Losing on a last-minute field goal was a tough pill to swallow for the Houston Texans in Week 7. They played extremely hard against a tough opponent, and many players were injured (Nico Collins, most of their defense). The Texans’ clock management was questioned, but that didn’t completely decide the game. It was a close loss, and it might have gone differently if the Texans were completely healthy.
Throwing on Third Down on the Last Drive Was the Right Call
The Houston Texans’ coaching staff received some criticism for their clock management on the last drive. They had the ball with two minutes to go in the red zone, and many thought that was their opportunity to close out the game. So they elected to run twice and throw on third down before kicking the go-ahead field goal. But they gave Jordan Love around a minute and a half to come back.
Some thought the Texans could have run the clock out, but the Packers had one more time-out left. So, if the Texans ran the ball on third down, they would have given the Packers the same amount of time to drive down the field (unless Mixon rushes for a first down). Since it was third and long, the situation called for a pass play, and even though Stroud was having a poor game, he was still the best guy to rely on for that play. Either way, no matter what the Texans did, the Packers still would have had that minute and a half to work with.
Nico Collins Needs to Be Healthy to Beat Top Opponents
The most glaring statistic that came out of this game was production from wide receivers. Dalton Shultz, the tight end, led the team in receiving with only 28 yards (and it came on one play). Stefon Diggs had five receptions and could only muster three yards. Tank Dell, who was coming off a great game against the Patriots, couldn’t come down with a single catch.
The Texans have played three top-tier teams so far this season: Minnesota, Green Bay, and Buffalo. Interesting, then, how the only win they got over these teams was against Buffalo, where most of the team was healthy (Collins would get injured in that game, but not before he scored a touchdown).
Certainly, the Vikings and Packers know how to play football, and it would be silly to take anything away from those wins they earned. Based on numbers, though, both of these losses show how poor the running game gets without Mixon and how poor the passing game is without Collins.
Texans Offensive Line Needs to Protect Stroud Better
If anyone is wondering how in the world Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell couldn’t get over 30 yards between them, a big reason why is that their quarterback was very inaccurate. C.J. Stroud was only 10/21 with only 86 yards, clocking in as his worst performance all year.
It would be unfair to talk about Stroud’s performance without mentioning how often Green Bay defenders were in his face. Stroud took four sacks for a loss of 31 yards during the game, but he barely had time to think during his other throws. Most of Stefon Diggs’ receptions were check-downs that didn’t go anywhere, which is why his numbers are down. Stroud was forced to hit his check-down because there was pressure in his face and his primary options were removed.
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