The best and worst players from the Houston Texans win over the Tennessee Titans
By Chad Porto
3 Best on Defense
Jonathan Greenard - 91.2
The Houston Texans really did need Jonathan Greenard to step up and be the defensive presence many had hoped he'd become during his second year in the NFL. Now, in year four, he's looking like every bit of that player from two years ago, having mustered one of the best seasons ever by a Houston Texans defensive end. Greenard came into the game with 10 sacks and left it with 12.5, racking up 2.5 sacks against a not-so-great Titans offensive line. What was more impressive than anything was that he did so without having Will Anderson Jr. across from him. Not having Anderson made Greenard's job more difficult, as the rookie defensive end caused a lot of havoc in his own right, but not having him around proved how much better Greenard has become over the years.
Denzel Perryman - 90.7
Middle linebacker Denzel Perryman is not one of the Houston Texans' best players, but with Anderson and Blake Cashman out, someone had to step up and Perryman was that guy, posting the best grade of any of the Texans linebackers for the day. He was instrumental in making Derrick Henry look mortal, posting a PFF grade of 90.4 against the run, an impressive feat considering Henry is not a small man by any means. Perryman has shown flashes of brilliance at times, and hopefully, he can be more consistent down the stretch for the Texans.
Derek Barnett - 87.8
Fueled by his release by the Philadelphia Eagles, Derek Barnett has been a man on a mission. A mission of making other teams pay for doubting his talents. In back-to-back games, he's been one of the Texans' best players and with a defense needing big plays to come from unexpected players, Barnett stepped up, causing chaos for the Titans at the point of contact and being a big reason why Henry struggled. Take on that sack, and it's not hard to see why Barnett made the list.