(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans linebackers were noticeably better in pass coverage Sunday when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 37-17.
They entered the game without starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, who is the signal caller on the defense dealing with a hand/wrist injury. Replacing him took some reshuffling of the position group, with rookie Henry To'oTo'o moving from strong side linebacker to middle linebacker, and Blake Cashman in for To'oTo'o on the strong side.
Perryman, 30, is the most accomplished of the group. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders. To'oTo'o is a rookie and filled in admirably for the ninth-year veteran.
But it was Cashman getting the extended playing time that really stood out Sunday. He recovered a fumble caused by safety Eric Murray late in the second quarter to set up a field goal that put Houston up 17-0 before halftime.
Then after fullback Andrew Beck's unlikely 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put them up 24-10, Cashman intercepted a Trevor Lawrence pass in the middle of the field on third down to set up another Houston field goal drive.
Cashman talked about the scouting report showing how Lawrence gets rid of the ball quickly on first and second down, but holds on just a bit longer on third downs, creating some opportunities if the defense is reading and anticipating correctly.
"Just understanding your opponent and then the scheme or game plan you're applying toward them allows you to almost cheat the game a little bit and anticipate the right play," Cashman said. "I've been a part of a lot of different coaching staffs and being involved with different players and a lot of great ones talk about a defense and good players almost have to be guessing, and reacting once the ball is snapped."
Cashman was making plays going all the way back to training camp, but he was sidelined with a hamstring in mid-August and missed the season-opener at the Baltimore Ravens.
He played exclusively on special teams in the home-opener against the Indianapolis Colts, but stepped into a more prominent role on defense once Perryman was unavailable.
Cashman's play makes it worth monitoring how the Texans mix it up at linebacker once Perryman returns. Cashman is arguably their best linebacker in coverage.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans, who knows something about playing that position, was diplomatic about their play when speaking with media members last week.
But the noticeable improvement with the personnel changes in week three should leave an odd-man out, because Cashman is more than a special teams contributor.
