By and large, the defensive was worse than it was a year ago. The last half of the season showed that for sure, as they were torched through the air in a bunch of losses. But one player was very good throughout the whole year and gave consistent effort every game.
That player is Justin Houston. Houston was signed to a two-year deal in the offseason after spending the bulk of his career with the Chiefs. He was one of only two high-profile free agents signed, along with Devin Funchess. While Funchess faltered, Houston thrived.