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In the upcoming season, keep an eye out for Matt Burke, the former coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Burke, who was the defensive line coach for the Cardinals in 2022, joined the Houston Texans in the offseason of 2023 and left in 2023 after being promoted to defensive coordinator.
The Texans saw an impressive turnaround last season, going from just three wins to winning a playoff game under the guidance of new head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback CJ Stroud.Those two names will get the bulk of credit, and rightfully so, though Burke’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed.PFF listed Burke as one of their eight coordinators who could make headlines this season with the following explanation.
“The Texans were one of the biggest surprises in football during the previous season; although C.J. Stroud was the star, the defense also performed better than expected. Thanks to breakthrough performances by players like Will Anderson Jr., Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, and Derek Stingley Jr., Houston placed 14th in defensive EPA per play,” Bradley Locker wrote. Burke is overlooked in favor of DeMeco Ryans’ defensive skills, as has been a common trope, but he still merits recognition. At 48 years old, having worked as a defensive coordinator for three seasons and spent time with eight NFL teams is nothing to laugh at.
“Houston solidified its defense in several ways this offseason, swapping Greenard for Danielle Hunter but also acquiring Denico Autry, Azeez Al-Shaair and Foley Fatukasi, plus second-round cornerback Kamari Lassiter. On top of that, returning Anderson, Stingley, Jalen Pitre and playoff sensation Christian Harris could make for an even stronger defensive unit in Houston
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