HOUSTON – It has been a largely frustrating season for Texans safety and team captain Jalen Pitre.
Instead of building on a successful rookie year during which he led the Texans’ defense with 147 tackles and five interceptions, his production has plummeted to 70 tackles and no interceptions and one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. There have also been some lapses in coverage and communication issues this season.
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The former Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and second-round draft pick from Baylor was benched during the second half of the Texans’ 36-22 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday as he was replaced by former New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos. Pitre was taken out of the game as a personnel decision after another touchdown catch by Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, who set a franchise single-game record and tied a Texans opponent record with 265 receiving yards.
Pitre was visibly upset about the reduction in playing time and disagreed with the decision, but handled the situation by going back into the game as a reserve dime back later in the half. The Stafford graduate also recovered an onsides kick late in the game and finished with three tackles during a game in which veteran starter and team captain Jimmie Ward injured his quadriceps for the second time this year and was replaced by DeAndre Houston-Carson, who had one interception.
Pitre recorded the most tackles among all NFL rookies and became the first player to record more than 125 tackles and intercept five passes since the tackle statistic began being tracked in 2000, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He played 93 percent of the Texans’ total defensive snaps, rarely leaving the field.
Against the Browns, Pitre played 19 defensive snaps for 23 percent of the overall defensive playing time. Houston-Carson played 95 percent of the defensive snaps, and Amos played 79 percent of the defensive snaps. In the first game of the season, Pitre bruised his lung against the Baltimore Ravens while blitzing quarterback Lamar Jackson as he took a knee to the ribs and was hospitalized overnight.
“We rotated a lot of guys there,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We had Amos, we had DHC back there, rotating a lot of guys. We lost Jimmie, so it was a lot of guys in and out in the back end.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.