Tag: Anthony Weaver

Where did S Justin Reid have the most growth in 2020?

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid saw his third season end after 13 games, but defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver saw aspects where Reid improved.

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid will play in the fewest games of his career in 2020, as the former 2018 third-round pick’s year is over with a hand injury.

Though Reid played in just 13 games this season, all of which he started, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver saw aspects of the 23-year-old’s game that took a step forward despite the setbacks the team faced all year long.

“I think it’s probably just been his leadership off the field,” Weaver said. “Prior to this season, he’s never been the older safety in the room. While you have guys there like Eric Murray and there’s certainly some vets that have done a really good job, he’s kind of that older statesman back there.”

Some of what makes Reid the older veteran in the safety room is the personnel. A.J. Moore came into the league the same year as Reid, and Lonnie Johnson, who moved from cornerback to safety, is in his second year. Though Murray may be a former Kansas City Chiefs 2016 fourth-round pick, he is in his first year with Houston.

Reid is the de facto old man in the room.

Said Weaver: “He’s played a bunch of ball so they look to him as kind of that example. He’s stepped up in that role. That to me is probably where he’s taken the biggest jump. I love the kid.”

Aside from losing a trustworthy defensive back, who provided Houston with 83 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, four pass breakups, and 2.0 sacks, Weaver hates to lose such a valued competitor, who gutted out his hand injury during the entire 36-7 loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday.

“I hate that he got hurt,” said Weaver. “He gets hurt early in that game and he battles through the entire game just trying to help the team. Even when it was out of hand, he was still out there giving everything he had for the team. I love him. I just hope he gets well soon.”

Texans’ Anthony Weaver expects Bears run game to improve in Week 14

The Houston Texans know they will get the best from the Chicago Bears when it comes to the NFC North’s rushing offense.

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is not taking the Chicago Bears run game lightly.

Though the 5-7 club from the NFC North is tied for the ninth-fewest yards per carry at 4.0 and also has the second-fewest rushing yards with 1,043, Weaver expects the Bears to commit to the run in their Week 14 encounter Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at Soldier Field.

“I expect them to try to commit to the run probably a little bit more than they have been in the past,” Weaver said. “Right now, they’re last in attempts in the league (264). They only average around some 87 yards per game, but I think if you look at it from a matchup perspective and when you see us and where we’re ranked statistically, you’ve got to think they’re going to try to go in and test the waters.”

The Texans run defense invites Chicago to give their run game a shot. Houston gives up the second-most rushing yards per game at 150.9 and the second-most yards per carry at 4.9.

“I expect them to go in and try to run the ball early and hopefully we do a good job of deterring that and making them put the ball in the air,” Weaver said.

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Texans ILB Tyrell Adams is thriving in starting role

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver says ILB Tyrell Adams is doing a great job stepping up in Benardrick McKinney’s absence.

The Houston Texans faced a dilemma when inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.

The Pro Bowler’s last game was Week 4 versus the Minnesota Vikings, and the defense would be losing one of its leaders as he placed on injured reserve.

However, reserve inside linebacker Tyrell Adams has stepped up and provided the Texans’ defense with the necessary communication and playmaking to keep the operation running smoothly.

“I’m so incredibly proud of Tyrell,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “Since B-Mac has gone down and he’s stepped into that role, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Playing alongside inside linebacker Zach Cunningham, Adams has taken on a communication role, getting players in the right positions and relaying calls from the sideline.

“We’ve asked him to be the primary communicator out there, be loud, be vocal, be confident and communicate everything to both the front of the defense, the front seven and the back end,” said Weaver. “He’s done that and he’s also been incredibly productive in doing so.”

Adams has collected 79 combined tackles, 1.0 sack, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups in his 11 games, seven of which he has started.

The results aren’t surprising to Weaver.

Said Weaver: “I’d like to say I was shocked and surprised but for all the people that have been around here and seen the way he’s worked the past few years that he’s been here, it’s really not surprising. We expected him to come in here and there to be no drop off. I’m just incredibly proud of him that he’s been able to have these moments.”

Adams could have a couple more moments to make Weaver proud as the Texans face the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

Texans DC Anthony Weaver says he had no reaction to Will Fuller, Bradley Roby suspensions

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver found the suspensions of WR Will Fuller and CB Bradley Roby on par for 2020 and had no reaction.

The suspensions of receiver Will Fuller and cornerback Bradley Roby stunned the Houston sports community, but there was one Texans assistant coach who didn’t get worked up over the losses.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver told reports Thursday that when he learned of the six-game suspensions of Roby and Fuller, which will keep them out of the Texans’ final five games, he just took it in stride.

“Honestly, this year in particular I didn’t have much of a reaction at all,” Weaver said.” Those type of things are actually unsurprising.”

2020 has been a strange year from COVID-19 knocking out the offseason to having no preseason games to Houston starting 0-4 to coach Bill O’Brien getting fired. The Texans have had so many emotional triggers throughout the calendar year that the blinker may be broken.

Although Weaver didn’t have a reaction Monday night, he does know how much Roby meant to the defense as a cover corner, and they will have to find solutions from within.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Weaver. “He’s a very good player. He’s been very productive for us, but we’ve been in this situation before. We were without him in Jacksonville and we went out there and we delivered a victory. Nothing changes.”

Roby was out for the Week 9 game against Jacksonville, and the Texans cobbled together a solution at cornerback with Phillip Gaines and Keion Crossen for a 27-25 win.

“The expectations don’t change,” Weaver said. “We’re just going to do everything we can, and the next man has to step up to go out there to try to get a win.”

The Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium. A win would give Houston a three-game winning streak and optimism as they seek to backdoor their way into the postseason after a tumultuous start to the season.

Texans DC Anthony Weaver says it is ‘very weird’ to not see Tom Brady on Patriots film

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver says it takes adjustment in not seeing Tom Brady on New England Patriots game tape.

Tom Brady had been on the New England Patriots so long that he was there when Anthony Weaver was a defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens (2002-05) and Houston Texans (2006-08). Brady was an institution under center for the AFC East club.

For Weaver, who is now the Texans’ defensive coordinator, it is a big adjustment to make in not seeing No. 12 on Patriots game film.

“It’s very weird,” Weaver said. “Obviously, they’re a completely different outfit then what they’ve been in the past.”

The Patriots signed former Carolina Panthers franchise quarterback Cam Newton to replace Brady. Through eight starts, New England is 4-4, though 4-5 on the season due to Newton missing a start thanks to a positive COVID-19 test.

On the season, Newton has thrown three touchdowns against seven interceptions, but has rushed for nine touchdowns, one less than he had in his MVP season of 2015 when Carolina went to Super Bowl 50.

“They’ve adjusted well,” Weaver said. “Give them credit. They haven’t tried to square peg-round hole anybody on that offense. They’re using Cam’s skillset. They’re best utilizing Cam’s skillet and they’re committing to running the football and then they’re taking their shots down the field.

“It’s definitely different, but you can tell they’re doing a very good job coaching because they’re using the pieces they have and trying to maximize their skillsets.”

The problem for the Texans is their run defense is susceptible to what is a strength for Newton. Houston has the worst run defense in the league by two metrics: yards per game (167.4) and yards per carry (5.2). The Texans will have to clean up their run defense if they hope to contain Newton and the Patriots’ rushing attack.

Will rookie OLB Jonathan Greenard get more reps against the Browns?

The Houston Texans may play more of rookie outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard against the Cleveland Browns.

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Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard saw 57 snaps in the Houston Texans’ 27-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9, and the third-round rookie may see a significant number against the Cleveland Browns.

Though outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus has come off the COVID-19 reserve, fellow outside linebacker Jacob Martin has not. Furthermore, veteran Brennan Scarlett is on injured reserve with a fractured forearm. As a result, there is an opening for Greenard to still make an impact on the game day roster.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver characterized Greenard’s performance against the Jaguars as both “good and bad.”

“There was good and bad, like there always is with every rookie,” Weaver said. “But Jon is a ball guy. He loves the sport. He’s passionate about it. He puts in the work, so that experience is going to be good for him. He’s only going to grow and improve as he continues to get more reps.”

After getting five defensive reps in Week 4, Greenard saw two in Week 5, none in Week 6, four in Week 7, and then 57, representing 83% of the defense’s snaps, in Week 9. Greenard collected three combined tackles in the win that inched Houston to 2-6 on the season.

“We’re confident in him and what he did was a normal rookie game,” Weaver said. “But you saw flashes of his potential and what he can be.”

Texans defense is gearing up for Browns to go heavy with the run game

The weather in Cleveland will be rainy and windy, which favors a heavy dose of the Browns’ running game, and the Houston Texans are ready.

Sunday’s weather at FirstEnergy Stadium calls for 58 degrees, showers, and 28 mile-per-hour winds, which makes it the perfect recipe for running the football.

The Houston Texans know they are going to see a heavy dose of Browns running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is getting his unit ready for the challenge.

“I’m hearing there’s about a 90% chance of rain,” Weaver said. “Obviously, you get there, and you get by the lake and the wind’s blowing. You saw the (Las) Vegas [Raiders] game, I mean, there wasn’t many balls thrown at all.”

In Week 8, the Browns ran Hunt 14 times for 66 yards and had backup D’Ernest Johnson rush twice for six yards. While quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 12 passes for 25 yards and 122 yards, he also rushed six times for 29 yards. The Browns still lost 16-6 to the Raiders.

“It’s going to be a ground and pound type of football game, which, defensively, kind of simplifies the game for you a little bit,” Weaver said. “You put some extra-long cleats on. You dig your heals in the dirt and you do everything you can to stop the run. We know they’re committed to it.”

The Browns will also be getting Chubb back from injured reserve. The Pro Bowler has been out since Week 4’s 49-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys when he rushed six times for 43 yards, but left the game early with an MCL sprain in his right knee.

Though the Texans have given up 159.5 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL, and also surrender the second-most rushing yards per carry at 5.1, Weaver likes the improvement his unit has taken in the past few weeks.

Said Weaver: “We’ve improved in recent weeks. We know what we have to do. I think if it is like that, if it’s raining and it’s windy and the game becomes one-dimensional, I tend to think it helps the defense. As long as you can bow and you take the challenge on, you can stop the run and try to get them to throw the ball in a windy stadium.”

If the Browns rely on the run game to advance the ball, they will be attacking one of Houston’s vulnerabilities, and the run defense will have to stiffen up, or else it could be a long afternoon.

Texans rookies Jonathan Greenard, Ross Blacklock could get more reps after the bye week

Houston Texans rookies DT Ross Blacklock and OLB Jonathan Greenard may get more playing time after the bye week, according to DC Anthony Weaver.

The Houston Texans haven’t had many contributions from their top two rookies in their 2020 NFL Draft class.

Second-round defensive tackle Ross Blacklock has provided four combined tackles and a tackle for loss in six games. Third-round outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard finally got on the field in Week 4 after struggling with a hamstring injury, but has played a total of 11 defensive snaps with 59 special teams reps.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver believes the rookies will be able to see more playing time once the Texans return from their Week 8 bye.

“I think those guys will be given opportunities just because of the work ethic they have and the effort they put forth on the practice field,” Weaver said.

According to Weaver, Blacklock has “earned more reps,” which is why he has been able to see his snap counts go from 24 in the Week 6 loss at the Tennessee Titans to 19 against the Green Bay Packers.

“He’s out there getting that game experience, which is obviously priceless for him, in the growth and maturation that has to occur in his career,” Weaver said.

The Texans are trying to figure out the right combinations for their defense and how to utilize the rookies, and that means Greenard is in the mix.

Said Weaver: “Jon got a few reps out there this week. As he grows more comfortable and gains more confidence and becomes more consistent in his technique and fundamentals, then he’ll get more reps, too. There’s definitely a bright future for both of those guys for this organization.”

If the Texans can get key contributions from their rookie class, even though they haven’t had the normal entry to the NFL that others on the roster had in their rookie years, it would still help Houston recover from its 1-6 start and finish the season on a respectable note.

Texans have to figure out when the Titans are running bootlegs

The Tennessee Titans offense uses a lot of bootlegs, and also disguises them. The Houston Texans have to figure out when they are legitimate.

The Houston Texans have a challenge on their hands when they face the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at Nissan Stadium.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has run play-action passes 53 times this season, tied with Matt Ryan for the fourth-most in the NFL. Given that the Titans run such a preponderance of play-action, the Texans defense will have to figure out when Tennessee is passing and when they are running it.

“I actually had a long conversation with [defensive end] J.J. (Watt) just this afternoon about if we can figure out exactly if we can tell when they’re running the boots and when they weren’t,” Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver told reporters Thursday.

According to Weaver, the intricacy of the Titans’ offense is due to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

“Honestly, I have to give Arthur Smith and his coaching staff a tremendous amount of credit,” said Weaver. “They do a good job of making everything look the same. You’ve got to play it honest, otherwise that one time you climb for the boot and you guess, you’ve got Derrick Henry cutting it back where you’re supposed to be in that C gap, and he’s running it downhill into your secondary. I think you’ve got to play honest.”

In just four games, Henry has amassed the third-most rushing yards in the league with 376. Of those 376, 205 have come after contact, tied with Todd Gurley for the seventh-most in the NFL.

“They’ve got a very good scheme that’s caused problems for obviously a bunch of different defenses they’ve played at this point,” said Weaver. “We’ve just got to make sure we go out there and play disciplined football, everybody doing their job, playing the plays as we see them, playing honest and try to make the plays happen.”

The Texans will have to do something no one has in four tries: get a win over Tennessee, and for a 1-4 team, that could be a tall order.

Have Texans practices changed after the firing of Bill O’Brien?

The Houston Texans have had two practices since the firing of coach Bill O’Brien. What has changed at NRG Stadium since the coaching change?

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The Houston Texans have had two practices since the firing of coach Bill O’Brien. The coaching change begs the question: what has changed in the team’s practices since the coaching move?

According to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, there have been changes that have occurred that have brought enthusiasm to the players.

“I think structurally there were some changes in just the scheduling, which I think players were obviously excited about,” Weaver said. “But other than that, the game is the game.”

The only time a Texans coach was fired in-season was in 2013 when Gary Kubiak was let go with three games to go. Weaver was not yet in Houston; the only comparable event for Weaver is when general manager Brian Gaine was fired on June 7, 2019, the Friday before mandatory minicamp the following week.

“I was a here a year ago when our GM, Brian Gaine, god bless him, I love him, a phenomenal human being — was fired in June, and this train kept moving,” Weaver said. “We had an OTA and we came to work the next day and it kept going. You see NFL means ‘not for long.’ That’s everybody.”

“Not for long” could also apply to Weaver if the defense can’t find a way to stop the run and generate turnovers. The Texans give up 188 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL, and are the only team yet to procure a takeaway through the first four games.

Said Weaver: “At some point we’re all going to be out of here. But while we’re here, we’ve got to maximize this time and do everything we possibly can to try to win and deliver wins obviously for our fans, but also for these players. At the end of the day for me, it’s all about these players.”

The Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 at NRG Stadium Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT. The opportunity is there to show much more than the practices have changed, but so have on-field results.