Mercilus makes playoff history with sacks

In Saturday’s 27-14 win over Oakland, Whitney Mercilus recorded two sacks on rookie Connor Cook, becoming the first player in franchise history to have multiple sacks in back-to-back playoff games. “I did it last year, I did it this year and just continued that on, that’s it,” Mercilus said. “Just being able to read my keys, studying, preparing all week long and just being able to go out there and play fast without thinking.”Mercilus brought down Cook twice in the third quarter of the AFC Wild Card game for a loss of six and 10 yards, respectively. The fifth-year outside linebacker also notched three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and tied for second on the team with seven tackles. “They’ve had a good defense all year,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said. “The front was really what generates a lot of pressure. So yeah, Mercilus played well. We knew he’d be a factor coming in, somebody would have to deal with him.” Mercilus has sacked the opposing quarterback five times in the last two playoff games, tying J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed for the most career sacks in Texans postseason history. With six career tackles for loss, Mercilus ranks second in Texans postseason history behind only Watt (7). With the win, Houston advances to the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs next weekend. The Texans will have to wait for the conclusion of Sunday’s game between Pittsburgh and Miami to find out who they play next. If Pittsburgh wins, Houston will head to New England to face the Patriots. If the Dolphins upset the Steelers, the Texans will play the Chiefs in Kansas City.Twitter.com/DeepSlant