Stopping the Run
The Texans defense struggled to stop the run game Monday night, but defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel isn't making excuses.
He's working to turn it around.
"Well first of all, I put all of the pressure on myself," Crennel said Thursday. "I didn't coach them well enough and didn't prepare them well enough for the scheme that we were going to see. Now they need to play better, I need to coach better and we started today trying to do a better job against the run. Now it won't show up until game day because most of the time, the running game is the physical part of the game and a lot of times you don't get to practice hitting pads."
The tandem of C.J. Anderson and rookie Devontae Booker rushed for 190 yards. It was the second consecutive week that Houston's defense allowed a 100-yard rusher. Frank Gore had 106 yards in the Texans overtime win over the Colts in Week 6. At Minnesota, the Texan held the Vikings leading rusher, Matt Asiata, to just 55 yards rushing on 14 carries.
While tackling is difficult to replicate on the practice field, especially when teams are not full-contact, it's still just a matter of numbers, according to Crennel.
"Tackling is sometimes a matter of effort, the number of guys you can get to the ball," Crennel said. "Then I think in the open field tackles, when guys are one-on-one, a good receiver or a good runner has space, that's a difficult tackle to make and not everyone can make those kind of tackles. But when you have a unit who is playing and can funnel the ball and now there's more than one guy that can help make the tackle, then it's not quite as difficult."
The (4-3) Texans will host the (4-3) Lions on Sunday in their annual Salute to Service Day. Kickoff is set for noon CT.

The Texans defense struggled to stop the run game Monday night against the Denver Broncos, but defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel isn't making excuses.
 
He's working to turn it around.
 

"Well first of all, I put all of the pressure on myself," Crennel said Thursday. "I didn't coach them well enough and didn't prepare them well enough for the scheme that we were going to see. Now they need to play better, I need to coach better and we started today trying to do a better job against the run."
 
In the Texans 27-9 loss, Denver's tandem of C.J. Anderson and rookie Devontae Booker rushed for 190 yards. It was the second consecutive week that Houston's defense allowed a 100-yard rusher. Frank Gore had 106 yards in the Texans overtime win over the Colts in Week 6. At Minnesota, the Texan held the Vikings leading rusher, Matt Asiata, to just 55 yards rushing on 14 carries.
 
While tackling is difficult to replicate on the practice field, especially since teams are not hitting pads, it's still just a matter of numbers, according to Crennel.
 
"Tackling is sometimes a matter of effort, the number of guys you can get to the ball," Crennel said. "Then I think in the open field tackles, when guys are one-on-one, a good receiver or a good runner has space, that's a difficult tackle to make and not everyone can make those kind of tackles. But when you have a unit who is playing and can funnel the ball and now there's more than one guy that can help make the tackle, then it's not quite as difficult."

The (4-3) Texans will host the (4-3) Lions on Sunday in their annual Salute to Service Day. Kickoff is set for noon CT.