How Texans just became the Hunter with their splashiest free agent move yet
THAT JUST HAPPENED!
12 March
THAT JUST HAPPENED!
The Houston Texans caught everyone by surprise when they traded for Joe Mixon on Tuesday. Well, it didn't take long for the Texans to top that move.
According to multiple reports, the Houston Texans are signing former Vikings pass-rusher Danielle Hunter to a 2-year, $49 million deal with $48 million guaranteed.
Danielle Hunter grew up outside Houston. Now, after nine seasons in Minnesota, he joins his hometown team on a two-year, $49 million deal that includes $48M guaranteed. Max $51M with incentives. https://t.co/wrSqyqkVx0
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 12, 2024
Hunter (age 29) is a 4-time Pro Bowler that played every game over the past two seasons. He recorded 16.5 sacks in 2023 with 22 quarterback hits.
Basically, the Texans traded pass rushers with the Vikings, as Jonathan Greenard signed with Minnesota on Monday. With the addition of Hunter and defensive end Denico Autry in free agency, Houston has a lot of flexibility on their d-line.
Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson should be thrilled about this addition, as Hunter and Autry will attract a lot of attention on the opposite side of the line.
Plus, the Colts were rumored to be interested in Hunter. So not only do the Texans get him, but that also means the Colts don't.
Texans tackle Tytus Howard certainly likes the move!
Our DLine is crazyyyyyy
— Tytus Howard (@tyhoward71) March 12, 2024
It will be interesting to see how the Texans deploy their pass-rushers. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein believes the Texans can get creative with their alignments, with both Autry and Hunter joining the team.
I know the Texans will sit in nickel as their primary base package more than they won't, but Autry and Hunter give the Texans the ability to become more varied with their alignments as Autry can play 5T in a true odd-front look.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 12, 2024
Interesting...
Denico Autry can play base but with Hunter in Houston now, his role me be more as a sub-rusher inside. With Hunter, Anderson and Autry hunting the quarterback.... look out.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 12, 2024
C.J. Stroud threw for 331 yards and a touchdown and Ka′imi Fairbairn’s tiebreaking 59-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Houston Texans to a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The Texans (4-1) led 20-3 after a field goal early in third quarter before the Bills scored 17 straight points to tie it with about 3½ minutes to go.
Stroud was called for intentional grounding to bring up fourth-and-15 and take the Texans out of field-goal range with less than a minute left.
A punt backed the Bills up to their 3 and they punted after three straight incomplete passes to give Houston one last chance.
Dare Ogunbowale had a 5-yard run to set up Fairbairn’s game winner.
This is one video you won't want to miss, as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the big win!
Already without running back Joe Mixon for a fourth straight game, Houston struggled offensively after losing NFL receiving leader Nico Collins to a hamstring injury after he scored a long touchdown early in the second quarter.
Stefon Diggs led the Texans with six receptions for 82 yards in his first game against his former team since a blockbuster offseason trade.
Josh Allen was 9 of 30 for 131 yards and a touchdown as the Bills (3-2) lost for a second straight week after opening the season with three straight wins. Allen struggled before halftime again Sunday, managing just 56 yards passing a week after throwing for 42 yards in the first half of a rout by the Ravens.
Dawuane Smoot’s strip-sack of Stroud gave the Bills the ball at the Houston 15 with 4½ minutes to play.
They had the first play of the ensuing drive with Mitchell Trubisky at QB while Allen was in the medical tent being checked out after banging his head hard on the turf a few plays earlier. He re-entered the game on second down but threw two incompletions.
The Bills tied it on a 33-yard field goal.
The Texans were driving with about eight minutes left when Terrel Bernard intercepted a pass intended for Diggs to give Buffalo the ball at its 20.
The Bills couldn’t move the ball and had to punt, but soon got it back on the strip-sack.
The Bills cut the lead to 10 when James Cook scored on a 5-yard run with about nine minutes left in the third quarter.
Rookie Keon Coleman’s 49-yard reception on fourth-and-5 got the Bills within 20-17 on their next drive. Coleman slipped a tackle and then darted down the sideline before flipping into the end zone for his second TD this season.
The touchdown pass was the 231st in Allen’s career, tying him with Patrick Mahomes for the most by a player in his first seven seasons.
The Texans took a 7-3 lead when Cam Akers ran 15 yards for a touchdown with about three minutes left in the first quarter. Ogunbowale had a 38-yard catch-and-run on third-and-5 to keep that drive going.
Collins got in front of the defense for a 67-yard touchdown reception on the first play of Houston’s next drive to extend the lead to 14-3.
Fairbairn added a 50-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter and his 47-yarder early in the third made it 20-3.
Texans RB British Brooks left with a knee injury in the first quarter. … S Jimmie Ward left in the second with a groin injury.
Bills: Visit the New York Jets on Monday, Oct. 14.
Texans: Visit New England next Sunday.