Houston Texans: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Defensive Line
By Bob Dove
The Good was so possible just a few days ago. The defensive line projected to be Top-10 and all that was required to exceed expectation was for Christian Covington or Devon Still to exceed the 2015 performance level of Jared Crick. Then J. J. Watt went under the knife and gloom returned to H-Town.
Until Watt returns to full effectiveness it will be difficult for the line to meet the expectation level included in the 10-6 regular season prediction. To meet the original expectation, let alone exceed it, Covington and/or Still must excel. Maybe Brandon Dunn or D. J. Reader can contribute, but even at their best none of them can replace Watt’s pass rush. Ironically, the only player that can keep the defensive line expectation alive until Watt returns is Jadeveon Clowney.
Whether playing as a true 4-3 defensive lineman or as a 3-4 linebacker (he will do both) only Clowney has the potential to reasonably compensate for Watt’s lost pass rush. If the Texans get enough pass rush from Clowney, wherever he lines up, and if Covington and Still step up, a 10-6 season is still possible with a late season run.
If Clowney breaks out and both Covington and Still rise to the occasion, this will be one nasty defensive line when Watt returns. Without Watt a 2-2 start is far more likely than the 3-1 original projection, but look out when Watt comes back. The defensive line, strengthened by adversity and Clowney and Whitney Mercilus turning it loose from the outside, will be outstanding. That’s what The Good was supposed to look like, and it still can for much of the season.
Next: The Bad