Coming off a dominating 41-21 win over the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans were riding high. However, they got brought down to Earth a bit on Monday with the news that the NFL had suspended defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Edwards, 30, is part of an impressive defensive line, alongside premier pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Houston’s defense – especially up front – has been stellar thus far in 2024. The squad is currently ranked fourth in the NFL, giving up just 274.2 ppg through Week 6. They have also registered 7.5 sacks. But they will have to make adjustments to their rotation during Edwards’ impending suspension.
Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans on Mario Edwards’ Suspension
While Edwards is sidelined by The League, his replacement will be Denico Autry, who had 11.5 sacks last year as a member of the Tennessee Titans. Ironically, Autry is returning from a six-week punishment himself, after he violated the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. However, he’s a proven veteran who had 11.5 sacks for the Tennessee Titans last season.
While it’s definitely a blow to lose Edwards, Titans head coach DeMeco Ryans says that Autry is more than capable of handling the assignment.
“With Denico coming off the suspension, he’ll fit right in very smoothly,” Ryans said on Monday. “He understands how we play, our style to play, Denico has been a productive pass rusher in his league for a long time, he had over 10 sacks last year. S I’m expecting him to just pick up where he left off and come in being disruptive, playing the way he plays. He plays hard, he plays relentless, and he fits right in with our group.”
In the course of his NFL career (which also included a stint with the Raiders), the 6’5″, 285-pound Autry has racked up 310 tackles, 59 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. So, he should be a more than capable replacement over the next few weeks.
A Look at Week 7 and the Green Bay Packers
The Texans will be facing a huge challenge on Sunday when they travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers (4-2). The Pack handed the Arizona Cardinals a 34-13 in Week 6. So, both they and the Texans are coming off blowout victories.
While it’s always a daunting task to play Green Bay at home, the Texans appear to be road-tested. However, Ryans said the biggest challenge for his defense will be containing Jordan Love – the talented young quarterback for the Packers.
“Going against Jordan Love this week, he will be the best quarterback we’ve seen this year,” Ryans said. “It will be a really, really tough matchup.”
Main Image: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
