The Defense We Always Wanted

I don’t care what anyone says, our defense this year is better than it has ever been. Do you know why?

It is not because we have given only 214.3 passing yards a game, which is 50 yards less per game than last year. It is not because we are averaging 1 more turnover a game than last year at this point. It is not because we are averaging 4 more sacks than last year a game, at this point.

It is because we have something the Houston Texans has lacked forever, swagger.

Watching the game yesterday I noticed something. Our Houston Texans defense actually looked ‘bad ass”. There is a reason why teams like the Steelers, Bears, and Ravens are so revered in the NFL. Yes they have all-star players, but they have an attitude that has driven their defenses for years.

You don’t have to have the most amazing defense in the world, look at the Super Bowl Saints, they weren’t perfect in any statistic, except for turnovers and sacks. The Saints that year were turnover and sack machines. These two categories can single handedly win games, and that was clearly evident Sunday against Pittsburgh. OLB Mario Williams and DE Antonio Smith each have 4 sacks in their first four games, an average of one a game. The rest of the line has accumulated 4 sacks, to a total of 12 , and an average of 3 a game.

I don’t know about you, but this Wade Phillips pass rush seems to be working. People have always said this defense has the potential, we just needed the right coaching, Wade Phillips is the right coaching. In 2011 he has brought a ‘hungry’ attitude to this pass rush. In blitz packages you can see every player fighting with everything they have to get to the QB. This ‘hunger’ has delivered 3 fumbles.

One of the most important parts of having a swagger to a defense is getting in the QB’s head, correct? Well on Sunday seeing Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger grass stained jersey, rattled, and battered was one of the greatest sights I have ever seen as a Texan fan. We have been getting in opposing QB’s heads, and that has translated into 4 interceptions in 4 games. We even SHUT OUT one of the most clutch QB’s of all time on Sunday, I know that stat is odd to look at, but it is real. I know the Steelers are getting the label of being ‘okay’ this year, but their offense is pretty good in my mind, and we held them to only 7 points. Rattling QB’s will continue to also result in game winning interceptions like CB Jason Allen’s Sunday.

I know some people knocked us off a notch on defense after the New Orleans game, but if you look at the game, we practically shut down elite QB Drew Brees, until the 4th quarter of course. This win against the Steelers showed the Texans new found swagger, they showed they were able to bounce back after a loss, and not only beat last years Super Bowl contenders, but we whooped them. The score of 17-7 didn’t reflect how the game went. Because the defense did even better than; they a FG block for a TD and a INT for a TD called back due to silly penalties.

If this Texans swagger keeps on delivering sacks and turnovers all year, this might be the defense we have waited for to take us to the playoffs.