Why J.J. Watt Is Exactly Right About Houston Texans Having No Weaknesses

Every NFL team has its weakness, but don't tell that to Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.

After his team went 10-6 last year to advance to the postseason for the first time in franchise history while enduring major injuries to key players, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the second-year defender is exuding confidence.  

Appearing on ESPN's NFL 32, the second-year defensive end had some bold words regarding his club's organized team activities (via ProFootballTalk.com): "I think that’s the sign of a good team, when you have a good offense and a good defense and it’s just a battle. That means that you don’t really have a weakness." 

Love the assertiveness, and in all fairness to Watt let's examine the validity of his statement instead of immediately bashing him.

Defensive line

How about starting where Watt plays: on the Texans defensive line. 

They lost Mario Williams during the free-agency period, although the menacing 6'6'', 290-pound defensive end was lost for the majority of the 2011 season with a torn pectoral muscle. 

Smushed between Watt and veteran defensive end Antonio Smith is Shaun Cody, the middle anchor of Wade Phillip's 3-4 alignment. Smith a respectable 6.5 sacks last season and Watt wasn't too bad himself. He recorded 55 tackles with 5.5 sacks of his own. 

Houston's defensive line is certainly good enough to be far from the "weakness" distinction. 

Linebackers

The linebacking corps is without former Pro Bowler DeMeco Ryans, who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.

However, many believe he was out of place in the middle of a 3-4 defense and his Achilles injury hampered his overall speed. Statistics proved those sentiments to be true last year. He recorded a career-low four tackles per game and didn't have a sack. 

Veteran Bradie James was acquired to fill his spot next to Brian Cushing. The former Rookie of the Year had a bounce back 2011 after dealing with a suspension and injuries in 2010, and Cushing finished the season with 114 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles.

The outside edge-rushers, Brooks Reed (six sacks) and Connor Barwin (11.5 sacks), are more than formidable. For as much as Williams will boost the Buffalo Bills pass rush this season, his departure won't considerably hinder the Texans' chances to frequently get to the quarterback in 2012. Don't forget about first-round pick Whitney Mercilus, either. 

The inside linebackers aren't as strong as the rest of the front seven, but the group, as whole, is certainly one of the Texans' strengths. 

Secondary 

The Texans secondary made a stride of epic proportions in 2011 from an atrocious 2010. Johnathan Joseph made Houston's front office happy they didn't break the bank on Nnamdi Asomugha after the former Cincinnati Bengal reeled in four interceptions and had 40 tackles.

Kareem Jackson and Brandon Harris are serviceable corners, but are far from elite. Glover Quin has the the tendency to get victimized on deep balls, but Danieal Manning's veteran presence kept everything together along the Texans last line of defense in 2011. 

Based on last year's stupendous numbers (190 passing yards per game, 69 QB rating against), there's no reason to think Houston's defensive backfield won't be strong again. 

Offensive line 

Eric Winston, a guy Bleacher Report's Matt Miller rated as the No. 1 right tackle in football in his famed "BR1000" rankings, is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, but that doesn't mean the Texans' renowned zone-blocking scheme will be compromised without him. 

Chris Myers was re-signed this offseason, a guy that's one of the best centers in the league. 

Wade Smith and Duane Brown fortify a solid left side of the line, and don't be surprised if mammoth rookie Brandon Brooks takes the right guard spot half way through the year. 

It'll be shocking if there's a huge regression in the line's play in 2012 because the scheme is so fundamentally sound. 

Running backs 

Arian Foster led the NFL with 1,606 rushing yards in 2010. After battling some hamstring issues early in 2011, he finished with 1,224 yards on the ground and was a monster in both playoff games, rushing for 153 and 132 yards respectively against two sound run defenses. 

Ben Tate's an ideal complementary, change-of-pace guy, who averaged 5.4 yards per rush last season. 

Without question, another team strength. 

Quarterback 

Matt Schaub borders on that "elite quarterback" status every year, and he was on the verge of one of his finest seasons of his career with 15 touchdowns and only six interceptions before breaking his foot. 

So, if he's healthy and the injury doesn't flare up in 2012, the quarterback position isn't a weakness, either.

Maybe Watt was onto something. 

Wide receivers, tight ends

Andre Johnson is one of the top five wideouts in the league—when he's at full strength. Unfortunately, he dealt with a rash of leg injuries in 2011, restricting his overall performance. He played in a career-low seven games and caught only 33 passes for 492 yards. 

Rookie DeVier Posey will be relied upon to be complementary target, but it typically takes NFL receivers at least a year to fully acclimate themselves to the professional game. Joel Dreessen bolted in free agency but Owen Daniels is still around to provide leadership.

In the end, with Johnson's injury past and the lack of experienced secondary options, this is clear one area of the Texans roster that can be construed as relatively weak.

Then again, an Andre Johnson at 100 percent changes everything.  

In conclusion, Watt's bold statement isn't that far off. Saying a team "really has no weakness" will always be met with skepticism, but the Texans are one of the most sound teams personnel-wise in the entire NFL. 

The only issue they'll have to deal with is vital players like Schaub and Johnson recovering from 2011 injuries. 

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