Offense still seems to be the biggest issue for a Houston Texans team that is 9-5. In this day and age, offense is what wins you championships. Well, it’s both sides of the ball, but in today’s day and age of the sport, offenses are much more dynamic now, and defenses are smart.
But, for the Texans, their offense has been playing badly for a while now. Their defense has been carrying the load, and that was no different on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, it was no different, as the defense had to do the bulk of the work, so much so, that the defensive players were sending some shots after the game in the locker room.
Most notably, defensive lineman Tim Settle was sending a message to the Dolphins.
Texans DT Tim Settle speaks after win vs. Dolphins
“They were mad. What did Ramsey say? ‘Ask them,'” Settle said, mocking an infamous Jalen Ramsey clip from his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. “I don’t know. I don’t know why everyone wants to try us, but it’s not going to end your way unless you want to try it. But, that’s part of the football game, it’s a physical game. Sometimes people take it personally, I don’t know why. Don’t get bully balled.”
The Texans’ defense came to play. According to Next Gen Stats, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 29 of his 40 pass attempts for 196 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions, which is tied for a career-worst for interceptions in a game.
The area where the Texans’ defense did the best, was giving the Dolphins everything underneath, and making them work for everything. Tagovailoa fared well on short passes, or passes that are under 10 air yards, completing 26 of 29 for 153 yards, but struggled on downfield passes, which are 10-plus air yards, completing only 3 of 10 for 43 yards, one touchdown and all three of his interceptions.
The Texans made it their mission to take away the deep ball, especially with Tyreek Hill, who is great at creating something out of nothing. All three of Tagovailoa’s interceptions were when he targeted Tyreek Hill, with two of those coming from Derek Stingley.
The Texans’ defense has been amazing, and they aren’t scared of anyone. They certainly won’t be afraid of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens the next two teams they play, two who are both two of the biggest contenders in the league.
