Chiefs vs. Texans: Todd Haley On Mario Williams, Brian Cushing And Houston's Defense

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley spent a few minutes looking at the Houston Texans defense on Wednesday.

The Texans defense looks sort of like the Chiefs. They're ranked low on pass defense (32nd) and very high against the run (fifth -- slightly better than the Chiefs). The difference is that the Chiefs are third in points allowed. The Texans? 29th.

Here are a few thing Haley said about the Texans defense. Chime in with any thoughts on the Texans defense.

Defensive line: "Defensively, they’ve got a bunch more big-time players that if you’re not careful can change the game in a hurry, starting with number 90, (Mario) Williams, up front."

I think Todd Haley is the type of guy who loves going against the grain. That's what happened when the Texans took Mario Williams No. 1 instead of Reggie Bush in 2006. Haley said of that highly scrutinized decision, "They were in the middle of a big thing when they drafted who they drafted and they stuck by their guy and I think that you see that, no disrespect to anybody, but this defensive end now is a big-time player."

Linebacker: "They have a real good group of linebackers that run and hit. They can fill and can run sideline to sideline. They’re tough, physical, they kind of set the tempo of this defense."

Yeah, these guys are legit, too. DeMeco Ryans was the rookie of the year in 2006 and has 519 tackles over four full seasons. Brian Cushing was also rookie of the year. Todd Haley told Houston reporters on a conference call that he wishes Cushing's suspension had been a little longer (he was suspended the first four games) because he's a complete player. That's not bad for your linebacking crew alone.

Secondary: "They’ve got a secondary that is made up of some veterans and some younger guys that also like to run and hit and make plays."

Eugene Wilson? Played for Romeo Crennel and the boys in New England. That should be some familiarity. Bernard Pollard? Well, yeah, the Chiefs know him. That's some more familiarity. This unit is ranked 32nd in the NFL in passing yards.