So, so, lame of the Texans' franchise that the roof was closed at NRG Stadium Thursday night. 75 degrees, low humidity, not a cloud in the sky. Lamer than their offense in a 24-9 loss to Carolina that went largely as expected. I suppose we could imagine how ugly it would have been had the roof been open and the noise generated by 15 to 20 thousand empty seats not been deafening.

The Texans look like a decent expansion team, which is sad considering this is season number 20. The 2002 expansion Texans had an awful offense. That squad averaged 213 yards per game. Against the Panthers the Texans mustered 193 yards. Despite the puny output, quarterback Davis Mills certainly shouldn't be condemned as a bust. He should be in over his head right now. Mills never played a full season of games at Stanford. He's supposed to excel early as a rookie in a season where he was only projected to play once Operation Tank was further along?

Two games in a row, weak game management decision from David Culley. Down 7-6 in the third quarter, fourth and four at the Carolina 39-yard line, Culley opts to take a delay of game penalty and then punt. Even with a weak offense, going for the fourth and four in opponent territory was the call to make.

Give Culley some credit for having the Texans playing hard through three games. Though truly that's nice for a pee wee team where the players can be rewarded with pizza and ice cream. Meanwhile Deshaun Watson keeps collecting about $600,000 per week, and the Texans keep listing him as out for "non-injury reason."

Next week at Buffalo the Texans would seem to have chances of the slim and none variety.

Astros in driver's seat

The Astros can clinch their fourth American League West title in five years as soon as Saturday night. They have essentially secured homefield advantage for their American League Division Series. All that's left is can they catch the Rays for homefield advantage should there be an Astros-Rays American League Championship Series rematch. While the Astros likely formally put the A's to sleep this weekend, the Rays play three versus the Marlins. Then it's the Rays at Minute Maid Park for three. The Astros are three games behind Tampa Bay with nine to play. It's extremely unlikely the Astros catch the Rays without beating them at least two out of three at MMP. Winning two out of three would give the Astros the season series tiebreaker over them.

It's approaching decision time for the Astros' postseason starting rotation. Lance McCullers is the clear choice to go in game one. Of some concern is how to slot McCullers next week to give him the best chance at being in peak form for that series opener. Having pitched Thursday night, McCullers starts one of the Rays series games, either Tuesday or Wednesday. The Astros have an off day Monday. McCullers on normal four days rest would mean he goes Tuesday, but then would either go nine days without game action before the postseason opener, or maybe get a brief outing on three days rest a week from Saturday to get back to normal four days rest before the ALDS start. A third seemingly less prudent option would be starting the season finale for a shortened outing on four days rest, but then he'd only have three days rest before ALDS G1. Given McCullers's injury history and career high innings workload this season, it's not a trivial thought process.

Luis Garcia has a 2.19 earned run average at home this season, 4.24 everywhere else. Garcia at home in game two makes sense, with Framber Valdez and either Jose Urquidy or Zack Greinke for a prospective game four, back around to McCullers should there be a decisive fifth game. If he is to get the ball Greinke really needs to show something in his remaining couple starts. Between time in the COVID and safety protocols and some lousy pitching, Greinke hasn't made a good start in more than a month.

College

Texas A&M-Arkansas is very interesting Saturday at Jerry Jones's place in Arlington. The Aggies have beaten the Razorbacks the last nine years and are favored by five and a half points to make it 10, but the Hogs may be poised to halt that streak shy of double digits. The A&M offense looks shaky. The quarterback edge going in clearly belongs to Arkansas with dual threat K.J. Jefferson. A couple of weeks ago the Razorbacks humiliated the Texas Longhorns. The last season in which Arkansas beat both Texas and Texas A&M? 1988.

Buzzer Beaters:

1. Funny that channel 13 is the "Official Television Station of the Houston Texans!" yet the one regular game which it had access to telecast it got outbid by channel 2.

2. You know the Rockets' preseason opener is a week from Tuesday? There's very little chance they're good this season, but it could be a fun squad showing much promise for coming years.

3. Biggest babies to come out of LSU: Bronze-Herman Johnson (15 pounds 14 ounces at birth!) Silver-Glen Davis Gold-Ben Simmons