FALCON POINTS
Texans dismal performance on offense leads to 16-10 loss to Panthers
Sep 29, 2019, 3:19 pm
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The Texans offense was awful on Sunday, and it led to a 16-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Here is how it all played out:
Offense
The positives: There were none. Well, OK, they did have a decent run game, putting up 136 yards and averaging 6.2 per carry. It was almost useless considering that Deshaun Watson played one of the worst games of his career, including a late fumble that ended all hope. The offensive line was bad, allowing six sacks. The receivers could not get open. Untimely penalties were everywhere. Simply put, this loss was on the offense.
The negatives: Trick plays can be game changers both ways. Having DeAndre Hopkins throw a pass wound up being a massive fail. Hopkins was picked, and it led to the Panthers first half touchdown. Was it a bad call? It was certainly a bad result. The Texans had some momentum going after Whitney Mercilus forced yet another fumble. On first and 10 from the 24, that might not have been the time to do it. The play was supposed to catch Carolina off guard, but it didn't. Meanwhile, the old problems of protecting Watson were back as he was sacked three times in the first half, six times in the game. Watson was off all game. He missed on two deep passes that could have been touchdowns. Since the first game against the Saints, where they scored 14 first half points (none in the first quarter), they scored six in the first half against Jacksonville, seven in the first half against LA, and 3 against the Panthers. When you prep all week, you have to think your offense will be ready to produce early. That has not been the case.
Defense
The positives: The Texans forced three Kyle Allen fumbles. The offense did not capitalize until J.J. Watt forced one that led to the Texans first touchdown.
The negatives: Christian McCaffrey is a tough matchup for anyone, and the Texans did their best to contain him. Still, he had a big day, as he has against almost everyone. The Texans always struggle covering running backs in the passing game, and McCaffrey is as good as it comes. He had 8 catches for 83 yards. They weren't perfect, but the defense played well enough to win the game, even though Watt missed a chance to get his offense the ball back late in the game when Kyle Allen ducked a sack and completed a pass that iced the game. It's not like the offense would have done anything anyway.
The bottom line
The Texans continue to play inconsistent football. When the offense is playing well, the defense struggles. When the defense plays well, the Texans offense plays poorly. It has been the exact opposite of "complimentary football."
Bill O'Brien's trick play is debatable. What isn't is he had yet another ill advised challenge in the fourth quarter on an amazing catch by McCaffrey. It was clearly a catch and challenging made little sense. Little decisions like that can lose football games.
It left the Texans no timeouts to stop the clock and the Panthers were able to run out most of the clock.
The Texans are that "almost" team; they "almost" made big plays several times on Sundays. But they came up short. The Panthers made plays to win the game - McCaffrey's juggling catch, Allen's great escape - and that was the difference.
The good news? At 2-2 they are still in the hunt in the AFC South. The bad? You just can't win football games consistently playing like this. Watson has to be much better for this team to have a chance. It was a shame to waste such a solid defensive performance, but that's what happened.
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Andy Reid remembers quite well the previous time the Texans visited Kansas City for a divisional playoff game.
He was still considered among the best coaches to have never won the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes was still a young, record-setting quarterback full of potential.
The Texans had Deshaun Watson, rather than C.J. Stroud, under center and he threw a pair of touchdown passes to help Houston race to a 24-0 lead inside a stunned Arrowhead Stadium.
“We didn't start off very well,” Reid recalled, “that's for sure.”
Their finish was nearly perfect. The Chiefs scored 28 second-quarter points and rolled from there to a 51-31 win, which not only sent them to the AFC title game, but provided the momentum that ultimately earned Reid his first Super Bowl title.
“Getting down like that,” Mahomes said, “things could have gone south real fast. I was proud of the resilience of the guys.”
Now, the Chiefs hope another win over the Texans on Saturday can catapult them toward an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title, and their fourth in a six-year span — a run that began with that divisional win over Houston on Jan. 12, 2020.
“I mean, it's been a fun run up to this point. But we want to get to that ultimate goal,” Mahomes said this week. “We know it's going to be challenging. So we have to just really focus on the day and how we can get better, and try to win the game.”
The Chiefs (15-2), who earned the No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye, haven't played many of their starters since clinching on Christmas Day. They chose to rest Mahomes and such stars as Travis Kelce and Chris Jones during a meaningless Week 18 loss in Denver, and risked the potential for rust to set in over 24 days between games against the need to get healthy.
The Texans (11-7), meanwhile, have started to build some momentum after beating the Titans in their regular-season finale and blowing out the Chargers during the wild-card round. They lost in Kansas City the weekend prior to Christmas, but neither team is putting much stock in that matchup — one of three they played during a brutal 11-day stretch.
“That was that week. It's different circumstances that happened in that particular week,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Now it's a new game for me. Fresh start. New game. We will attack it just like it's our first time playing these guys again.”
This is the sixth time the Texans have played for a spot in the AFC championship game. They have lost every one of the previous five.
“That would be huge. I didn’t know that, but I think that will be a huge accomplishment," Stroud said. "This team is really motivated to go up there and play some good ball against a great Kansas City team that has been in these moments forever. It is going to take all of us and take a lot of execution to get that done, so we have to be on our A-game.”
Tricky tackle situation
The Chiefs struggled most of the season to protect Mahomes' blind side, eventually moving All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney outside with Mike Caliendo in his place. The question now is whether they will stick with that lineup or move Thuney back to his natural spot and start D.J. Humphries, a one-time Pro Bowl left tackle who has played just two games because of injuries this season.
Watson's return
Jaylen Watson could play for Kansas City for the first time since breaking his ankle Oct. 20 against San Francisco. The third-year cornerback had become a reliable starter in the defensive backfield before getting hurt.
“Not telling you he could play a whole game,” Reid said, “but I think he has a chance to play for sure.”
A ‘special’ group
The Texans got two big plays from special teams in last week’s playoff win. D’Angelo Ross blocked a punt in the first quarter before returning a blocked extra point for two points in the fourth. The blocked punt was the first in a playoff game since the 2021 season and the PAT return was the first in NFL playoff history.
“The special teams unit came up big for us making some impact plays,” Ryans said. “Any time special teams can affect the game where it is taking the ball away, blocking the kick, it changes the game drastically.”
Mr. Reliable
Nico Collins has continued to star for the Texans despite the loss of fellow wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to season-ending injuries. Collins led the team with 1,006 yards receiving in the regular season despite missing five games with an injury, and he had a franchise playoff-record 122 yards receiving and a touchdown against the Chargers last weekend.
“Very proud of Nico for what he’s been able to accomplish just all year, everything that he’s done,” Ryans said. “Even when everyone knows the ball is going to him, he still makes the play. So, excited for him and just his trajectory as a pro."
Golden papa
It was an exciting bye weekend for Mahomes, whose wife, Brittany, gave birth to their third child on Sunday. They named their new daughter Golden Raye, and she joins a family that includes another daughter, Sterling, and a son nicknamed Bronze.
“It was cool that football was on TV while I was in the hospital, so I was able to watch a little bit,” Mahomes said. “Brittany was kind enough to let us watch football as she was getting ready to give birth.”