Part of the Houston Texans’ struggles on defense were injuries, especially being without star safety Jalen Pitre for multiple weeks due to a shoulder injury. However, he was able to come back in their Week 9 game against the Los Angeles Chargers and had an immediate impact.
“Jalen is a significant piece when it comes to leadership, comes to communication and then just the playmaking. He's always going to find himself around the football making plays and that energizes the other guys around him. He's one of our smarter guys,” head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “When he's able to do what he does in the run game and also in the passing game, his communication to other guys is on the sidelines, just keeping everything exactly where it's supposed to be,
keeping everybody in line. It's great to have Jalen back and I think we saw the impact that he has just based on how our defense looked yesterday.”
Pitre finished the game with the most solo tackles on the Texans with six, as well as two tackles for loss, which was the most for him so far this season.
Houston will need Pitre and the rest of the defense on their game once again when they take on the Cleveland Browns as they try to get their fourth win of the season. Cleveland is coming off back-to-back losses, but they have two talented rookie receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston that Houston’s secondary will have to contend with in coverage.
"Talk about Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, the tight end as well, Harold Fannin," Ryans said of the weapons. [Quinshon] Judkins, the back, you’ve got a young group of athletic guys who can all make plays when they get the football in their hands.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: DeMeco Ryans on Jalen Pitre's return for Texans in win vs Chargers
