HOUSTON TEXANS WEEKLY RELEASE - NFL.com

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 willlook to 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.Third-year tackle Frank Okam saw action in three gamesin his sophomore campaign in 2009. The biggest of theTexans defensive linemen at 6-5, 346, Okam spent the majorityof last year working on the scout team defense imitatingthe opposition’s best interior lineman. This season,he looks to establish himself in the defensive line rotationand play a bigger role in the Texans defense.LINEBACKERSThe Texans linebacking corps will be anchored onceagain by fifth-year MLB DeMeco Ryans. Ryans is the captainand unquestioned leader of the defense, and earnedhis second trip to the Pro Bowl following the 2009 season.He became the first player in franchise history to record500 career tackles in Week 15 of 2009, leads the NFL with425 solo tackles since 2006 and has registered 10 or moretackles in 25 of his 68 career games.The biggest addition to the defense this week will beBrian Cushing, who returns after missing the first fourgames due to suspension. Cushing started every gamehis rookie season and finished second in the AFC with ateam-leading 133 tackles. He also had four interceptions,two forced fumbles, a safety and 4.0 sacks. His outstandingplay landed him a slew of awards and honors, includingAP Defensive Rookie of the Year, PFWA Rookie of theYear, second-team AP All-Pro and a spot in the Pro Bowl.He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFLDefensive Rookie of the Month twice each.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 37 tackles through four games.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.Special teams standout and ninth-year veteran KevinBentley is once again Ryans’ top backup in the middle.Bentley has starting experience in Houston, havingstarted the final seven games of the 2008 season at SAMlinebacker after Diles broke his leg. Bentley’s teammateselected him as captain on special teams in 2009 and againthis year. He has led the team in special teams tackleseach of the previous two seasons.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. Second-year LB David Nixon was signed by theTexans on September 5 and has provided depth on specialteams. Nixon made his Texans debut in Week 2 at Washington(9/19).DT Amobi Okoye started all 16 games for the first time inhis career in 2009.36GAME 5 • TEXANS VS. NEW YORK GIANTS • HOUSTONTEXANS.COM