Plenty of turnover but not a ton of points off of them

Texans inability to capitalize on turnovers keeps game close

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The Texans turned Jameis Winston's first pass of the day into points.

It would be much tougher from that moment on for the Texans to turn the Buccaneers generosity into points.

The call wouldn't stay a pick-six for Justin Reid because of a holding call and that would ultimately take some points off the board for Houston. The Texans offense struggled to get anything going and settled for a field goal.

The Texans would get a sorta-turnover on the ensuing drive.

Again the Texans would come up without points. The Buccaneers would finally get on the board and then the Texans would get in on the turnover action as Duke Johnson coughed it up.

The very next play, Winston struck again.

The Texans wouldn't strike for points though. Three plays later they'd punt to the Buccaneers.

After the fourth Tampa turnover the Texans finally found the end zone.

The fumble would allow the Texans to move the 30 yards and punch it in for the score.

In all, the Buccaneers would turn the ball over four times in the first half. The three turnovers after the pick-six would lead to a field goal after starting on the 24 yard-line, a punt, and a touchdown. The Texans defense wouldn't be able to keep the Buccaneers off the scoreboard letting Tampa turn a Texans turnover into a touchdown before the half ended.

The Texans would win the game, and get a key turnover in the fourth quarter, but the inability to score on the short fields would keep the game close. The offense was horrible in the first half trying time after time to run the ball against a stout rush defense. They averaged just 2.3 yards per carry in the first half.

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A new hotel is in the works near Minute Maid. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Astros owner Jim Crane says the team is ready to break ground on a major construction project that will include a hotel and entertainment complex across the street from Minute Maid Park as soon as the 2023 baseball season wraps up – hopefully with another World Series parade in downtown Houston.

AstrosWorld!

But another hotel? Another entertainment complex? More construction downtown? My first reaction was, how much more does Houston need? I remember when the Super Bowl was held in Houston in 2004, clubs and restaurants sprung up downtown practically overnight, only to disappear virtually the morning after. When it came to downtown development, the expression “less is more” turned out true. At least that Super Bowl.

I asked my contacts in government and the Houston welcome wagon, is this a good idea, building a hotel and entertainment complex next door to Minute Maid Park? Do we need it? Can we sustain it?

The answer every time was a resounding yes! For a couple of reasons: first, downtown Houston, coming out of Covid, is booming, leadership is creative and budget-minded these days, and most important, if Jim Crane is behind the idea, you can trust it’ll work. The guy’s got a track record.

“In 2004, the idea was to turn downtown’s Main Street into Bourbon Street. Is that what we really want? It was a misguided plan, the wrong philosophy, and businesses opened and closed in short order,” a source told me.

It was a different story when the Super Bowl returned to Houston in 2017. This time Houston saw the Marriott Marquis, a 1,000-room hotel complete with an iconic Texas-shaped swimming pool, open in time for the tourist onslaught. Also, Avenida Houston greeted downtown visitors with new restaurants and entertainment venues. Both the Marriott and Avenida Houston have continued to thrive long after the Super Bowl left town.

“We want our downtown to attract visitors while providing services for the growing number of singles and families who are making their home downtown. As we continue to host major events and conventions, there will be a need for more hotel rooms,” the source said.

The Astros’ plan to build a sprawling hotel and entertainment complex originally was discussed in 2021 but was put on hold due to Covid. Now Crane and the Astros are ready to come out swinging. Similar complexes operate successfully next to the baseball stadium in St. Louis, Chicago and other cities.

An Astros-themed hotel adjacent to Minute Maid Park is particularly intriguing. The lobby could be home to an Astros museum and team Hall of Fame. Rooms and restaurants could be decorated in honor of Astros legends – the “Nolan Ryan honeymoon suite,” or “Strech Suba’s Bullpen Bar and Grille.” There could be meeting space for autograph and memorabilia shows. There could be a broadcast facility for post-game interviews and analysis. And maybe one day, fingers crossed, a betting parlor like the Cubs have at Wrigley Field.

The Astros have a contract to play at Minute Maid Park through 2050 – the only long-term contract that doesn’t make Crane cringe. Anything that enhances the fan experience and generates revenue is good for the team and the city. I might even consider going downtown on non-game nights.

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