Most important lessons from Texans miscues, controversial calls in derailment for division supremacy
TEXANS ON TAP
27 November 2023
TEXANS ON TAP
After all was said and done at NRG on Sunday, CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans came up short against the Jaguars. Winning the division now seems highly unlikely, unless Jacksonville falls apart down the stretch.
Now let's look at the positives. CJ Stroud was amazing once again on Sunday, using his legs more than ever to buy time and complete big plays down the field. We'd be curious to know how many miles he ran when escaping pressure time and time again. He also led the team in rushing, something will discuss in a bit.
Stroud outplayed Trevor Lawrence despite ultimately losing the game. And one thing is for sure, Stroud is already a better QB than Lawrence, and he's only played in 11 games.
So if Stroud outplayed Lawrence, why did the Texans lose the game? Let's start with the defense, which gave up multiple chunk plays to the Jags. Several screenplays went for huge yardage that eventually led to points.
Cornerback Tavierre Thomas had a rough day at the office, not only did he have multiple penalties called against him, but was also burned badly by Calvin Ridley on a TD catch. He was a matchup the Jags were looking to exploit all afternoon.
Speaking of penalties, the officiating in this game was atrocious. And while bad calls were made against both teams, it certainly seemed like all the close calls were going to the away team. Home field advantage seemed to have no meaning in this game when it came to the refs.
Tank Dell had multiple huge plays called back that were highly questionable. Corner Steven Nelson was hit with a phantom holding penalty. Even the broadcasters couldn't stop talking about how bad the officiating was.
But in spite of refs, and Houston's inability to run the ball (32 rushing yards combined between Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce), the Texans had a chance to win the game. In the end, Houston's o-line could not keep Stroud upright, with Laremy Tunsil regularly beat by edge rusher Josh Allen.
Which led to a decision from head coach DeMeco Ryans. Go for it on 4th and 12, or try to kick a 58-yard field goal?
Either option was a big ask. And the field goal attempt turned out to be a lot closer than we anticipated. Another six inches and it may have been good. But at the end of the day, we would rather have taken our chances with CJ Stroud over a backup kicker that struggles to make kicks over 50 yards.
Losing Sunday's game was undoubtedly a heartbreaker, but all is not lost. Winning 10 games and making the playoffs as a wild card is completely within reach. The Texans have the same record as the Colts (6-5), who are currently the final wild card seed if the season were to end today.
CJ Stroud and the Texans will have plenty of opportunities to win games and reach the postseason. And it starts with the streaking Denver Broncos this Sunday.
With so much to cover from Sunday's game, be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown.
Watch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) every Monday on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel.
Coming off the bye week the Houston Texans received good news as both LB Christian Harris and LG Kenyon Green have been designated to return from injury.
The timing couldn't be better with Harris considering the loss of LB Azeez Al-Shaair, who was suspended for three games for his hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans hasn't announced a return to game action for Harris or Green, the plan is to see how they progress over the course of the week before making any decisions.
When joining the Texans YouTube channel this week, Ryans described Green as a “player that can move people in the run game,” but also acknowledged his issues in pass protection that need to be cleaned up.
While Green was only on the field for three of the whopping 8 sacks on CJ Stroud the last time he started a game, it must be pointed out that he was atrocious that Thursday night against the Jets.
And that was following up a game against the Colts that got him benched for his struggles. If not for Jarrett Patterson suffering a concussion against Indy, Green shouldn't have been on the field versus New York.
That's why Ryans' comments about Green returning are so concerning. “If he's ready to get back out there, I think he can help us,” said the Texans head coach.
To be fair, it's not like the Texans have had much success with Juice Scruggs at guard and Patterson at center. But at least they haven't been a complete disaster in pass protection like they were with Green in the lineup. Green was getting beat quick or missing assignments that led to immediate pressures and big hits on Stroud.
Ground and pound?
There's a narrative out there that Green is the better option when it comes to run blocking. But no matter how you frame it, he was one of the worst, if not the worst, guard in the NFL according to ProFootballFocus before suffering the injury.
Somehow that's supposed to change after returning from a dislocated shoulder? I don't buy it. And considering the Texans' upcoming schedule, they're probably going to struggle with running the ball against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Titans, whether he plays or not.
Those teams are strong against the run, and the Texans would be wise to try to beat them with the passing game, considering the matchup.
Another narrative out there is that GM Nick Caserio wants to give Green every possible opportunity to succeed because he spent a 1st-round pick on Green, and passed up several Pro Bowl players in doing so.
For me, that argument falls a bit flat. Caserio used a 2nd-round pick on Scruggs, so he has a lot invested in both players. However, Scruggs isn't without criticism. He's been an obvious weakness at guard, though he did play much better against the Jaguars last week. It's the Jags, read into that what you will. But Caserio did admit recently that Scruggs is a better center than guard.
Perhaps the plan is to put Scruggs back at center with Green returning. But that could spell trouble as well. The communication issues on the o-line seem to have improved with Patterson at center.
At the end of the day, the number one job for the o-line has to be protecting Stroud, who has been the second-most sacked QB this season (41).
He's taken a sack in every game this year, and has been sacked four or more times in six of thirteen games. Four of those six games featured Green as the starting guard.
Up next
Houston will get their first test after the bye week as they host the 6–7 Dolphins, who still have something to play for. Despite the Texans' up and down season, they can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Miami, and a loss from the Colts.