and better,” Mercilus said.
And the Texans need to get better against the Chiefs or one of their better seasons will be over.