When Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, it was easy to poke holes in the rest of a young defense. Starting safeties Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre had missed time, the pass rush was yet to establish itself as a force, and changes at linebacker seemed inevitable.
Just two weeks later, Houston is coming off of back-to-back victories against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively. They won 30-6, dismantling an already troubled Steelers offense.
A portion of the credit is rightfully headed toward cornerback Steven Nelson. He’s stepped up as a No. 1 corner in Stingley’s absence and, perhaps more importantly, has embodied the principles that Ryans has preached since his inaugural press conference.
It’s no wonder Ryans was quick to give him praise on Monday after the win.
“He’s been a leader every day,” Ryans said. “His preparation throughout the week—as I just highlighted to my guys—Steven, he studies very hard. And throughout the week, if there’s a route that he knows is coming, he’s gonna step in, he’s gonna make the play.
Nelson’s 79.9 grade from Pro Football Focus is the highest of any Texans full-time starter so far this year, including rookie phenom Will Anderson Jr.
He’s played a significant role in the back end’s communication and overall effectiveness. Frankly, teams don’t shut down arsenals as talented as Jacksonville’s without heightened intangible efforts, something Nelson brings every week.
“It shows in games,” Ryans continued. “He’s prepared, he understands splits, alignments. He understands route concepts and he’s able to jump plays and make plays on the ball just because of his mental game.”
On Sunday, he intercepted Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett on a deep ball, out-positioning receiver Calvin Austin III. Afterward, he claimed he was ready for it, considering it came out of a similar look they had used the week before in Las Vegas.
Thus far this year, Nelson has two interceptions, two pass breakups, and a 39.2 passer rating when targeted. Houston could not have asked for a better start to the year from Nelson, especially considering the flurry of injuries the defense has had to sustain.
“He’s a very sharp player,” Ryans concluded. “Excited to have him, excited to see his growth so far throughout the year.”
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