Posted Oct. 02, 2009 @ 12:20 p.m.
Blown assignments, missed tackles, an inability to consistently win at the point of attack. All of these factors have led to the Texans' severe problems stopping the run in the first three weeks of the season. The Texans surrendered TD runs of at least 39 yards in every game in September and had particular problems with Tennessee's Chris Johnson and Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew. Both backs have attributes that can give unsound defenses a world of problems; Johnson, who has rare speed, had a career day vs. Houston while Jones-Drew's blend of quickness, vision and lower-body strength led to a banner outing for him, too. The Texans improved vs. the run in Week Four, allowing just 45 rushing yards. A need at strong safety has emerged, with neither Dominique Barber nor John Busing doing the job. Ex-Chief Bernard Pollard got the start at strong safety in Week Four.
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