Wade Phillips Improves the Houston Texans Defense At Least 15 Notches In the Rankings

In either capacity whether as head coach or as defensive coordinator Wade Phillips coached teams are 5-5 against Payton Manning. Does this bode well for the Houston Texans? Senior Writer Clark judge at CBSSports.com sure thinks so. Judge believes that thanks to Wade Phillips the Houston Texans make the playoffs for the first time in their history.  Let’s run down some previously coached team stats of Wade Phillips’ that you may not be aware of and that seem to favor the Texans improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

In 2002 the Atlanta Falcons with Wade Phillips in his first year as defensive coordinator allowed 19.6 points per game, 333.4 yards per game and ranked 19th in the league. The Falcons dropped by 4.0 points per game allowing 23.6 points per game the year before Wade’s arrival and ranking 30th in yards allowed by a defense in 2001. The Falcons were also tied for 4th in sacks with 47 and ranked 3rd in interceptions with 24. Both the sacks and interceptions categories are in need of drastic increases  if the Texans wish to be successful. In 02 the Atlanta Falcons also earned a 6th seed wildcard spot in NFC playoffs. In the teams first playoff game with Wade Phillips as D.C. the Falcons held the number 3 seeded Green Bay Packers to only seven points at Lambeau field eventually winning the game 27-7. Michael Vick was a large reason for the teams turn around but you can’t dispute the defensive stats and rankings. Green Bay finished the 2002 season ranked 6th in points per game at 24.9 and was one of the leagues top offenses.

In 2004 Phillips helped the San Diego Chargers go from worst to first in the AFC West by doing a complete one-eighty in terms of record. In 2003 the Chargers had finished 4-12 at the bottom of the AFC West standings and in 2004 the Chargers won the west with a 12-4 record. A large part of that was due to the phenominal play by Drew Brees but Phillips helped by taking a 31st ranked defense in San Diego and helped them to finish 11th overall defensively in Phillips’ 1st year as defensive coordinator. In Phillips’  last year as defensive coordinator the San Diego Chargers led the NFL in sacks with 61.

In his first year in Dallas he took an already top 12 defense and helped them to finish 9th overall decreasing their points given up per game by 1.6points. An already molded playoff team in Dallas the previous year, Phillips was able to take the defense from getting to opposing quarterbacks only 37 times in 2006 to 3rd overall with 46 quarterback sacks in 2007.

Considering that the road to the playoffs for the Texans in all likelihood goes through Indianapolis. Then Wade Phillips record against Payton Manning seems to be very relavent to all parties involved. Although Phillips only boasts a five hundred winning percentage against Manning and the Colts it seems that what he can do overall with a defense is what will be end up being the ultimate factor in the Texans reachinig the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. So when Clark Judge says, “Wade Phillips improves the Houston defense at least 15 notches in the rankings.” we here at Toro Times are right there backing up his belief in that statement.

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