When Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was first hired in 2023, one of the first players that caught his eye on film was defensive back Jalen Pitre.
Ryans examined Pitre’s skill set and immediately knew how to utilize him in run support and pass coverage for his defensive schemes.
Pitre was coming off an outstanding rookie season in which he recorded 147 total tackles (99 solo and 48 assisted). Despite the Texans’ overall record, he played every snap as if Houston was fighting to stay undefeated.
That mindset was what stood out most to Ryans, along with his S.W.A.R.M. mantra, which he instilled from the moment he arrived.
“Pitre is a guy who loves football and will do whatever is necessary to help this team win games,” said Ryans exclusively to Big Sarge Media in 2023 during training camp. “he is relentless, fearless, and will hit pretty much anything in his vicinity. That is why I tell his teammates that they better keep their heads on a swivel because Pitre is going to be wherever the ball is.”
Ryans should have given that advice to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice last Sunday before he had an opportunity to meet Pitre face-to-face in one of the biggest hits of the season.
With 44 seconds left in the third quarter and the score tied at 10 apiece, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rolled to his left looking for his receivers, but the coverage and pressure were coming from the same direction.
As he has done many times before, Mahomes stopped and began rolling to his right, which triggered the scramble drill for his receivers.
Rice started to follow the same route as Mahomes, searching for an open space to settle into, and for a moment, he found that spot, which Mahomes recognized immediately. What Mahomes didn’t see was Pitre lurking from the safety position, watching every move Mahomes and Rice made.
Pitre’s instincts kicked in, and he came downhill with one thing on his mind: to break up the pass play and prevent the Chiefs from getting a first down by any means necessary. He did just that by knocking Rice off his feet.
“That is the nature of this defense,” said Pitre after the game about the physicality in which the defense plays. “From top to bottom, from left to right, we all run and hit. So, I just had a good opportunity to do that today, and I just executed. I am really thankful for that moment and just thankful to be out there with my teammates.”
After missing the Week 16 and AFC Divisional Playoff game last season against Kansas City due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, Pitre was happy to be a part of breaking the five-game losing streak the Texans had at Arrowhead Stadium.
“It definitely is,” Pitre said about his motivation for playing against the Chiefs. “It is always motivating to get out there with my teammates and do something, but like [Middle Linebacker] Azeez [Al-Shaair] said earlier, I remember watching that game. So, I wanted to make this one for sure a special moment.”
It was a big win for Houston, but that hit, along with Pitre’s acrobatic interception earlier in the game, set the tone for how the Texans’ defense played the entire game, and it was something his teammates couldn’t stop talking about all week.
“Pitre is physical,” said offensive lineman Tytus Howard exclusively to Big Sarge Media. “He is not a linebacker, but he has the play style of one. He can cover, and he is the best nickel (cornerback) in the game. Kudos to him. He put a lot of work in, and he is wearing that Guardian Cap for a reason because he is going to bring it every game.”