The Houston Texans have an inside linebacking duo in Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney that exhibits the best and worst play one could want from such a tandem.
First, the good news: according to Pro Football Focus, Cunningham and McKinney were among the best in the NFL at stopping the run. PFF graded Cunningham with a 14.2% run stop percentage, the highest in the league. Meanwhile McKinney had a 9.5% run stop percentage, the 15th-highest overall.
However, the pair did not fare so well against the pass. McKinney, a Pro Bowler from a year ago, had the third-highest passer rating allowed at 140.1. Cunningham, a Pro Bowl alternate, had the 12th-highest passer rating allowed at 124.5.
Those pass coverage figures are stats one doesn’t hope to see out of their inside linebackers.
Managing the ebb and flow of being great against the run yet suspect against the pass is what first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will have to work with in 2020.
“We have to be a resilient football team,” Weaver told reporters on May 13. “There’s ebbs and flows to every football game, and we can’t ride those waves. We’ve got to stay consistent throughout and just trust in our ability and trust that we’ll be able to stop any hemorrhaging.
“I think I can help be a reflection of that. I’m not a guy that’s going to get too riled up on the sidelines and scream. I’m going to stay in the moment, I’m going to stay locked in and I think our players will be a reflection of that.”
If Weaver can help McKinney and Cunningham stay dominant against the run while lower their opposing passer rating in coverage, the Texans defense ought to be able to return to formidable levels as they seek to win the AFC South for the third straight season.
