Strategic pathways for Houston Texans to level up their surging defense

PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT

As expected, the Houston Texans defense is greatly improved this season, with DeMeco Ryans coming over from San Francisco to but his stamp team.

One of the areas we've seen the most improvement is against the run. The Texans were dead last against the run last season, allowing 170.24 yards per game. In just one season, DeMeco has the Texans 6th against the run, only surrendering 93.5 yards per game.

And while drafting Will Anderson has certainly improved the unit, we have to take notice of what Jonathan Greenard is doing. He's fantastic against the run, but he's also sacking the quarterback at a high level, with already 12.5 sacks on the season.

The thought of Greenard and Anderson harassing opposing QBs for years to come has to be very appealing to DeMeco and the entire Texans fan base. But there's a catch, Greenard is in the last year of his deal, and he's going to want a contract that pays him market value.

So the question becomes, should Houston pay him? The Texans will have a ton of cap space this offseason, and the best time to add pieces is when you have a quarterback on an affordable rookie contract.

But to be fair, he's had some injury issues in the past and only played in 8 games last year. It's always a little concerning when a player has the best season of his career when he's about to be a free agent.

On the flip side, the Texans and their coaching staff have been a mess in recent years until Ryans was brought in. One could make the argument that it's hard to judge Greenard for previous seasons based on what was around him.

What about the secondary?

Derek Stingley is starting to show why he was drafted third overall in 2022, but let's not forget about Steven Nelson. He's been terrific, and he's also set to be a free agent after the season.

Should the Texans pony up and re-sign both players, or look to the draft to find their replacements?

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion and much more!

Subscribe to SportsMapTexans on YouTube for our latest videos.

Presented by Coors Light.


Most Popular

The Dodgers host the Astros this weekend! Composite Getty Image.
  • It’s the first place Houston Astros against the first place Los Angeles Dodgers as they open their latest head-to-head series. This is not a recording. The two most dominant powers in the sport over the last decade gather at Dodger Stadium this Independence Day weekend. The Astros have a sizable lead in pursuit of their eighth American League West championship in the last nine years. The Dodgers have an even more sizable lead as they chase their fourth straight National League West crown, which would be their 12th in 13 years. Each franchise has won two World Series in that time frame, each has lost two. All Astro and Dodger parties would sign off immediately on a 2025 World Series matchup. This three-game set carries no big picture significance, but every game counts, and it’s just fun seeing these two get after it. It would be more fun if the Astros had Yordan Alvarez available. Then again, the Dodgers won’t have Josh Fields.

Both continue to roll along despite rashes of injuries. When the Astros awoke May 24 their record sat at 26-25. Since then they have gone 26-10. That is a dominant stretch despite this clearly not being a dominant team. The still Alvarez-less offense is mediocre. So is the starting pitching apart from the one-two awesome punch that Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have been. When Brown or Valdez has been the Astros’ starting pitcher this season, the team record is 25-9. With anyone else making the start, 27-26. They have been every bit as dynamic a duo so far in 2025 that Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole were for the Astros in 2019 when Verlander edged out Cole to win his third Cy Young Award. Brown is a lock to be named to his first American League All-Star team this Sunday. Valdez is worthy of a third consecutive selection but could get caught in a numbers squeeze. Eight or nine starting pitchers are picked for each league.

The Dodgers won’t face Brown this weekend, but will have to deal with Valdez on Saturday night. His mound counterpart will be Shohei Ohtani. Oooooooh! Framber didn’t give up a run in 13 innings over his last two starts, and over his last 10 outings has a super-spiffy 1.72 earned run average. The amazing Ohtani is easing back into pitching after his second Tommy John surgery. Ohtani has started three games, totaling just four innings. He has yet to throw 30 pitches in an outing. Saturday he probably will be allowed 30 to 40.

Arms race

While Friday’s outing isn’t remotely a make or break start for Lance McCullers, it does speak to a significant question the Astros hope to find a pleasing answer to over the remainder of the regular season. Who is their third starting pitcher in a playoff series? After Brown and Valdez there is simply no one who inspires confidence at this point. McCullers has been awful his last two times out, jacking up his ERA to 6.61 eight starts into his season. 20 walks issued in 32 2 /3 innings pitched is glaringly bad. McCullers is still reasonably in ramp up mode, but given his injury history along with performance concerns, the third starter spot can’t be considered his to lose. Spencer Arrighetti’s resume is thin but his return at the level he pitched at after the All-Star break last season would be massive. Colt Gordon and Brandon Walter have both done some nice fill-in work, but no one plausibly wants them starting what would be a do or die game if the Astros wind up in a game three of a best-of-three Wild Card series.

Historic achievement

Not as if it’s subplot or anything this weekend, but let’s call it notable that the two active career hits leaders in Major League Baseball share the field this weekend. Jose Altuve this week vaulted past Jeff Bagwell for second in Astros’ history behind Craig Biggio. Altuve enters the weekend 743 hits behind Biggio. He is no lock to catch him before Altuve’s five-year contract expires at the end of the 2029 season. Altuve will be 39 then. Biggio was 41 when he rapped his 3000th hit, then added 60 more before beginning the waiting game for election to the Hall of Fame.

Like Biggio got and presumably someday Altuve will get, Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman will get the call from Cooperstown some day. Like Altuve, Freeman is 35 years old, has won a Most Valuable Player Award, one Gold Glove, and with his selection this week been named an All-Star nine times. Aaron Judge may change this in the next couple of years, but among active players only Mike Trout (by a long shot) has compiled more Baseball-Reference offensive Wins Above Replacement than Freeman (second) and Altuve (third).

For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch! 

_____________________________________________ 

*Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information! 

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM