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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Mark Lane

Should the Texans be encouraged by their red zone defense?

The Houston Texans didn’t have many positives coming out of their 40-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

Although the Texans endured their worst loss in team history, there were parts of the game that were encouraging despite the outcome.

Before the wheels completely came off of the wagon and the Texans crashed and burned while falling off a cliff, Houston’s red zone defense was stout. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Texans allowed the Bills to convert on just one of their five trips. It was partly the reason why the Texans trailed 19-0 ahead of the Bills’ three-touchdown capper to serve the 40-burger.

Cornerback Tavierre Thomas says that slowing teams down in the red zone gives the team an opportunity.

“What I can say is no matter how fast you get down there or how slow you get down there if you’re not scoring points like touchdowns, it gives us an opportunity,” Thomas said. “And that’s what we were trying to do no matter how long we were on the field, we were just trying to not let them get in the end zone.

“If we continue to do that and the offense continue doing what they are doing and getting better, we are going to beat a lot of teams. We just have to continue letting them score three and not seven and the outcome could be changed.”

The Texans will get a chance to display their dominant red zone defense when they face the New England Patriots Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium. The Patriots’ offense is 36.4% (4/11) on red zone conversions.

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