John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.
One of the most impressive things about the Texans' first season under Head Coach DeMeco Ryans was the amazing improvement of their run defense.
In 2022, the season before Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke arrived, the Texans finished last against the run, allowing 170.2 yards a game. They allowed 5.1 yards a carry, which was 29th in the NFL. Run defense contributed heavily to their 3-13-1 record.
With Ryans and Burke overseeing the defense in 2023, the Texans underwent a tremendous transformation against the run. The Texans improved to sixth in run defense, surrendering 96.6 yards. They reduced the average per carry to 3.5 yards, which was second in the league. Run defense contributed heavily to their 10-7 record and their first AFC South championship since 2019.
For the Texans to reach their goal of being a Super Bowl contender, Ryans hopes the run defense will be even better, starting Sunday at Indianapolis, where they have to contain Jonathan Taylor. Like former Tennessee running back Derrick Henry, who left the Titans for Baltimore as a free agent this year, Taylor has been a Texans' nemesis.
The last time the Texans played at Lucas Oil Stadium – a 23-19 victory that clinched a playoff berth and ultimately led to the division title – they entered the last game of regular season ranked third against the run. They left with the four-point victory, but they dropped to sixth against the run.
Taylor, who missed the Colts' 31-20 victory at NRG Stadium because of a contract dispute, carried 31 times for 188 yards and a touchdown.
"I think he's a successful running back just because he runs with such great contact balance," Ryans said this week during preparations for the trip to Indianapolis. "It takes more than one guy to get him down. He does a good job (of) breaking tackles. He plays physically. He plays downhill. He plays the game the right way. I think that's what makes him a really good running back."
The Colts have a 4-1-1 advantage over the Texans in games Taylor has played since he entered the NFL in 2020. He has four consecutive games of at least 143 yards against them. During that four-game stretch, he averaged 159 yards and 6 a carry. Overall, he averages 135.2 yards a game and also 6 a carry.
Interestingly, the Texans will have only two defensive starters on Sunday who started the last game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Because of injuries, trades and free agent losses, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre are those two starters. Will Anderson Jr. played in the victory over the Colts, but he was unable to start because of an injury.
Playing outstanding run defense begins up front with Anderson, end Danielle Hunter and tackles Foley Fatukasi and Mario Edwards. Last season, Anderson and Jonathan Greenard did a terrific job of setting the edge. Anderson and Hunter, who led the NFL in tackles for loss, should also do an excellent job.
The Texans would love to achieve against Taylor what the accomplished against Henry in 2023. The Texans swept the Titans. Henry carried 16 times for 9 yards in the first game and 12 times for 42 yards in the second. That's a 1.8-yard average a carry.
What complicates the Texans' defensive gameplan for the Indianapolis running game is the presence of second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft is 6-4, 244 and runs in the 4.4s. He's an exceptional runner, and he has a powerful arm.
In the second game of last season -- the Colts' 31-20 victory -- Richardson ran three times for 35 yards and touchdowns of 18 and 15 yards before leaving the game because of an injury. He did more damage running than he did passing. Before he was replaced by Gardner Minshew, Richardson completed 6-of-10 for 56 yards and a 75.4 rating.
"It'll be a great matchup for us to start off the year," Ryans said. "Anthony Richardson, as he showed with the limited amount of snaps he had, that he could be a dynamic playmaker running the ball (and) also throwing the football. You have to account for him every single snap because of his dynamic ability to run the football. He poses a good challenge for us, and we definitely have our hands full."
Ryans knows what he wants to see from his defense this season, beginning with the Colts.
"The key is consistency," he said. "It's always important. The first game is going to be about tackling. You have to tackle as a team, right? Talk about our defense last year (and) it's too many missed tackles. For us to improve the run game and also the passing game, we have to be a better tackling team, and it takes just more hands to the ball, more guys securing and wrapping up."
Last season, the Texans allowed only one 100-yard rusher in regular season, and that was against Taylor. Because they defeated the Colts to make the playoffs, they'd happily accept that outcome again Sunday.
