How Texans' nightmare performance raises grave depth, coaching concerns
TEXANS ON TAP
01 November 2024
TEXANS ON TAP
Garrett Wilson made a dazzling one-handed 26-yard go-ahead touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter and the New York Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night.
*Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the loss on YouTube!
Aaron Rodgers had three touchdown passes, including another earlier one-handed score by Wilson and a 37-yard throw to recently acquired Davante Adams, and the Jets (3-6) won for the first time in four games under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
With the Jets trailing 10-7 and facing third-and-19 from the Texans 26, Rodgers tossed the ball up toward Wilson in the end zone. The star wide receiver jumped and reached up with his right hand with both legs spread in in the air — looking like the Michael Jordan “Jumpman” logo.
The play was initially called an incomplete pass, but a video replay review confirmed that Wilson’s shin was down in the end zone and a touchdown was called to give the Jets a 14-10 lead with 12:54 left.
It sent the MetLife Stadium crowd into a frenzy after the fans had little to cheer for until that point.
Wilson's catch was reminiscent of the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.'s one-handed grab against Dallas in 2014.
It also helped make up for a Jets touchdown that wasn't when rookie Malachi Corley made a mental mistake that negated his first NFL score.
With the Jets at the Texans 19 early in the second quarter, Corley took the toss from Rodgers and zipped down the right sideline. Corley sped into the end zone, but just before he crossed the goal line, he dropped the ball out of his right hand to celebrate.
A video review showed he had not gotten into the end zone before he dropped it. So, Corley was credited with an 18-yard run and a fumble. And because it rolled out of the side of the end zone, it was a touchback and a turnover.
Rodgers finished 22 of 32 for 211 yards. His 37-yard touchdown pass to Adams, who earlier was cleared after being checked for a possible head injury, put the Jets up 21-10 with 2:56 left. It was Adams' first touchdown catch since being acquired from Las Vegas earlier this month.
Ka'imi Fairbairn made a 29-yard field goal with 39 seconds left to make it an eight-point game, but Adams recovered the onside kick and the Jets were able to take a knee and seal the win.
C.J. Stroud was 11 of 30 for 191 yards for the Texans (6-3), who played with injured receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins. It was the first of three consecutive prime-time games for Houston, with a Sunday night home matchup against on Nov. 10 next and a Monday night meeting at Dallas on Nov. 18.
Fairbairn missed two field goals for Houston. With the Texans trailing 14-10, Fairbairn made it a one-point game when he kicked a 43-yarder — but Eric Watts was called for unnecessary roughness on the attempt, so Houston opted to accept the penalty and keep the ball.
The Jets made a defensive stand and the Texans were forced to try a 27-yard attempt, but Fairbairn doinked his kick off the left upright — keeping it 14-10.
Joe Mixon's 3-yard touchdown run capped a 98-yard drive for the Texans, who took a 7-0 lead with 3:21 left in the second quarter.
One play after Stroud was banged up on a sack by Solomon Thomas, Fairbairn was wide right on a 56-yard attempt.
The Jets tied it on their opening possession of the second half when Rodgers completed a 21-yard pass to Wilson, who snagged the ball with one hand and ran into the end zone for the tying touchdown.
Riley Patterson, who signed to the active roster hours before the game to replace the injured Greg Zuerlein, hit the left upright on the extra point, but the ball deflected inside and cleared the crossbar.
Fairbairn made up for his earlier miss by kicking a 54-yarder that put the Texans back up, 10-7 with 4:11 left in the third quarter.
Rodgers was 7 of 14 in the first half for just 32 yards — his fewest in an opening two quarters with 10 or more attempts in his career. His previous low was 37 on 12 attempts against Denver on Nov. 1, 2015, while with Green Bay.
Texans: Texans LG Kenyon Green was ruled out at halftime after injuring a shoulder.
Jets: LG John Simpson left in the second quarter with a groin injury and didn't return. ... Backup OL Jake Hanson also left shortly before halftime with a hamstring injury.
Texans: Host the Detroit Lions on “Sunday Night Football” on Nov. 10.
Jets: At Arizona on Nov. 10
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Amen Thompson had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his fourth career triple-double and the Houston Rockets used a big run late to get a 119-111 win over the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night.
It was the second triple-double this month after the second-year player also had one on Feb. 3.
The game was tied after a 3-pointer by Bol Bol before the Rockets used an 11-2 run to take a 115-106 lead with just more than a minute to go.
Jalen Green scored the first five points in that stretch before Dillon Brooks made consecutive 3-pointers to allow Houston to pull away.
Kevin Durant had 37 points for the short-handed Suns, who were missing Devin Booker, who sat out with a bruised lower back. The Suns lost their third in a row and for the sixth time in seven games.
They led by 8 entering the fourth quarter before Houston rallied for the victory.
Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 13 rebounds after sitting out most of Sunday’s game dealing with back spasms to help the Rockets win a second straight. Tari Eason added 25 points for Houston and Green had 22.
Suns: Durant continues to play at a high level, but the Suns need to get their other stars healthy to take some pressure off the 36-year-old.
Rockets: The Rockets used a balanced scoring attack to get the win with all five starters finishing with at least 17 points.
A dunk by Durant got the Suns within 3 late before the two 3-pointers by Brooks put the game away.
The Rockets scored 25 points off 17 Phoenix turnovers.
The Rockets host the Warriors and the Suns visit the Spurs on Thursday night.