Rookie safety D.J. Swearinger vowed to improve his tackling heading into his second preseason game against Miami. With two tackles, one assist, and two passes defensed in the Texans 24-17 win, Swearinger feels he is headed in the right direction.
"I think I played well," Swearinger said. "I had two PBU's (pass break ups), so I think I did very well in coverage, There's probably some things I know I could work on, but for the most part I think I did well."
Head coach Gary Kubiak was pleased with Swearinger's performance on special teams but would reserve judgment on defense until after watching the game film.
"I have to go back and look," Kubiak said. "I can't just sit here and talk about it. It looks like he was a little more solid in his coverage. He had some issues, some assignment issues. Looked like he did a little better for (Special Teams Coordinateor) Joe (Marciano) on special teams."
In the second quarter, Swearinger placed a hit on tight end Dustin Keller that knocked him out of the game. Keller was carted off the field with a knee injury and did not return.
"You know, I never go hit somebody to injure them at all, so I told him good luck after the hit, but I was just playing within the rules," Swearinger said after the game. "I wish him all the luck and I wish him a speedy recovery."
The Texans suffered injuries of their own as Shiloh Keo and Eddie Pleasant both suffered injuries in Saturday's win against Miami. With Ed Reed still in rehab for his hip, depth at safety is quickly becoming a concern.
"We got banged up at safety tonight," Kubiak said. "Keo's got a quad contusion, Eddie's got a knee, he banged his knee pretty good that we're looking at. So we got really short at safety, real quick tonight with Ed out, so we had to struggle to get through."
With the injuries to Keo and Pleasant, Kubiak may shuffle the roster and move cornerback Brandon Harris over to safety.
"Something we have talked about," Kubiak said. "That's where he ended up and we'll see. B-Money is a good football player. He's smart. I think he could probably do anything we ask him to do. He's gotten a lot better as a player."'
