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sports Diaranson 23 september 2020

Terrible run defense has Houston Texans in 0-2 hole

(AP) — The Houston Tex- David Johnson, in his first
ans have been terrible against season with the Texans after
the run to start this season being traded from Arizona
and it has left them in an 0-2 for DeAndre Hopkins, man-
hole with a trip to Pittsburgh aged 34 yards rushing on
looming on Sunday. Sunday.
Houston finished with 51
Houston allowed the Ravens yards rushing in a game in
to rush for 230 yards in a 33- which they played without
16 loss this weekend after backup running back Duke
the Chiefs ran for 166 yards Johnson, who sat out with an
in their season-opening vic- ankle injury.
tory. The Texans rank 31st
in the NFL in yards rushing What’s working
allowed this season and are Quarterback Deshaun Wat-
searching for ways to turn son has been solid in the first
things around before the two games and has 528 yards
season gets away from them. passing with two touchdowns
“We’re not playing very well, entering Week 3. The fourth-
we’re not coaching very well, year player believes he’s done
and we’ve got to really get some things well but is look-
improved here this week ing to do more. He’s disap-
in a real hurry,” coach Bill pointed they’ve gotten down
O’Brien said. early in both games and is
The Texans were disap- focused on changing that
pointed that they allowed the against the Steelers.
Ravens ran all over them in “We've just got to keep push-
the second half after limiting ing forward and that’s the
their potent running game to biggest thing we can do," NFL. Watt had his first multi-sack necessary roughness penalty
just 44 yards before halftime. Watson said. “And that’s what “It’s a massive, massive key game in almost a year by tak- late in the fourth quarter and
They know that everyone I’m going to do, find ways to the game,” defensive end ing down Lamar Jackson two was ejected after officials
needs to do better to turn to continue to get better and J.J. Watt said. “You have to be times on Sunday. It was the told O’Brien that he threw
things around. keep trusting all my guys that able to take the ball away and 26th multi-sack game of his a punch. His behavior drew
are in that locker room." you have to be able to protect career, the most in the NFL admonishment from Watt,
“It’s not necessarily one guy, the ball on offense. So... we since 2011. The three-time who called it selfish and stu-
it’s 11 guys, it takes a village,” What needs help have to get it done and that’s, NFL Defensive Player of the pid.
defensive tackle Brandon The Texans want to improve when we get back to the Year also hit Jackson three Injured
Dunn said. “So, we got to fig- their turnover differential af- quarterback making it even other times and batted down FB Cullen Gillaspia left in
ure out what our mistakes are ter losing the ball three times more of an emphasis than we one of his passes in the fourth the second half to be evalu-
and fix them and so we can combined in their first two already do on stripping it out quarter. Watt has 98 career ated for a concussion and
win a game.” games and not forcing any or getting the picks, catching sacks, which ranks second in didn’t return. O’Brien said
The Texans are also strug- turnovers. the ones that come to us or the NFL since 2011. Monday that he would know
gling to run the ball and rank Their minus-3 turnover dif- finding ways to create oppor- Stock down more about his condition lat-
29th in the league in yards ferential is tied with Minne- tunities.” Rookie defensive tackle Ross er in the week.
rushing a game with 84.5. sota for second worst in the Stock up Blacklock received an un- Key number
0 - WR Will Fuller had zero
yards receiving on Sunday
after finishing with 112 yards
in the opener. He appeared to
struggle while running some
routes. But O’Brien would
not say if he was injured af-
ter the game and was cagey
about it when questioned
again on Monday.
“I really don’t know,” O’Brien
said. “He was in the passing
game. He was involved in
the passing game. Relative to
health and all those things,
I’ll see what happens when
he comes in for treatment.

Next steps
The Texans must limit their
mistakes and shore up their
run defense if they hope to
avoid starting 0-3 for the sec-
ond time in three years. It
will be a big task against the
Steelers, who improved to
2-0 with a 26-21 win over the
Broncos on Sunday.
“Everybody has got to do a
better job,” O’Brien said.
“When you’re 0-2 you have
to improve in every area.”