STOOTS ON TEXANS
11 observations from Texans' ugly 17-10 loss to Titans
Oct 31, 2022, 8:32 am
That was a bad performance all the way around for Houston. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
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The Houston Texans were dominated by the Titans as their season of futility rolled on. Derrick Henry led Tennessee to a 17-10 rout of Houston. Here are 11 observations.
1. The Houston Texans played their worst game of the season. The Tennessee Titans dominated despite starting a rookie backup quarterback. This is an unacceptable result in the second year of the current front office.
2. Davis Mills was running or scared or running scared all day. The offensive line stunk. Lovie Smith said his team was dominated on the offensive line. A.J. Cann is apparently an all-world player as the multiple replacements for him on Sunday were ineffective.
3. Kenyon Green has had some rough weeks. Last week in Las Vegas a costly false start in a close game. This week Jeffery Simmons used Green to tackle Dameon Pierce. Like, he pushed Green into Pierce until Pierce was stopped. A highly touted lineman like Green is supposed to have a high floor, Sunday he was in the basement of expectations.
4. Dameon Pierce is all effort all the time. Effort can only take the running back so far. The Texans couldn’t run the ball to take some pressure off the need for a passing game and the passing game wilted.
5. Davis Mills played poorly when there was time to throw. He was tentative on deep passes. Slow to make decisions. It was a poor performance on plays where he had a chance. In most plays, he didn’t.
6. The shine is off Pep Hamilton. A less-talented team looked more effective on offense down the stretch last year than Hamilton’s group this year. He has been a tremendous disappointment. Hamilton called a pass play for Rex Burkhead after a Steven Nelson interception put the Texans deep in Titans territory. It was a momentum-killing decision.
7. The defensive tackles on this team can’t set the tone. Roy Lopez didn’t start after a few poor weeks of play. Rookies Thomas Booker and Kurt Hinish aren’t the answer as primary defensive tackles. Maliek Collins didn’t play. They give way to a poor linebacking corps that can’t tackle well.
8. The linebackers were once the deepest group according to head coach Lovie Smith. The linebackers are likely the worst position group. Rookie Christian Harris is an athletic freak, but he’s still learning. The rest of the room leaves plenty to be desired.
9. Head coach Lovie Smith might have trouble with defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. The defense, despite adding talent in the offseason, is worse than last year. The team looks to be out of answers on defense.
10. Brandin Cooks declined to talk about his situation with the team. Cooks has been liking articles on Twitter about him potentially being traded. Cooks was previously clear didn’t want to be traded but when asked about that comment today he made it clear he wasn’t going to talk about a potential trade.
11. The undefeated Eagles come to town in just four days for a tougher matchup than the one the Texans faced on Sunday. The short week at home won’t make much of a difference when the talent gap is as wide as it is between the Eagles and Texans.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.