The Houston Texans are set to face a challenging opponent in Week 8 in the Tennessee Titans. With an elite ground attack to try and contain, including the constant threat of All-Pro running back Derrick Henry on nearly every down, the Texans will need to be at their best to ensure that the game doesn’t get out of hand.
Defensive lineman Rasheem Green spoke to the media on Tuesday about how he and his unit will attempt to keep Henry at bay. He acknowledged that Houston’s defensive line would have their hands full with their assignments in the matchup, but Green seemed confident that the simplest strategy would be the difference between success and failure.
“To try to stop a guy like Derrick Henry or just any good back, just making sure we’re in our own gaps,” He explained. “Doing our own job, making sure we do a good job of tackling this week.”
Though there will be other threats to account for in quarterback Ryan Tannehill and rookie receiver Treylon Burks, making sure that they don’t get eaten alive on the ground will be paramount to their chances of securing the Texans their second win of the season. The Las Vegas Raiders had a field day against Houston last week with the help of Josh Jacobs, who racked up more than 140 rushing yards, and with an even more capable ballcarrier to stop in Sunday’s matchup, the Texans will need to be wary of Henry’s exceptional abilities.
The simple gameplan that Green laid out in his comments may prove to be effective if Houston can execute it on every down, but with so many factors coming into play every week, it may be more complicated than it seems on the surface. It will take big-time contributions from every level of the Texans’ defense to keep this game from becoming a blowout.
