3 reasons the NY Giants can’t take the Houston Texans lightly
By Reese Nasser
2. An intriguing secondary
In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Texans invested heavily in their secondary. With the No. 3 overall pick, they drafted LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. They then doubled down, adding Baylor safety Jalen Pitre at the top of the second round.
Both Stingley and Pitre have played big roles in the Texans secondary in their rookie seasons. They have both played in all eight games, and are looking to be solidified members of this group. The young pair show no signs of slowing down.
Stingley has looked like a superstar at the cornerback position this season. When on the field, he has recorded 41 total tackles, one sack, five defended passes, and one interception. He’s exactly what Houston fans were hoping he’d be early on.
Derek Stingley vs Eagles:
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) November 4, 2022
• 35 coverage snaps
• 2 targets
• 1 reception allowed (9 yards)
• 0 TD allowed
The Texans rookie CB had the CLAMPS on TNF 🔒 pic.twitter.com/51yNHQhc3n
Pitre has put together a similar stat line to Stingley, and he has also proved to be extremely important to this team. He has recorded 57 total tackles, one sack, two defended passes, and two interceptions this season.
Outside of Pitre and Stingley, the Texans have had several veteran members of the secondary who have put in solid performances this season.
Given the Giants issues at the wide receiver position this fall, the Texans secondary could give this offense problems. They are a group that has flown under many people’s radars, but they have put in several strong showings in 2022. The Giants may have to open the playbook against this aggressive secondary.