HOUSTON – It was a subdued scene inside the Texans’ locker room Sunday night, a low-key vibe that matched the performance in a narrow victory.
Although the Texans’ offense got off to a sputtering start that included some misfires on overthrows from quarterback C.J. Stroud and the top-ranked defense showing an inability to defend explosive Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, they took care of business when it counted the most.
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A strong finish to the fourth quarter in a narrow 23-21 win at NRG Stadium earned the Texans an NFL-best seventh victory in a row, boosted their record to 10-5 and allowed them to remain in seventh place in the AFC playoff standings. There are no style points in football, and that’s a good thing for the Texans. They avoided a potential upset and setback against a Raiders squad that lost its ninth game in a row as they dropped to 2-13 overall.
The win didn’t deliver a ton of satisfaction for several Texans players. They expressed a determination to improve their performance and a recognition that this isn’t the type of football they want to display in the playoffs.
“It’s hard to win this league,” Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said. “With saying that, though, we have a standard in this building to where we want to play at and when we don’t feel like we play to that standard, everybody feels it. Sometimes it feels like, man we didn’t even win the game.”
And yet the Texans did despite not scoring an offensive touchdown until the fourth quarter on a Stroud play-action pass to tight end Dalton Schultz. The Texans were limited to 270 yards of total offense and leaned on kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn’s excellent game with field goals from 55, 50 and 49 yards to provide the winning edge.
“It was ugly, but the way you want to win in December is winning, whatever it looks like, however it looks,” Stroud said. “I’m proud of guys for finishing strong. We started off bad in the first quarter and then from there kind of rolled. But it starts with me.
“I was missing some throws here and there. But I think all these things can be fixed. Yeah, it’s part of the game. Things are not going to go clean all the time, especially in the NFL.
After the defense allowed a 51-yard touchdown run to Jeanty after a previous 60-yard touchdown catch, Stroud engineered a long drive to run out the clock and, finally, close out a determined Raiders team.
“It doesn’t matter how it looks, it’s beautiful to get the win,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans after winning at least 10 games for the third year in a row of his leadership of the two-time defending AFC South champions. “I’m proud of our team for continuing to find ways to win.”
This marked the Texans’ longest winning streak since winning nine in a row in 2018 under former coach Bill O’Brien. That year, like this year, began with an 0-3 start. And, like that team, the Texans are poised to earn a playoff sport. They can do so by winning out against the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. They’re a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South after they beat the Denver Broncos.
The final game-sealing drive for the Texans got off to a rough start when Stroud fumbled the snap and lost 11 yards, backed up to their own 6-yard line.
Star wide receiver Nico Collins drew a defensive pass interference penalty and that got things rolling. Then, Stroud connected with rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins for a 17-yard completion for huge first down to convert on third down.
Backup running back Jawhar Jordan followed that up with a run for 11 yards.
That set the stage for a pinpoint throw from Stroud to Collins, a 24-yard strike to the sideline as Collins picked up the first down. The Raiders had already burnt through their third and final timeout. Stroud took a knee twice to end the game.
The climb from 0-3 and 3-5 to now has been impressive, especially overcoming not having Stroud for three games due to a concussion and backup quarterback Davis Mills manufacturing three wins over the Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans.
“I’m really proud of our team for the adversity we’ve faced at the beginning of the year,” Ryans said. “A lot of teams could have folded, but our guys didn’t. Our guys stayed the course. Our coaches stayed the course. We’ve adjusted some things, tweaked some things we needed to tweak. That’s what you have to do.
“Our team has always believed, no matter how it looked at the beginning of the season, they’ve always believed. Showed if you play the right way, if you play with proper effort, you do the things necessary, it’s all about getting the win. It really it doesn’t matter how it looks. It’s beautiful to get the win and I’m proud of our team for continuing to find ways to win.”
Stroud went 10 for 20 in the first half for 82 yards. He finished 23 of 35 for 187 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for an 88.6 passer rating.
Overall, though, the Texans offense took a major step backwards one week after a complete performance in a decisive win over the Arizona Cardinals.
“At the end of the day, we look at ourselves and the things that we were doing wrong are on us,” Stroud said. “I maybe just rushed my timing. I’m a confident person. I think I can put it anywhere. Something I should progress, shouldn’t force the ball. But any throw that I make, I think I can make the throw. I just missed a couple and that’s part of the game.”
The Texans didn’t find the red zone until the fourth quarter.
A pick-six touchdown on a Derek Stingley Jr. interception was a big-time play. However, the defense allowed 315 yards of total offense to the Raiders’ last-ranked offense.
Jeanty rushed for 128 yards. That included his 60-yard touchdown as he got behind linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and broke a tackle from safety Myles Bryant. On his 51-yard touchdown, he reached top speed quickly and broke another Bryant tackle on his way to the end zone.
The Texans now have a short week of practice before a Saturday road game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the team they defeated in the AFC wild-card round last season.
“It means a lot,” Collins said. “We’re chasing greatness. We just started off slow, man. We can’t do that. We want to get to the Super Bowl. We want to get to our goal, we got to start fast. We got to take care of business. That’s what we’re doing right now, just running our own race."
To reach the 10-win milestone, to continue to push for a playoff spot, that’s all admirable. For the Texans, though, it’s about setting a much higher standard. The offense and the defense both fell short of that standard Sunday.
“I think if you ask our guys, we’re tired of people downplaying us, but rightfully so, we haven’t put it on tape every game,” Stroud said. “I think we’re getting better offensively and I’m confident as ever in my guys. It’s not always going to be clean, not always going to be easy, but we’re going to continue to fight for each other, continue to push the envelope.
“Our defense is amazing. They’re great. Our special teams is great. I want one day for us to say our offense is great, as well. I think it’s all about the team and all about winning.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com