Texans defense willing to help Young mature
Written by Greg Shelley, Wednesday November 18 2009
By starting Vince Young once again at Reliant, the Titans are going to see a much different defense than they encountered in week two.
When this season began, no rational person would have guessed that the Texans would have went into Tennessee in week two of the season and beat the Titans. Actually, from the preseason talk, everyone seemed to think the Texans would be 3-1 after the first four games, with the one loss coming from the Titans. As it turned out, the Texans lost a shocker to the Jets to open the year and then went into Tennessee and put up 34 points in a winning effort, en route to a 2-2 start.
This Monday night, the two teams will face off again, but neither team much resembles their week two selves, with two very important exceptions—the Texans’ passing offense and the Titans’ passing defense. Because the Texans’ passing offense is still very good and the Titans’ passing defense is still very bad all the other changes will mean very little by the time the game is over. Monday night’s game will play perfectly into the hands of the Texans as the Titans’ strengths and weaknesses are virtual opposites from their opponents’. The tipping point comes in the form of one of the key changes the Texans have made since the last time the two foes met.
That key change is the Houston defense—one that had given up 79 points in the first three games, but has only given up 68 points in the last four and a half games, going back to the second half of the Cardinals game. The second half of the Arizona game is apparently when the Houston defense finally discovered itself and began establishing an identity. They have quietly risen through the statistical ranks, moving from the worst defense in the league after the third game to #17 in total yards surrendered and #15 in total points currently.
Sure, many of you will point to the fact that the Titans’ offense seems to be resurrected along with Vince Young’s career over these last three games. Well, at least that is the appearance—this week’s game will tell us if it is just a mirage or not. Nonetheless, the Titans’ passing game is still the same old passing game, with Young’s best outing so far being a measly 210 yards. Yes, yes, his running ability has been a game changer and he does provide a nice complement to Chris Johnson, but the Titans had a great run game back in week two. They still don’t have much of a passing game, or at least they didn’t show much of one against three teams that rank in the lower half of overall defense in their three recent wins.
Never mind the fact that Houston has the league’s number three passing offense going against Tennessee’s 31st ranked passing defense. The Texans are going to put up some points, so the defense remains the usual area of concern. So, even if you aren’t interested in looking at the numbers which show a vastly improved defensive unit for the Texans, you should be interested in the fact that the Texans’ defense, and truthfully the entire Texans’ team, has a very significant motivating factor on the line in this game. Not only has Vince Young established a 3-0 record against his hometown Texans, he embarrassed the Texans’ defense in his first visit to Reliant Stadium with a huge overtime scramble to the end zone.
The memory of that loss still resonates with several defensive starters. In John McClain’s article today, he pointed out how DeMeco Ryans vividly remembers that day in December of 2006. He, along with the rest of his teammates, had to listen as the local crowd erupted into jubilant cheers for the opposing team’s quarterback and their overtime victory. He said, “It was a devastating play for us, but when [Vince] scored, the way the fans erupted, well, that was a blow to my heart.”
Oh, and don’t think for a second that Mario Williams will ever forget the boos from fans when he was picked first in the draft that year over the local favorite and University of Texas hero, Vince Young. Given the way this season began for Young, many of those who thought the Texans should have picked differently that year have gone back into hiding, but Mario knows there is only one best way to make them forget completely and that is with his play on the field. A sack or two on Young this weekend would go a long way toward helping the locals forget, and Mario has to be simply salivating at the idea.
Even for those players who aren’t so intrinsically connected to the saga of Vince Young know that there are ghosts of football past still to be erased on the local front. After all, many of the locals are still clinging to the Oiler Blue of days gone by; yet, there on TV on occasion are the Titans wearing those same uniforms. Perhaps, they need a reminder that this is not their house even if they have the rights to those old colors and emblems. At least, the Texans defense should be fired up and ready to deliver the statement personally, on the field this Monday.
Ultimately, for the Texans’ defense at least, the best thing that could have happened is having Vince Young back as a starter for the Titans. His presence will bring an additional motivation to a unit that is looking for a signature victory for its newfound identity. One of the more surprising things about the Texans’ defensive improvement since the first three games (in which the Jets, Titans, and Jaguars ran all over them) is the fact that the Texans are actually ranked higher now against the run than they are against the pass, and they are showing a very solid balance.
The loss to Indianapolis in week nine was actually another positive sign for the defense, holding the Colts well below their average point production and once again putting the offense in position to win a game. By the time the Texans take the field on Monday night, they will have had two weeks to get their minds and bodies right for this one. Expect to see a defense well-motivated to protect their house, one willing to help with Young’s ongoing education. The Texans will be hoping to deliver a not-so-friendly reminder to the Titans’ QB, that one man does not make a team, something Vince seemed to have forgotten the last time the heat was on.
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