Texans vs Redskins: Observations
The good, bad and ugly: Texans ski-mask their way to another win
Nov 18, 2018, 3:23 pm
Demaryius Thomas (left) and DeAndre Hopkins celebrate. Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The Texans won their seventh in a row beating the Skins 23-21. This was a whirlwind of a game that had swings in momentum all the way until the end. Here’s what I observed:
The Good
-Rookie safety Justin Reid came up with a 101-yard pick six when the Skins were threatening to score before halftime. It’s his third pick on the season. He continues to show why he was potentially the steal of the draft in the third round.
-The run game looked healthy today totaling 139 yards on 31 carries. The Skins run defense was ranked fifth with a 90.9 yards per game average coming into today. This performance was needed since the pass game underperformed.
-I only saw Jadeveon Clowney rush from the standing linebacker position to the middle of the offensive line twice in the first half. Both times, he caused trouble. They lined him up there more in the second half and he got a sack on one crucial third down in the fourth quarter forcing a punt. I love seeing him rush inside from that standing position almost as much as I like tacos.
The Bad
-Deshaun Watson completed a pass to five different Texans, but none of them were to Demariyus Thomas! They spent a couple draft picks to get him in wake of Will Fuller being out for the season. This was akin to buying a used luxury vehicle, but not driving it.
-I tweeted out the kid smiley face when I saw Colt McCoy was coming into the game for the Skins. He ended up leading the Skins to taking the lead in the fourth quarter which was the first time they had a lead change all season!
-Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed two field goals today (44 and 45 yarders). The second would’ve required the Skins to score a touchdown to win. Luckily the Skins missed a 63-yarder that could have won the game.
The Ugly
-Before half time, the team lost Zach Fulton and Senio Kelemete to injury. It’s especially tough when they came into the game with seven offensive linemen on the game day roster. Neither came back into the game.
-Watson threw two picks today. He hasn’t thrown one in the last three games. This could have cost them the game given the way it was played so close. His decision-making under pressure has to improve.
-Skins quarterback Alex Smith was sandwiched between Watt and Kareem Jackson on a sack. Unfortunately, it appears as if his leg was broken in the process. Huge sign of the respect he has earned when both teams came over to check on him.
The Texans seventh straight win after starting 0-3 was the first time since 1925 that has happened. Most of the wins have been as improbable as today’s. This team has almost given away games all season. Somehow, they’ve found a way to escape. They are like the villain in a movie that keeps getting away with their crimes. Hopefully, they won’t get caught any time soon.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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