STOOTS ON TEXANS
11 observations from Houston Texans' 34-24 loss to Chargers
Oct 3, 2022, 7:53 am
STOOTS ON TEXANS
1. This team started incredibly slow and outside of a couple of drives in the second half disappointed. The defense got worked by the Chargers' star players, and the offense sputtered too often. It was really a summary of the season up to this point which is to say inconsistency.
2. Davis Mills was shaky early. The first drive interception was tough to stomach. The pocket got messy as he tried to drive the ball and he floated one up there. It gave the Chargers an easy drive for seven points.
3. One of the early offensive mistakes erased a scoring opportunity. Kenyon Green got nailed for a holding call that erased one of the best passes and catches between Brandin Cooks and Davis Mills all season. The rookie’s mistake was compounded the very next play when the offense allowed Mills to be sacked. It was a 40-yard swing that led to a punt.
4. Another third down penalty led to a mishap for the Texans. Laremy Tunsil gets a false start on third down to make it third and 10. The shovel pass to Rex Burkhead goes for six yards and then the Texans botch the field goal. Back-to-back drives and third-down penalties affected the offense and ended with no points. That was all just in the first quarter!
5. The Texans were abysmal with short yardage in key spots yet again. In the second quarter, Pep Hamilton opted for a pass on fourth and one. Davis Mills never got the play off and was sacked. After the game, Mills said the team wanted to catch the Chargers off guard running when most expected a pass, but Rex Burkhead was the running back. It was again a situation, a key and critical moment, that the team trusted Burkhead over the more dynamic Dameon Pierce.
6. The Chargers were very chunky on offense against the Texans. There were 16 plays that went for at least ten yards for the Chargers of their 67 plays. Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler were fantastic for Los Angeles.
7. The pass rush was non-existent for the Texans. This was one of the more disappointing aspects of the day to consider the Chargers were playing a rookie right guard, their center is injured but playing, and the left tackle was a backup left tackle. Nothing seemed to get home on an injured Justin Herbert. The Texans recorded just two quarterback hits in the game.
8. The linebackers got worked again. This is the absolute weakest unit on the team right now. They look like they’re easily exploited by most opposing offenses.
9. It was a rough day for the rookie class of the Texans. Derek Stingley was handled by Mike Williams on multiple occasions in key spots. Kenyon Green allowed a big sack and had a holding penalty erase a huge play. Jalen Pitre was the target of some offensive success in the Chargers' passing game.
10. Not all the rookies had a bad day. Dameon Pierce is so much fun to watch. He has the chance to be a truly impactful player for this team. His 75-yard touchdown scamper gave the team some juice, and he constantly fights and gets extra yards when the ball is headed his way. He finished with 14 carries and six catches for 20 total touches.
11. The Texans need teams to help them stay in games, and even then, it is a challenge. The tough part about where the Texans are through four games is there are some positives to look at and point to, but not enough to say the team is surely headed in the right direction. There surely has to be some adjustment by the team when the season is where it is after nearly a quarter of the year. The current direction isn’t going to lead anywhere positive soon.
Houston Texans fans have been waiting to hear the latest on the status of wide receiver Stefon Diggs after he left Sunday's game with a knee injury.
We received a disappointing update from Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
What makes the season-ending torn ACL worse for Stefon Diggs is that he is on an expiring contract and set to become a free agent this off-season. https://t.co/pVIIy7jEkk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
Diggs will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. Fortunately for the Texans, the trade deadline is still a few days away.
If Houston would like to add some depth to the position, Giants WR Darius Slayton would make a lot of sense. He's played well this year (29 rec, 420 yards), and is a free agent after the 2024 season.
So he shouldn't cost too much draft capital if the Texans decide to make a deal.
Panthers receiver Diontae Johnson would have been the obvious choice, but he was just traded to the Ravens.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers could be another option. But he's still under contract for the 2025 season, so his price tag may scare off the Texans.
Jets receiver Mike Williams could be under consideration. His role has taken a backseat with the addition of Davante Adams. He has two seasons with over 1,000 yards in his career. He'll be a free agent after the season.
On the low end, Patriots WR KJ Osborn could be another possibility. Osborn is on a one-year deal and only has 7 catches for 57 yards this year.
Osborn recorded over 540 receiving yards in three straight seasons for the Vikings before signing with the Patriots after the 2023 season.
If the Texans decide to hold tight, Nico Collins is expected to return next week for their matchup with the Lions.
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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.