I've seen lots of man coverage by Joseph. Quin gets the TE. It almost seems like every other receiver/RB is double teamed when the Texans are in a coverage package. Cushing doesn't seem to have a specific player a lot and is in a zone a lot. I've seen a few plays when Jackson seems to be in a zone while Joseph is not. Don't see Jackson that much on TV these days. I suspect he almost always has deep help which allows him to play more aggressive near the line. The pressure on QB fluctuates on how Wade wants to play. Sometimes, there is only a four man rush. Sometimes, a seven man blitz. Very difficult to read who is coming. Watt and Smith provide good pressure from DE positions making it difficult for QBs to step up. Barwin and Reed are good on the outside in base pressure.
They have looked a little less dominant the last couple of weeks, need to get it back this week against Cam. DD
They were more than decent the first half. Ultimately, you can't give up long TD drives, but it is relevant to note said drive included a successful 4th+ conversion for the Bengals and one heck of a pitch and even better catch by Simpson on the TD - he got hammered. I'm nowhere close to a scheme expert. That said, I do think it should be noted that the defense has a LOT more talent. yes, Mario is out. But JJ Watts, Reed, Barwin, Joseph and Manning are all new, good/great defensive players. that's almost half the defense. plus Demeco's back. And Cushing is zoned in again. And Quin is doing a great job at safety. Don't get me wrong, i think Wade is doing a great job on scheme and system, but that's a lot of player specific changes that seem to be all working positively. 5 new players, return of one of your best players who was injured, a player moving and excelling in a new spot and potentially your best all around defensive player (Cushing) feeling comfortable again.
They've given up 2 TD's in the last 12 quarters.... Anyway, I'm not a scheme guy either, and although someone more familiar with the scheme will probably rip this post apart, I'll give it a shot. I think the bottom line is that our defensive players are more suited for the 3-4 than they ever were for the 4-3. Ironic considering so many people (myself included) were so weary of switching just a few short months ago. Examples: Antonio Smith - not quick enough to play 4-3 DE, not big enough to play 4-3 DT. Perfect fit for 3-4 DE. Shaun Cody - too small to play 4-3 DT. Perfect fit for Wade's 3-4 DT. (Wade wants a quick athletic DT not just a fat-body taking up space) Connor Barwin - Not big enough to play 4-3 DE fulltime, 4-3 LB wouldn't utilize his pass-rushing skills. Perfect fit for 3-4 OLB. He's gone from a 3rd down pass rusher to a possible Pro Bowler. Brian Cushing - Great at 4-3 LB, but he's pretty much being asked to do the same things at 3-4 ILB. Then of course, you add Watt who is pretty much the prototypical 3-4 DE and Reed who is pretty much the prototypical 3-4 OLB, and all the sudden you've got an outstanding front 7.
Pretty good summary,...but big credit to Wade for putting the puzzle together...and there is NO direct evidence of him even entertaining the thought of leaving (wished I wouldn't have made that thread ) ...This defense sans an idiotic overall of personnel will be dominant for years to come regardless - sure tweaks such as CB2, but I can't imagine you have to do much more than that
Wade Phillips is very good at exploiting weaknesses. I think it's that simple. He gameplans effectively. Note: this team is rarely, if ever, out of position, caught off guard, etc. They are very-well coached. From there, the talent and buy-in, building confidence - all that takes over. But it starts with schemes and Phillips. He's a very smart defensive coordinator.
Lance Zierlein's dad Larry summed it up best; the pass rush is relentless. Even if they are not blitzing, the pass rush is relentless. The players believe in the system and are going all out every down because they have so much confidence in the system and what the coaches tell them. There isn't any confusion or hesitation in the body languages of the defense.
According to hillboy, the glaring weakness in "coach fix-it's" defense was supposed to be that teams would run all over it. Yet the Texans are 4th in the NFL in opponents rushing yards.
Actually, IIRC, it was that they could exploit the middle of the field. I'm guessing having two competent, in their prime MLBs, plus 2 relentless, tackle-machine safeties, is making that difficult. This Texan defense is WAY more talented than the Cowboy defense he had. The LBs are just sick in their ability to cover the field; Joseph and Jackson are terrific tacklers, as are the safeties; and the DL generates a whole bunch of havoc in the middle of the line of scrimmage. I have not seen a team yet find a way to beat this defense with any consistency.
While I don't expect a fat body NT, I do think the Texans try to add a slightly stronger NT. Very difficult to find big and quick, though. It is very difficult to run outside of the guards against the Texans. Talent + Coaching = Execution
The Texans offense puts points on the board, so their opponents also may rush less in order to catch up. The Texans offense also has time consuming drives, which allows the Texans defense to stay fresh. In the second half, rushing teams want to wear down the opposing defenses. That is hard to do if the opposing defense is fresh or the score dictates pass over run.
