With a knee injury sidelining the veteran pass rusher, Houston must rely on Will Anderson Jr. and disciplined gap play to stifle Jonathan Taylor’s explosive rushing attack.
The Houston Texans will head into their AFC South matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sept. 27, without one of the veteran pieces they brought back to strengthen their defensive front.
Jadeveon Clowney has officially been ruled out with a knee injury. Clowney did not practice this week and will miss his second consecutive game. NBC Sports reported that the injury is a bone bruise.
For me, this is one of those injuries that might not look like the biggest loss on paper, but it could become a much bigger deal once the game starts.
Clowney Still Has Something Left in the Tank
Let's remember why Houston brought Clowney back in the first place.
He wasn't expected to return to Houston and suddenly become the same player the Texans selected No. 1 overall in 2014. Those days are long gone. What Houston needed was another experienced defensive lineman capable of setting the edge, creating pressure and giving DeMeco Ryans another weapon to rotate through his defensive front.
Clowney already showed he can still contribute. His first sack after returning to Houston moved him into a tie with Will Anderson Jr. for fourth on the franchise's all-time sacks list with 30.
That's exactly why I don't think his absence should simply be brushed aside.
Houston has Will Anderson Jr. and plenty of talent up front, but defensive line depth matters. The more players Ryans can rotate without seeing a major drop-off, the more aggressive Houston can be late in games.
Take Clowney out of that rotation, and somebody else has to eat those snaps.
The Texans Can't Let Indianapolis Control the Ground Game
The first thing I'm watching Sunday isn't necessarily sacks. It's how Houston handles the line of scrimmage.
The Colts have Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, and that's enough reason for Houston's defense to make stopping the run priority No. 1. Taylor was listed on Indianapolis' injury report earlier this week for rest but returned to full participation Thursday.
Clowney's value isn't limited to chasing quarterbacks. His size, strength and experience can make him difficult to deal with on the edge.
Without him, Houston can't allow Indianapolis to consistently get four, five and six yards on early downs. That's how an opposing offense keeps the Texans' pass rush from doing what it does best.
Get Indianapolis into third-and-7 or third-and-8, and now Houston can turn Anderson and the rest of the defensive front loose.
Let the Colts live in third-and-2? That's a completely different football game.
Time for the Next Man to Earn Those Snaps
Here's the part I actually like about the situation: we're going to learn something about Houston's defensive depth.
Logan Hall is one name to watch. After being limited Wednesday with a knee issue, Hall was listed as a full participant Thursday.
Houston doesn't necessarily need one player to replace everything Clowney provides. That's probably unrealistic anyway.
Instead, Ryans can replace him by committee. One player can handle early-down work. Another can rotate into obvious passing situations. Houston can move pieces around and create pressure through scheme rather than expecting one defensive end to suddenly become Clowney. But somebody has to make a play.
My Two Pennies
I'm not worried about Jadeveon Clowney missing one game. I'd rather Houston be cautious with a veteran defensive lineman in September than push him back onto the field and potentially turn a manageable knee problem into something that follows him deeper into the season.
What concerns me is how the Texans respond without him. Houston built this defense around speed, pressure, physicality and depth. Well, here's the test.
Will Anderson Jr. can't be expected to do everything. The Texans need somebody else along that defensive front to create disruption, shut down the edge and make Indianapolis uncomfortable.
Clowney won't be there Sunday. That doesn't change what Houston needs from its defense.
If anything, it makes the assignment even clearer: stop the run, create long-yardage situations and let the pass rush go hunting.
The Texans are 0-2. The Colts are 0-2. It's an AFC South game. Somebody has to get their season moving in the right direction. Houston's defensive front needs to make sure it's the Texans.
