EAGLES 32, TEXANS 30
The Watson-Foles show was a treat, but in the end the Texans fell short
Dec 23, 2018, 3:34 pm
Nick Foles is back and so are the Eagles. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
It was not a stretch to say Sunday's game against the Eagles was the most important regular season game in the Houston Texans franchise's history. Win, and they would remain in position to get a top 2 seed and a first-round bye.
Lose, and the AFC South remains in doubt, a tough first-round playoff matchup is assured, and the team has a near-impossible path to the Super Bowl.
The result was and old-fashioned gunfight. Nick Foles, the Super Bowl hero, brought his A game. Deshaun Watson, NCAA champion, rallied his team from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to take a late lead.
In the end, the Texans left too much time on the clock, and Foles led his team down the field for the game winning field goal in a 32-30 Eagles victory.
Watson was outstanding in the loss. With no running game to speak of except for himself, he came up clutch when it mattered. Watson completed 29 of 40 for 339 yards, two touchdowns and carried eight times for 49 yards and two more scores. In the fourth quarter, he pulled off remarkable play after remarkable play to give his team a chance.
Foles was also amazing. He was 35 of 48 for 471 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He took a big hit from Jadeveon Clowney in the fourth quarter, but returned to lead his team to the game-winning field goal.
It was simply two great players firing back and forth.
The win keeps the Eagles faint playoff hopes alive. The loss pretty much ruins the Texans hope at a first round bye and assures they must beat Jacksonville next week to win the AFC South.
The Texans were outplayed all day, but Watson's magical fourth quarter gave them a chance. The defense, however, was unable to stop Foles and the Eagles. Injuries in the secondary did not help, and an inability to cover tight ends (Zach Ertz had 12 catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns) ruined Watson's magic. The Texans forced three turnovers, but could not get a stop on the last drive when it mattered.
Watson's brilliance might have proven costly. He scored so quickly, the Eagles had plenty of time left on the clock to march to the game winner.
There were other stars. Ertz was terrific for Philadelphia, as was Nelson Agholor (five catches, 116 yards). Chris Long had two of the Texans four sacks.
For the Texans, DeAndre Hopkins was once again magnificent, with nine catches for 104 yards. Demaryius Thomas had three catches before what appeared to be a season-ending injury. Jadeveon Clowney forced a fumble on a strip sack, but also had several costly penalties.
But this show was all about the quarterbacks.
In truth, there was no shame in losing to the Super Bowl champs in their own building, especially as well as they have played of late. There is a reason teams starting 0-3 rarely make the playoffs let alone get a bye. Those early losses to the Titans with Blaine Gabbert and the Giants when they were playing terrible football will prove just as damaging as this loss, which was not unexpected.
In the end, it came down to Watson and Foles, and whoever got the ball last was going to win.
This one went to Foles. And the Texans now find there is still work to do just to make the playoffs, and their path to the Super Bowl is almost impossible.
But what a show they treated us to on Sunday. Foles and Watson both came up clutch and made huge plays.
Foles got the last shot off. And that was the difference.
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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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