The Texans allowed the least yards of any team in the NFL during the regular season, which was the main reason why they were able to win the AFC South and a playoff game despite shoddy quarterback play and the 28th-most points in the league.
It’s also the easy explanation for why they’d prefer not to make a change at defensive coordinator heading into the 2017 season. Romeo Crennel agreed to a three-year deal with the team in 2014, which means he could make a move if he so desired. Coach Bill O’Brien hopes that’s not the case.
“I think Romeo has done a great job,” O’Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. “I know we would love to have him back. I can tell you Romeo is a great coach and just means a lot to me personally. We would love to have Romeo back here.”
The Texans defense thrived this season despite playing without defensive end J.J. Watt for almost the entire year and other injuries meant the team did a lot of mixing and matching on their way to the postseason. Plugging those players back into the unit along with Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and the other players who were the core of this year’s unit provides reason to believe the unit can be among the best in the league again next year.