Among the few things that have gone right for the Houston Texans in 2022 has been their resurgent pass rush, which has been a key factor in any defensive success they’ve found so far this season. The Texans managed to find their way into the New York Giants’ backfield three times on Sunday, marking their third-consecutive multi-sack game and their sixth such showing on the season.
Linebackers Blake Cashman and Christian Kirksey got in on the pass-rush bonanza, while defensive linemen Jerry Hughes and Maliek Collins were able to provide the necessary push up front to hassle quarterback Daniel Jones in the pocket. Cashman and Hughes notched full sacks in the effort, and with help from Kirksey and Collins who ended the game with half a sack each, the team mustered a three-sack performance.
While this turn of events is a welcome sign for Texans fans who were hoping to see the team’s defense blossom in 2022, the unit is far from being a finished product. Sloppy play against the ground game allowed running back Saquon Barkley to carry the ball for over 150 yards, and Houston’s secondary could only hold the aforementioned Jones to four incompletions on the day.
The pass rush has been an exciting part of the Texans’ development this season to be sure, but without fundamentally sound play at other phases within the defense, Houston will continue struggling to win games through the rest of their schedule. They have relied on several rookie contributors on that side of the ball, namely Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley, and linebacker Christian Harris.
With more experience in Lovie Smith’s defensive scheme, these players will likely become consistent performers for the Texans, but for now, their lack of playing time against high-level talent will leave Houston at a disadvantage against more established teams. Watch for the pass rush to continue picking up the slack left by the relatively green defense, and for the team to gradually improve through their remaining eight games.
