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TEXANS DEFENSEPOSITION-BY-POSITIONDEFENSIVE TACKLESDefensive tackle Amobi Okoye bounced back from a disappointingsecond season and became a more consistentcontributor in 2009, setting a career high with 38 tackles,including 26 solo stops and added 1.5 sacks. Okoye is lookingto become a bigger force in the interior in his fourthseason.Houston bolstered the interior of the line last year bysigning Shaun Cody away from Detroit as a free agent, andit proved to be a brilliant decision. Cody immediately solidifiedthe middle of Houston’s defensive line. He recorded21 tackles, including 12 solo stops, and 0.5 sacks in his firstseason as a Texan, helping the defense become one of theleague’s most stout against the run.The Texans bolstered their line in the 2010 NFL Draft, selectingArizona’s Earl Mitchell in the third round. Mitchell,at 6-3, 291, continued Houston’s trend of seeking outquicker defensive linemen. He quickly developed a reputationin training camp as a player with a high motor. Thatenergy helped him earn All-Pac 10 honors at Arizona.During the bye week, Houston signed free agent DT DamioneLewis, who spent the last four seasons with theCarolina Panthers. The Sulphur Springs, Texas native has22.5 career sacks, four forced fumbles and five fumble recoveriesin his 10-year career.Malcolm Sheppard rounds out the defensive tacklecorps after being promoted from the Texans practicesquad in Week 8. Sheppard, an undrafted free agent fromthe University of Arkansas, started 38 games and earnedAll-SEC honors twice for the Razorbacks.LINEBACKERSThe Texans linebacking corps took a major hit with theloss of fifth-year MLB DeMeco Ryans in Week 6. Ryans isthe captain and unquestioned leader of the defense, andearned his second trip to the Pro Bowl following the 2009season. He became the first player in franchise history torecord 500 career tackles in Week 15 of 2009, leads theNFL with 425 solo tackles since 2006 and has registered 10or more tackles in 26 of his 69 career games.The defense received a big boost in Week 5 with thereturn of Brian Cushing, who missed the first four gamesdue to suspension. Cushing started every game his rookieseason and finished second in the AFC with a team-leading133 tackles. He will take on added responsibility inhis second season, sliding into the middle to fill the voidcreated by Ryans’ injury. Cushing will be responsible forcalling the defensive plays in the huddle and keeping histeammates organized on the field.WLB Zac Diles rebounded from a broken leg that endedhis 2008 campaign to play in all 16 games for the first timein his career in 2009 and finished last year with 61 tackles,including 45 solo stops, and seven tackles for loss. Headcoach Gary Kubiak offered high praise for Diles this offseason,saying that he believes Diles is on the verge of becominga Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker. Diles has validatedthat belief early on with 41 tackles through five games.Special teams standout and ninth-year veteran KevinBentley will step into the SAM linebacker position followingCushing’s move into the middle. Bentley has startingexperience in Houston, having started the final sevengames of the 2008 season at SAM after Diles broke his leg.Bentley’s teammates elected him as captain on specialteams in 2009 and again this year. He has led the team inspecial teams tackles each of the previous two seasons.The player who stepped up the most in Cushing’s placewas third-year linebacker Xavier Adibi. Adibi played inall 16 games in a reserve role last year and finished withthree total tackles. He started three of the first four gamesand registered 10 tackles with the first-team defense.New to the Texans is fourth-round draft pick DarrylSharpton. Sharpton started 30 of the 52 games he playedat the University of Miami at three different linebackingpositions.Houston signed third-year pro Stanford Keglar in Week 8following the loss of Ryans. An Indianapolis native, Keglarwill make his Texans debut against the Colts. He played in25 games for the Tennessee Titans in his first two seasons.DT Amobi Okoye started all 16 games for the first time inhis career in 2009.33GAME 7 • TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS • HOUSTONTEXANS.COM