Houston Texans: Three highly paid defenders that need to step up
By Randy Gurzi
Sep 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans nose tackle Vince Wilfork (75) and defensive end J.J. Watt (99) react during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
I know, I know, everyone loves Vince Wilfork. I mean the 325 pound nose tackle tells dirty jokes, dances while cooking and wears overalls. That is all great.
But the Texans didn’t give him $9 million over two years to be a dancing comedian. They paid him to play football, and if he wasn’t pushing three and a half bills, you wouldn’t even know he was on the field at all for Houston.
Wilfork has registered a sad total of one solo tackle this season. He has five assisted tackles, meaning he has been in on a combined six stops through five games this season.
Let’s be honest here, Wilfork left the New England Patriots and was signed in Houston. No one ever leaves New England with much of anything in the tank and once again it looks like someone has bit the forbidden apple.
Receivers Deion Branch and David Givens were non-existent when they left for Seattle and Tennessee respectively. Randy Moss was done after his stint in New England and even when a player is good for a little bit like Wes Welker for Denver, it is extremely short lived.
Sadly for the Texans it looks like Wilfork’s best seasons are behind him. Way behind him.
While Houston’s season is not done, the only way they will improve is if this defense can start to turn it around. These three players are the ones that need to turn their play around more so than any others.