Houston Texans Week 1 Grades
By Mitch Hill
DEFENSE (B)
This defense didn’t skip a beat from the preseason. Defensive Coordinator Lovie Smith showed early in the preseason that this defense would make plays and force opposing teams to make mistakes throughout their matchups. Today was no different.
The Texans forced the former number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence to throw three interceptions that helped propel the Texans to the Win.
Free Safety, Justin Reid got the party started with an interception in the second quarter. This play kickstarted the Texans defense and ball-hawking skills as cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III got a second interception that led to a field goal that moved the needle further in Houston’s favor.
What held this Defense back was their inability to sack the quarterback. They brought pressure throughout the game which led to interceptions. Sacking the quarterback is the one stat missing from Sunday’s game, and if the Houston Texans can turn some of those throwaways and broken plays into sacks, that will pay dividends against opposing quarterbacks down the road.
The fact the Texans defense created turnovers is a huge factor in helping this team win games. If they can find consistent pressure they will be a force to deal with this season. For this week they are awarded a grade of B for their performance against the Jags offense.