New Houston Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith has something in common with Vic Fangio, Richard Smith, and Frank Bush: all four never got a chance to coach defensive end J.J. Watt.
As Smith looks to rebuild the Texans’ defense, switching it from a 3-4 scheme to a Tampa-2 with a 4-3 base, he will have to do so without the benefit of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year rushing off the edge.
“It says a lot about our organization to have a player like J.J. Watt come through here,” Smith told Houston reporters via Zoom on April 8. “His influence will still be around here.”
The former Chicago Bears coach from 2004-12 mentioned that some of the younger players were able to see how Watt prepared, and that will still be an influential factor in 2021.
“But change brings about a lot of different things and now it’s that next group,” said Smith. “It’s their time. Who’s the next J.J. Watt coming up? That’s what I’m excited about. That next person who’s going to step up and be able to perform like J.J. did consistently.”
One player that enthuses Smith is inside linebacker Zach Cunningham, who led the NFL with 164 combined tackles. The former 2017 second-round pick from Vanderbilt also provided seven tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, 3.0 sacks, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 16 starts.
Said Smith: “A player like Zach Cunningham, there’s a reason why we’re paying him what we’re paying him. I’m excited about so many of our young football players and I think that they’ll fit perfectly in our defense.”
While Watt begins his 11th NFL season with a new team, the Arizona Cardinals, the Texans will still feel his presence as they seek to recover from a 4-12 season and restore the franchise to the glory they enjoyed with Watt in a Texans uniform.