Better Defense Is Key to Turning the Houston Texans Around

Entering Week 6, the underperforming Houston Texans (1-4) are struggling to salvage their season. Quite surprisingly, despite some legitimate concerns with the offensive line and the quarterback committee, their star-studded defense is largely to blame.

For the better part of the regular season, Texans fans everywhere have been doing something very closely resembling this:

And with good reason. Sitting at 1-4, Houston is just three losses shy of matching their total number of losses for the 2014 season—a 9-7 record upon which that many believed they would improve.

Fortunately for the Texans, securing a win on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars would put them in a tie for second place in the division with the Tennessee Titans, a team they'll be taking on in Week 8.

Between those two matchups will be a winnable game against the ailing Miami Dolphins. So, no, head coach Bill O'Brien is not crazy for making a statement like this:

The odds are decisively stacked against their favor, but the Texans could still make waves in an AFC South that is largely dead in the water.

If their defense can lock the opposition down, that is. 

Despite popular belief that Houston's problems lay at the feet of either quarterback Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett, it's really the 11 men on the other side of the ball who are failing to take care of business.

How so?

Entering this season, expectations for the Texans offense were understandably low. With no real franchise signal-caller under center and the temporary absence of offensive powerhouse Arian Foster, it was assumed that the defense, particularly the front seven, comprised of some of the most talented pass-rushers and run-stuffers in the league, would patch up their mistakes.

Averaging just 19.4 points per game, good for only 26th in the league, the Houston offense has performed quite poorly, just as was expected (via NFL.com).

But it hasn't been all bad.

The Texans have been unable to get points on the board, which is, obviously, a large problem. They have, however, been able to move the ball, averaging 396.2 yards/game, fifth-best in the league, and 300 passing yards/game, fourth-best in the league (via NFL.com).

There are a lot of factors that comprise those figures, including but not limited to the fact that the Texans have almost exclusively had to play games with a deficit, but the fact remains that there is talent on the offense, and while it might not be sexy or anywhere near exceptional, it is, at a minimum, meeting preseason expectations.

Take Thursday night's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts for example. The big offensive plays were there.

There was this jaw-dropping Hail Mary from Hoyer to rookie wide receiver Jaelen Strong with time expiring in the first half.

And No. 1 receiver DeAndre Hopkins' season has been twice as breathtaking and nothing short of excellent; these NFL and Texans analysts agree.

Despite a somewhat still-rusty performance, running back Foster has not forgotten how to shake defenders with a nasty stiff arm.

Oh, and in case you forgot, tight end Garrett Graham, practically invisible for the past two seasons, can make astounding catches like this:

But where are the big plays on defense? Plays like these, when the Texans took on their AFC South foes a year ago. 

That's not to say that the onus should fall exclusively on J.J. Watt. He is—although it may be easy to forget—only human, after all. 

Former first-overall pick Jadeveon Clowney has begun to make his presence felt, as exhibited by this ferocious, single-handed stuff...

...but for the defense, particularly re-signed cornerback Kareem Jackson, to break down so badly on a crucial, game-sealing third-down play is inexcusable.

Sure, T.Y. Hilton is a supremely elusive and speedy receiver, and yes, Houston should not have allowed itself to rely on the waning minutes of a game to stage a comeback, but given the way that the offense rallied to close out the first half, the least the defense could have done was give them a fighting chance. 

In fact, the defense has done very little offensive bailing out, particularly when compared to years past.

A season ago, the Texans led the league in forced turnovers with 34, good for a tie for second place in turnover differential with plus-12 (via ESPN.com). 

Now, they've fallen to the very bottom of the league standings in that category with a differential of minus-eight, coughing the ball up 10 times and taking it away a league-worst two times (via ESPN.com).

It isn't a coincidence that the two takeaways the Texans have forced happened during their only win (a 19-9 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and their closest loss (falling to the Carolina Panthers 24-17).

Their team is dependent on those second-chance opportunities, as it was a year ago. 

It's more than just missed opportunities to make a big play. Routine tackles keep being missed, coverages are often blown and penalties have been rampant.

It hasn't eluded everyone. Analysts, fans, TV personalities—it seems as if everyone knows that the Houston defense, the fearsome monster meticulously pieced together and polished over the summer, is far from being the squad that the franchise has hung its hat on for years.

"

What is the @HoustonTexans Defense excuse for being so bad defensively this year? Look at that talent they Put out there. What's the excuse?

— kenny (@KennyKaraffa) October 4, 2015"

"

Watt, Clowney, Wilfork, Cushing, Mercilus, Rahim Moore, Joseph, Jackson, Crick and defense still stinks

— Mike (@GottiGullyGutta) October 9, 2015"

Atlanta Falcons running backs Devonta Freeman and rookie Terron Ward certainly aren't impressed, as evidenced by the manner in which they just entirely eluded and completely bombarded the Texans defense, respectively.

An escort to the end zone? Certainly!

A four-man pre-touchdown celebratory hug? Why not?

I expect that, after being allowed the most wide-open catch-and-run of his career, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce doesn't feel that Houston defenders are worthy of the praise and faith they receive.

"

Could use this in the second half http://t.co/zDGLdyvSJT #KelcePunch #SuperSmashBros

— Matthew Not Berry (@TalentedMrFoto) September 18, 2015"

Give the ball a little contact, since you got absolutely none.

So what are they to do?

For starters, they need to buckle down.

With so much talent at his disposal, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel needs to find ways to fix purely fundamental mistakes. 

The path to Houston's success begins with something as simple as securing a tackle on third down.

The defense, often completely exhausted by even the end of the third quarter, needs to improve at making those boring but necessary, timely stops.

Once they do, they will be able to get off of the field quicker, allow their offense to begin with better field position and consequently sustain better drives, thus allowing them to rest for greater periods of time.

Less depleted, the defense will be in a better position to cause one of those life-giving turnovers, and when they do, Houston won't be forced to struggle in playing from behind.

The Texans offense is simply not going to put up more than 20 points in a contest on a regular basis. No quarterback switch or player substitution at this point in the season will change that. Yes, they're mediocre, but they're showing flashes when they need to, playing to the highest level of their potential and doing what they are capable of.

Houston's defense has a ceiling ferocious enough to back down a bear—maybe even two. But at the moment, they're nothing more than an imaginary creature under the bed. It's time they start giving the rest of the team the leg up it so badly needs.