Even without Mario, defense could be better

[HPF Bob]

So says Pat Prisco of CBS Sports:

That has to be scary for opposing offenses to hear. But Barwin has a point. The Texans were in their first year under coordinator Wade Phillips last season, transitioning from a 4-3 team to a 3-4 front, doing so without the luxury of an offseason to implement the plan. Yet they still were the reason Houston made it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

So even as they let Williams walk in free agency, in large part because the team had so much success in 2011 when he missed 11 games because of a torn pectoral muscle, Houston's fierce pass rush might be even nastier now. The Texans were fifth in sacks per pass play, even though many of the players on the defense were playing a new position.

I think the Texans' D will be Mercilus...