If third down is the money down in the NFL, then the Houston Texans have been flat broke in 2019.
The Texans defense has the worst third down conversion rate in the NFL with opponents compiling a 48.5% success rate. Houston is the only team in the bottom-10 to have a winning record and a shot at the postseason.
Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel knows precisely what is wrong with his unit’s ability to get off the field on third downs.
“We’re not making plays,” Crennel told reporters Thursday. “There have been several opportunities to make plays and get off the field and we haven’t been doing it. That’s one of the reasons.”
Now that Crennel knows why his unit has failed on third downs, with three games to go, there is little time to let the problem linger. If the Texans hope to make the playoffs, which starts with getting a win over the Tennessee Titans Sunday at noon CT at Nissan Stadium, then they will have to start making plays immediately.
“If you don’t make plays and get off the field — because we’ve been in position sometimes to make a play that will get us off the field, but we don’t make it,” Crennel said. “We’re a step short or a step slow, they catch and fall forward or run for the first.
“So, we have to try to emphasize being tighter, concentrating on the man when we’re in man coverage, do a good job in the zones when we’re in zone coverage.”
Houston faces an opponent in the Titans that is 19th in the NFL in converting third downs with a 36.8% success rate. However, when adjusting for all of quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s seven-game tenure under center, the Titans are tied with the Green Bay Packers for the eighth-highest third down conversion rate at 43.4%. The Texans will have to get Tennessee closer to their season average if they hope to come out of Nashville 9-5.
