And the funny thing is that Cushing might be the biggest difference maker of the 3. With Watt in the lineup, there is still a night and day difference between when Cushing plays and when he doesnt. The Texans go from being a top 5 defense to a top 25 defense. I think the threesome of Cushing, Watt, and Clowney will be devastating for opposing offenses, specially for a rookie QB who hasnt seen a real NFL defense yet.
this is so true. his impact reminds me of urlacher's to the bears. when he was healthy, their d was top 5. when he had issues, they just weren't the same. cushing is that same type of player for this defense. He just needs to watch out for the cut blocks from his blind side and he will be glorious again.
That is because Cushing is one of the better coverage LB's in the league. He is physical and smart enough to cover the new breed of Tight Ends around the league. Not many LB's can do that. Even if you can get pressure, if the QB can get the ball to the his tight end, who is often the check down/safety valve, the defense will be average. Similar story in the red zone where the ball has to be thrown quickly before pressure makes it home.