Tag: Zach Cunningham

7 Texans the Colts must game plan for in Week 12

These Texans must be accounted for in Week 12.

The Colts are back on top of the AFC South, tied with the Houston Texans with a 6-4 record. This game means so much for both teams as the division and possibly even a potential wild card spot could be at stake here.

Houston is coming off their worst loss of the season, a 41-7 blowout against Baltimore on Sunday. The Texans will not come out as flat as they did last week when they host the Colts on Thursday night and this team is not to be underestimated.

If the Colts want to stay on top of the AFC South and go a game up on Houston, here are seven Texans the Colts must gameplan for:

Deshaun Watson Houston Texans
(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)

QB Deshaun Watson

This mobile, strong-arm quarterback is a threat every time he steps on the field. The Colts will need to contain him in the pocket and not allow him time to throw to his talented receiving core. Look for Darius Leonard to spy on Watson all game and try to keep him from torching them in the run game.

WR Deandre Hopkins

Regarded as one of, if not the best wide receiver in football, Hopkins creates a significant matchup problem for the Colts. With top corner Pierre Desir questionable for Thursday, it will be up to rookie Rock Ya-Sin and the collection of safeties to keep Hopkins from going down the field.

LB Zach Cunningham

The talented linebacker leads the team in tackles with 79 total tackles on the year. He is a force in the run game and will have to be picked up by the Colts O-line in order to have success with Hines and Williams on the ground.

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Bernardrick McKinney Houston Texans
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

LB Bernardrick McKinney

McKinney is another linebacker that along with Cunningham, can be a real problem for teams trying to run the ball. With 68 total tackles on the year, McKinney will have to be accounted for on Thursday. He is also a solid pass coverage outside backer as well.

TE Darren Fells

Fells has had a quiet season, but has six touchdowns, mostly coming in the red zone. Watson targets his big tight end in goal-line sets so look for Anthony Walker and Leonard to be on Fells especially if the Texans drive down the field.

S Tashaun Gipson Sr.

Gipson has been banged up in 2019 but he is still a great cover safety with run-stopping ability. Gipson has two picks on the year including a 79-yard touchdown return earlier in the season. Brissett will have to be careful airing it out if Gipson is in coverage.

LB Whitney Mercilus

The eighth-year veteran has still been disruptive in this defense that has desperately needed a pass rush after trades and injuries. Mercilus has fit the bill with five and a half sacks on the year along with an interception. With this powerful pass rusher coming off the edge, tackles Anthony Castonzo and Braden Smith will have to make sure he does not get around them.

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Texans must tighten up their tackling against the Ravens

To beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Houston Texans will need to have sound tackling from the defense, according to Bill O’Brien.

If the Baltimore Ravens can make someone slip, they will. Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown, Mark Ingram, Willie Snead and Mark Andrews have torched defenses all season long with the ball in their hands.

On Sunday, Nov. 17, the Houston Texans will witness the slippery Ravens as they face them in Maryland at noon CT. The NFL’s top-ranked rush-offense (197.2 yards per game), Baltimore is capable of giving the Texans problems. Houston can negate that with sound-tackling and clean play.

“If you look at the games, whether it was the NFL or college, I do think that these games are coming down to mistakes – turnovers, bad tackling, penalties,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday.

The Texans are eighth in the NFL in missed tackles (68), as of Nov. 9, per Pro Football Reference. They have allowed the NFL’s most yards after the catch (1,205). That has to change against the Ravens.

O’Brien has three names in mind who will help the Texans’ tackling woes: Safety Justin Reid and inside linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham.

“So, I think any time you have guys that can tackle, which Justin (Reid) can do. We have guys that can tackle – (Benardrick) McKinney and Zach (Cunningham) and all the other guys out there,” said O’Brien. “We feel like we have a pretty good tackling team. I think that’s important, especially against a team like this.”

Reid, McKinney, and Cunningham have combined for 176 total tackles to 19 missed tackles on the year. They are not the problem. However, they also aren’t the entire solution for containing the Ravens’ defense. The three are second-level defenders.

To truly contain the electric Ravens’ offense, Houston must play with sound gap-control upfront while simultaneously setting the edge consistently. It won’t be easy without J.J. Watt.

However, that’s football. Adapt and survive or perish; it’s as simple as that.