PANTHERS DEFEAT TEXANS
11 critical observations from the Texans' 24-9 loss to the Panthers
Sep 24, 2021, 10:51 am
Davis Mills made his first NFL start on Thursday. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
The Houston Texans couldn't get anything consistent on offense as they drop their second game to the Panthers 24-9. Here are 11 Observations from the loss.
1. Davis Mills is very much a rookie and very limited. Mills still struggles to be in a rhythm and makes numerous rookie mistakes. There are flashes of solid play, but he can't put it together very often. Mills was a project and is still a project.
2. Davis Mills has trouble figuring out pressure. The identification of pressure is something a lot of young quarterbacks struggle with, and with reps, he should be better. The problem is he will play some ferocious defenses in the next few weeks. Mills will have to learn on the fly.
3. With less than two minutes in the first half, expectations were low for the Texans on offense. Davis Mills was perfect, sans a spike to stop the clock, in leading a drive for a touchdown. The big play was a pass to Brandin Cooks and it finished with a touchdown pass to Anthony Miller. This was the best drive of his short NFL season. What worked here needs to be replicated into non-hurry situations.
4. Brandin Cooks is getting the bulk of the receptions and targets in this offense, and he is still successful. Cooks getting open non-stop despite being the sole dangerous receiver on this team will not stop being impressive anytime soon.
5. Joey Slye missed an extra point and it led to David Culley making another punt decision that drew criticism yet again. The Texans ended up punting despite being just four yards away from a first down. Slye was not comfortable with that range according to Culley, and so the team took a delay of game and punted. Culley didn't throw his kicker under the bus and that's an admirable move by him.
6. Ross Blacklock and Jonathan Greenard each recorded a sack. The young defensive linemen have to be building blocks for this team going forward.
7. The defensive line matched their combined numbers from the first two games in tackles for a loss and sacks. Despite the successful box score night, the pass rush is still so inconsistent it puts the defense in terrible positions trying to cover pass catchers.
8. Vernon Hargreaves was picked on by the Panthers. He had a very rough night for this defense against a talented receiving group. Stefon Diggs is next up for him.
9. There are good signs on this defense, but Lovie Smith has to get players healthy and find the perfect mix to maximize his talent each week.
10. Andre Roberts again looked lost on special teams despite being a specialist for this team. The team should look long and hard about replacing Roberts. The toughest part is Alex Erickson, who was in camp for the Texans, was the solid punt returner and slot receiver for the Panthers Thursday night.
11. Injuries and the short week with a rookie quarterback doomed the Texans. This is also a team that could look on the bright side and convince themselves they would be 2-1 or maybe 3-0 with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. He isn't the quarterback though; it is Davis Mills. And it will be for the future. So the team should strap in for their bumpy ride.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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