Where is the Houston Texans Pass Rush?

I predicted we should expect the Texans to win the AFC South before the season started. I thought their explosive offensive weapons and lethal pass rush would make them unstoppable.

It looks like I’ll have to eat my words soon.

Their offense hasn’t been as great as I expected it to be, but it’s still early. On defense, I’m a little alarmed at the poor pass-rushing numbers.

Through two games, the Texans have three sacks. Not one of those sacks is from their Pro Bowl pass-rushers. The sack famine could be because all three players are recovering from injuries. J.J. Watt is back on the field after missing most of the 2017 season with a broken leg. Jadeveon Clowney missed Sunday’s game with an elbow and back injury. Whitney Mercilus missed a majority of last year with a torn pectoral muscle. He also missed a majority of the preseason with a soft tissue injury and a concussion.

It’s possible these three can break out of their slump and disrupt a backfield against any offensive line. I believe the Texans pass rush should have decimated the Titans, even without Clowney. The Titans were missing their Pro Bowl offensive tackles, yet Houston only salvaged one sack by rookie linebacker Duke Ejiofor.

In my opinion, that performance is unacceptable for a team of this caliber. Perhaps I made a mistake and over-hyped this defensive unit. It’s possible Watt isn’t the same player he used to be. Maybe Mercilus never comes close to his 12-sack season in 2015 again. And perhaps Clowney remains an injury-prone player like he has been for his entire young career.

I still have hope for Houston. September is essentially the preseason for these NFL teams, because they are working on jelling as a unit. During preseason games, it’s rare a starting unit is all out on the field competing together.

Let’s see how they perform in the upcoming weeks. Some say you can’t honestly evaluate a team until Week 4.