HOUSTON – Hunched over the football, Texans center Michael Deiter has a lot to run through before every snap: the count, the play, the last-second adjustments to blitzes and stunts and audibles.
Starting for the first time in two years because of a fractured fibula suffered by starting rookie center Jarrett Patterson, Deiter steps Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’ll square off against a superheavyweight nose guard, Pro Bowl selection Vita Vea, one of the most powerful and disruptive interior defensive linemen in the game.
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At 6-foot-4, 347 pounds, Vea is extremely strong having bench pressed 225 pounds 41 times and has run the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds. Vea leads the Buccaneers with 3 1/2 sacks after recording a career-high 6 1/2 sacks last season and has four tackles for losses this year.
“Obviously, you have to be at your best,” Deiter said. “You have to play your best because he’s athletic, super powerful, twitchy, all the things that make a really good nose guard. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge, but that’s exciting. It’s the NFL. He’s one of the best in the NFL. We’ve got to be on it and on our fundamentals.”
Vea was sidelined last week due to a groin injury, but participated fully Wednesday and is expected to return Sunday.
The Buccaneers allow 0.8 yards before they make first contact when Vea is on the field, according to Next Gen Stats. He throttles centers with his strength and aggressiveness, but is quick enough to regularly penetrate the backfield.
“Vita is a problem,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Big fellow inside, he’s a problem. When it comes to disrupting the pass game, his strength and his ability to knock the pocket back, that’s where it starts with him and also the run game. He’s a problem in both. They also have packages where they drop him back in pass coverage as well.”
The Buccaneers, under veteran coach Todd Bowles, love to blitz. They are blitzing on 39 percent of their passing plays, ranking third in the NFL. Bowles disguises his blitzes well, but usually sends safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and linebacker Devin White. When pressured, Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has a 70.0 passer rating and a sack rate of 16.5 percent.
“It’s a multiple scheme to do a lot of different things,” Ryans said. “Todd has done a great job with that group, defensively. They’re going to cause you problems. They’re going to strain you, just with all the many blitzes that they have. Everybody has a blitz and Todd has done a great job of mixing it up and keeping offenses off-balance.”
Deiter, 27, has a lot of experience, though, to counter Vea and the other Buccaneers’ defensive players.
A 6-foot-6, 315-pound former third-round draft pick from Wisconsin, Deiter started 23 games for the Miami Dolphins. He didn’t play any offensive snaps last season after starting eight games two years ago. He signed with the Texans this offseason and, now, he’s the latest center in what has been a revolving door for the AFC South franchise.
“I’m excited to get back in a position I’m familiar with and just get back to competing,” Deiter said. “It’s been a little bit since I started. Super excited for the opportunity. I can’t wait.
“Super ready. Obviously, just got to get everyone on the same page and making sure everyone is mentally on the same page, on the right calls and everyone can cut it loose and play fast. That’s the most important thing for a center to do, and I’m ready to do that.”
Deiter replaced Patterson at the end of the Texans’ 15-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers when the rookie sixth-round draft pick was carted off the field.
“Mike has been in there,’ Ryans said. He’s played a lot of ball, so Mike’s experience will help us. He’s been out there before, guys have played together, so we feel comfortable with Mike stepping in there for us.”
It has been a revolving door at center this season for the Texans with so much calamity at the position.
First, starting center Scott Quessenberry tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments during training camp and was ruled out for the season.
Then, rookie center and second-round draft pick Juice Scruggs tore his hamstring and was placed on injured reserve. He’s not expected to be ready for another week or two to be activated, per league sources.
With Patterson now on injured reserve, Deiter is the fourth center the Texans have used this season.
It’s been a lot of change for Stroud to adjust to as he prepares for the eighth game of his career.
“We started off with Scott, and Scott did a great job of being a veteran up there,” Stroud said. “He helped me out a lot with a lot of different things, and gave me a lot of confidence, and then sadly he went down and then Juice stepped up and did a great job, too. Juice wasn’t at first really a vocal guy, so I tried to help him with stuff like that.
“J-Pat’ stepped in and has been doing amazing, and was really good with vocalizing, and IDs and the type of blocks. Sadly, I feel bad for my guy, man, but praying for him like always. It’s unfortunate. It’s the game of football, but I know it’ll pay off in the long run.”
And, now, Stroud and Deiter are adapting on the fly and getting up to speed heading into the Tampa Bay game.
“And then we have Mike and I think he’ll do a really good job,” Stroud said. “He’s really smart. Blocks tough. He’s a high effort, point-A-to-point-B type of guy. Works to the whistle. So, me and him just have to get down our snaps, and we’ve been doing a good job of that.
“And that relationship is just how every play starts, which is half of what’s most important in a football play. I know that he’s played in this type of offense before he was with the Texans, so I don’t really see us having any issues. I think that he will do a great job, and I’m excited to see him step in.”
An Ohio native, Deiter is a former All-American, all-conference selection and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.
One of the biggest adjustments for Deiter is making line calls and adjusting to the Buccaneers’defense.
“Really, it’s just if we get a bead on it, getting a proper call and trying to take care of it,” Deiter said. “If you don’t have a bead on it, just react to what you see, and that’s not always on the center. It’s everyone being on top of what we have to get to if they bring a certain pressure. If I can see it, early or a guard or a tackle can see it early, we can all get on the same page and fit it up nice.”
One benefit Deiter has this week: lining up next to experienced offensive guards Tytus Howard and Shaq Mason.
“Definitely, some awesome offensive guards to play next to,” Deiter said. “Gives me confidence to cut it loose and play fast.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.