The Houston Texans’ defense looked like itself again in Week 9, and Jalen Pitre was a big reason why.
After an uneven first seven games, Houston put together one of its sharpest defensive outings of the season in a 44-22 win over the LA Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The Texans got to Justin Herbert for a season-high eight sacks, held him to a 50% completion rate, forced two turnovers and limited the Chargers to fewer than 325 total yards.
For DeMeco Ryans, the difference was clear: Pitre was back.
The versatile nickelback returned to the lineup Sunday after missing time with an AC joint sprain suffered in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, and he made his presence felt right away. Pitre finished second on the team with six combined tackles, including two tackles for loss.
Ryans talked about the defense’s performance the day after the win and made sure to single out Pitre when explaining what stood out most.
"The defense definitely executed much better when it came down to, specifically, the tackling piece of it," Ryans said. "I thought our guys really tackled well. I thought having Pitre back was really the highlight for me."
"The plays that he’s able to make; it really energizes our entire team. Like, the physicality he plays with. Him blitzing off of the edge, making plays in the backfield, really making it hard on opponents, because of his playstyle and where he’s aligning all over the field."
That kind of impact is exactly what Houston had been missing. Pitre brings the tackling, the consistency, the versatility in the secondary and the edge that gives this defense a different feel when he’s on the field.
With Pitre working alongside Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter, and the pass rush doing its part, the Texans suddenly looked far tougher to deal with. That combination helped Houston earn its third win of the season and gave the defense a much-needed reset.
If Pitre keeps setting that tone, the Texans’ defense may have found the formula it’s been searching for.
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