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Releasing Roderick Johnston so soon would seem to indicate that the Texans talent & depth and comfort level with their personnel at
Yeh, I'm really pumped on what's happening on defense. You're going to see the best defensive play since the 2011 Wade Phillips defense. Call me optimistic.
Houston Sports NewsLovie Smith’s defensive mentality: Take the football away
By Aaron WilsonAug 21, 2021
ARLINGTON – Lovie Smith nodded his head vigorously and clenched his fist on the sideline, gestures of strong approval from the plainspoken, white-bearded veteran Texans defensive coordinator.
Watching the Texans’ defense take the football away three times against the Green Bay Packers a week ago at Lambeau Field, Smith saw proof that his teaching is leaving an imprint on the minds of his overhauled defense.
Smith knows what it’s supposed to look like. The former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach has coached everyone from Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and Brian Urlacher in his trademark 4-3 defense.
After taking over the NFL’s 30th-ranked defense from last season, a unit that lacked aggressiveness and cohesiveness, Smith is optimistic about what he’s seeing.
One year after the Texans had just nine takeaways on three interceptions and six fumble recoveries to rank last in the NFL in that statistical category, the Texans were extremely opportunistic during a 26-7 preseason opening victory at Green Bay.
Defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson had two fumble recoveries, including one on a sack-strip from defensive end Jon Greenard. And cornerback Tremon Smith intercepted a high Kurt Benkert pass and tapped his toes on the sideline like a wide receiver to remain inbounds.
This is what Smith has been hoping for as he’s imparted knowledge and techniques about how to develop a strategy for getting the football as the Texans prepare for their second preseason game Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
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Photo: Getty Images
“We have a basic philosophy on how we want to play football,” Smith said. “Yeah, we want to stop the run, we want to be sound and all those things. They determine the winner by how many points you score and that’s one of our goals on defensively to score as often as possible, just like on offense. And if we can’t score, it’s about taking the ball away. It’s not a good defensive game unless you’ve done more than make a tackle. Takeaways are important and if you’ve been at practice, you’ve seen guys buying into that.
“I think it’s a mindset. We as a defense, you can’t wait for the offense to turn the ball over you have to take it away. So on defense, first off, the philosophy that it’s a takeaway. You have to take the ball away on the defensive side and then you got to practice it. Simple as that. You just have to keep practicing it, like you practice tackling, like a receiver practice catching the ball. All of those things.”
Toward that goal, Smith has developed a system for how to track turnovers and attempts to create them.
What that means is constantly trying to punch the football out of offensive players’ hands and disrupt passing lanes to create interceptions.
“That’s been an emphasis in every meeting,” said veteran safety Justin Reid, who has five career interceptions and no interceptions last season. “We have target goals on how many times we even want to punch the ball. This is the first time I’ve seen it where we’re tracking just strip attempts, punch attempts, tracking all of that. Really trying to put an emphasis on guys to go after the ball and create turnovers, because those are game-changing situations.
“Last year, the defense, it just wasn’t tight enough. Too many holes, too many pitch-and-catches. We tried to put some emphasis on the ball, but we didn’t do a good enough job last year. Plain and simple.”
Twice with the St. Louis Rams as defensive coordinator and once as the Bears’ head coach, Smith’s defenses have led the NFL in takeaways. Against the Packers, the Texans looked fired up with something to prove and the results reflected that mentality.
“I think it was a matter of us just running to the ball,” Johnson said. “I know that’s what our coaches have been harping on the entire training camp: just running to the ball and giving effort. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. It’s just a measure of us playing hard. I don’t think it’s anything special. It’s us going out there and doing our thing and playing hard.”
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I'm just hope that that something missing completely develops into NFL defensive tacklers.
Players are raving about this coaching staff. Hargreaves loved it that the coaches let them be themselves while still maintaining discipline. Seems every player on D loves the system. Everyone from last year indicated that they were playing out of their natural position last year. Jacob Martin, one of my favorite players, Texas cowboy too, said he was drafted as a DE and is pumped to play the position again. What’s interesting is the players are saying Lovie hasn’t opened up much of the D yet. Played only base D last game. I’m happy. All I was hoping for this year was a clean and positive change from the past‘s annual funk. Whole new professional paradigm. It’s just second Game in but these Coaches have to find a way to build on that first game.
Is this and hopefully a running back who does not always need Premier blocking.
Voting hammers, now there is a concept that makes me shudder.
I'm hoping, just hoping, that Philip Lindsay can be that RB. I see him potentially as having the running style of a Tony Dorsett, though certainly not expecting him to be as great. He's about the same physical size of Dorsett, a little shorter but a little heavier. Dorsett ran the 40 in the 4.3's and Lindsay is just under 4.4 at about 4.39, so may be a half step slower. Lindsay needs to show he can stay on the field and needs to be limited to 20 - 25 carries a game, so needs to be part of a two back tandem.
Yep but I just want someone to step up at each spot and don't care who.
Lol, so the 20 seasons weren't played in the years 2002-2022. ok. But you need to check to see if seasons span across the new year. Hint, 2002-2022 is talking years, not seasons. That big 20 refers to the seasons That, btw aren’t complete at year end. Lol.
I remember thinking the same thing this time last season.
I hope it was based on objective player evaluation & not politics. RJohnson was quality depth.
Politics? Do you mean the COVID absence or the fact he was a carryover from last year? He may have been quality depth last year But I easily see him not making this roster.
Both of those players were very vocal about how the lack of a preseason hurt their development and Greenard was another of those players playing out of position.
I mean coaches picking their guys because they are their guys. I truly hope they cut RJ because the other guys are better.
The point is the same neither played much all year. Lack of preseason excuse wears thin after four or five weeks
Well I’m guessing your hopes are verified until they cut Howard and Tunsil.
no. I just need to see G.Christian & Heck play better than I remember R.Johnson playing in the regular season.
You don't think Heck has done that?
Seems Heck is the reason they cut him and it doesn’t sound close
I haven't seen it in a regular season game yet. Heck looked good last season when he was in. On the right side. You ever see him on the left?
Can't believe what they say. Like listening to Tillman the last three hours. He was talking up Hargreaves for three QTRs.
One of the things that always drove me crazy about Clowney. The guy would be a step away from the QB and with his long arms, you would think he would have more strip sacks. I don't know if it was lack of coordination or coaching, but he rarely tried to strip the ball from the QB. It's good to see two strip sacks in two games for the Texans.
I don't like phonies.
Ferdinand Waldo Demara
Seen him on the left a handful last season II RC but as I expect him to play on the right I'm not that concerned.
If he starts, then yes. They think he’s better than RJohnson, no question.
That's not Texans related.
He's not what he portrayed himself to be.
What topic? Religious people?
He said Easterby is fake, phoney. & he doesn’t like him because he is fake/phoney
That’s because the season is right around the corner…. Lots of new crap to disagree on comin up soon!
Yup. I would rather see Davis Mills all year than Tyrod Taylor be a back up with no future .
Agreed. Texans can win the same amount of games this year with either one starting, IMO. Let the kid play.
We have an opportunity for him to sit on the bench & learn like Rodgers did, like Mahomes did. If it were up to me, & I thought he had real potential, I’m not playing him this season.
Culley is super nice.
