Analyzing the Defense of the Texans After the Bye Week
Did the bye week feel like it lasted forever?
The Houston Texans get to work after their bye week on the Seattle Seahawks today. They have the best defense by points allowed in the NFL through six weeks, allowing an average of just 12.2 points per game. They are allowing over three points fewer than the second-ranked Denver Broncos.
Here is a look at the defense after five games.
Defensive End
Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter have been menaces through five games. Both of the pass rushers are near the top in almost every rush metric you want to find. One crazy thing about both of them is that it almost feels like they have left a lot on the table.
Anderson’s sack conversion rate is down compared to last year. If that number increases to where it was last year, he has a chance to compete for the most sacks this season. Hunter has been steady, but has had some close calls on a couple of sacks. They are nasty right now, and it is exciting to think about where they can go from here.
Derek Barnett, Dylan Horton, and Darrell Taylor haven’t had many standout moments as the backup rotation. That’s okay. They are there to spell the starters and still give you something. They haven’t been bad, but it would be nice to see more. The trio has combined for just one half sack this season.
Defensive Tackle
This position group has been full of pleasant surprises. Sheldon Rankins returned in free agency, and he has been a constant force at defensive tackle. He picked up where he left off two seasons ago. Tim Settle Jr. has continued to play some of his best football. Settle started hot last year and then hit a wall. He has another hot start, so it would be nice to see this hang around. Settle has one of the most impressive moments of the season for the defense when he bodied an opposing center into the quarterback’s dropback and earned a sack. A penalty wiped it out, but I won’t forget.