Mina Kimes lays down biggest concern for Texans heading into 2024 NFL season
The Houston Texans are one of the favorites heading into the 2024 NFL season but Mina Kimes has identified their Achilles heel. After the addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, quarterback C.J. Stroud has some of the best wide receivers to throw to in the league, with Tank Dell and Nico Collins already there. Dalton Schultz is also a more-than-capable tight end and Joe Mixon will add to the running game.
With their offense well established, Mina Kimes feels that it is on the other side of the ball that the Texans have the potential to struggle. She identified the secondary as a cause of concern and said that new additions like Danielle Hunter add to the pressure in the box but not in the backfield.
She said:
"The reason why this wasn't one of the best defenses in the NFL, despite that was issues in coverage. Even when they got pressure at times, they didn't hold up on the back end, and when they didn't get pressure, they allowed the highest QBR in football. You highlighted some of the additions there. A lot of those were in the front."
Kimes also noted that Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who has a sterling record as a defensive coordinator, will have to earn his keeps by fixing that issue.
She continued:
"But for me, this is the biggest question the biggest challenge for DeMeco Ryans, who of course, is brilliant defensive coach. Can you get this defense to play better on the back end? Because on the front end, they should be one of the best groups in the NFL."
Is Mina Kimes right to identify Texans' secondary as main problem going into 2024 NFL season?
The Texans' defense allowed 330.7 yards per game, which put them in the middle of the league for the 2023 regular season. But highlighting Mina Kimes' points, their 234.1 passing yards allowed per game was towards the bottom half of the league.
And Houston was cognizant of that problem and drafted accordingly. With their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which came as the No. 42 pick in the second round, they selected Kamari Lassiter, a star defensive back from Georgia. They also reinforced the safety position in the third round by picking Calen Bullock out of USC with the No. 78 pick.
Both these rookies are highly rated in their positions and they would need to step up right from the start to bolster the Texans' chances of delivering in the 2024 season.