Kareem Jackson returned to the Texans lineup on Sunday and made his presence known, picking off Drew Brees in the Texans 24-6 win over the Saints.
"It felt good just to be back out there with the guys," Jackson said. "These guys have been playing great the last four weeks. To get back to out there in the mix and to be a piece of the puzzle today, to help the guys out, as far as a defense, as a team to go out and get the win is definitely big for us."
After being inactive for four games with an ankle injury, Jackson came up big when he intercepted Brees at the goal line. Untouched, he got back on his feet with the help of Andre Hal and added a 50-yard return.
"I just had a chance make a play on the ball," Jackson said. "In those types of situations, I think as a defense, we've been making those plays lately. For me to be able to make that play was definitely big for us as a defense. They were driving the ball in the red zone. That's what kind of separates good defense from mediocre defense. We've definitely been playing at a high level lately."
The Texans defense effectively ended the Saints streak of scoring a touchdown in 155 games. Houston has now picked off each opposing quarterback in each of their four-consecutive wins and forced a turnover in the last six games. Jackson, who also finished with four tackles (two solo) and a tackle for a loss, credits improved communication with the recent success in the defensive backfield.
"It's just a testament to the work we've been putting in for us to go out and communicate and to be on the same page each and every play," Jackson said. "As a back end, we pride ourselves on being on the same page, going out and executing the defense and making plays. We've been able to do that the last couple of weeks, and like I said, we just want to keep that going."
The interception was Jackson's first of the 2015 season and the 11th of his career. Jackson, in his sixth season, now ties Marcus Coleman and Aaron Glenn for the the third-most career picks in franchise history.
