The Texans got defensive end J.J. Watt back on the field for Week One after an offseason and summer spent recovering from surgeries, but he wasn’t the star of the show for Houston’s defense.
Jadeveon Clowney had a strong game and linebacker Whitney Mercilus has been named the AFC defensive player of the week for his efforts.
Mercilus had two sacks, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble in Houston’s 23-14 victory over the Bears. Both of Mercilus’ sacks came on third down to end Chicago drives and his play helped the Texans hold the Bears to 258 yards of offense over the course of the game.
The outing continued a strong stretch of play dating back to last season for Mercilus. He had two sacks in Week 17 and two sacks in the Texans’ playoff loss to the Chiefs, leaving him with the league’s longest stretch of multiple-sack games and giving him 17 sacks in his last 13 games overall.