Widespread panic ensued when Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil allowed two sacks in his first game with the team, five days after he flew into Houston. Since then, more folks are buying Tunsil jerseys than panicking.
Since Week 1, Tunsil hasn’t allowed a sack. According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed just three hurries in the last four weeks, no sacks and no hits. Over the previous two, he has allowed zero pressure on 86 pass-blocking snaps.
Coach Bill O’Brien can credit Tunsil’s outstanding play to his mindset, “He’s got a very calm, very focused demeanor,” said O’Brien on Wednesday. “He’s the same guy every day.”
Tunsil is also comfortable in the Texans offense. No longer is he rushing to learn a game plan, as he did heading into Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints.
“I think that he came in here and tried to learn, right away, the game plan. I think when you come in as a new player, it’s hard to learn the whole offense. You’ve got to learn the Saints game plan and then the next game plan. I think now, having been here for five games, he’s a lot more comfortable,” said O’Brien. “He’s more comfortable with his teammates, he’s more comfortable with the system, I think there’s a lot that goes into that.”
For O’Brien, Tunsil is everything he expected out of the 25-year-old left tackle; whom he traded two first-round picks to acquire.
“I think he’s in more of a comfort zone right now and I think he’s just a very poised — that’s the best thing about L.T. is he’s the same guy every day, and that’s really what you want those guys to be,” said O’Brien.
Though the Texans paid a king’s ransom to acquire Tunsil, it appears to be in good taste; nobody is dealing with buyer’s remorse.
