When the Texans defense needed to make a stop against the Colts, they were able to.
And on Saturday night, linebackers Blake Cashman and Christian Harris were heavily involved in a lot of big moments.
The duo combined for a total of 25 tackles on the night en route to the 23-19 victory over the Colts.
"Christian and Blake, they both made a lot of tackles, ran around sideline to sideline and made a lot of plays," Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said.
Cashman led the way with 13 of those tackles, four of which were solo. It is the fourth time this season that he has registered double-digits in tackles in a game (10, 15, 19).
For Harris, it was a similar story.
The third-year player from Alabama collected 12 tackles, seven of which were solo, and registered his fourth double-digit tackle performance of the season as well.
This performances by Cashman, Harris and the entire defensive unit propelled the Texans to their first playoff appearance since 2019. Playing under DeMeco Ryans, a former linebacker, has certainly helped Houston's defense thrive.
"From when we started this we all knew in our hearts that he was the right man to take us on this journey," Cashman said of Ryans. "You see it on the sideline, his energy is so contagious. It brings everyone along. I'm so happy.
"First-year head coach gets the guys playing well, playing hard and to be in the playoffs, he's got to win coach of the year."
