For the 10th straight time, the Texans left a divisional opponent's building with a win.
That's incredible! TEN straight road division wins dating back to a victory over the Titans in 2021, culminating with a 23-20 win over Jacksonville on Sunday.
Here are my Harris Hits from this most recent win.
1) It's a shame that Nico Collins missed five games this year because he's putting together an All-Pro type season. He's the only receiver in the NFL averaging over 100 yards per game. He has four 100+ yard games and he was eight yards away last week against Tennessee from having a fifth. Yet, he had a 34-yard touchdown taken away by a penalty last week. He had a 77-yard score taken away the week before at Dallas. He had a big first down on the first drive taken away by a penalty as well in this matchup vs. Jacksonville. I don't know how many more yards and touchdowns he would have without those penalties. Then, he did something that I haven't seen him do this year - he dropped a pass on the sideline in the fourth quarter and it shocked everyone. He just stared at his hands like "What the heck happened?" However, that's not the crux of this story. He's dominating the passing game every week and everyone in the building knows that QB C.J. Stroud is going to find him.
2) The Jaguars, in particular, have felt the wrath of Collins. He had 20 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown in two games this season. He didn't get to play against Indy a second time, but in the division this year, four games, Nico has 31 catches for 479 yards and two touchdowns. He's averaging nearly eight catches and 120 yards per game against the division! He doesn't just torture the Colts. He's doing it to the other two teams as well, as shown on Sunday at Jacksonville.
3) The offensive line got a game ball from Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and the second half might have been one of that unit's best performances of the season. On the key drive of the game, just after the Jaguars tied the game at six, the Texans went on a 5-play drive. The first play was a botched screen. Then, with tons of time to throw, Stroud hit Collins and then Dalton Schultz on first down plays, setting up the OL to take over the next 37 yards. The OL mashed the Jags front and sprung RB Joe Mixon for 31 yards down to the six and then hammered the left side/defensive right side for a Mixon 6-yard touchdown. After two early sacks, Stroud was not sacked in the second half and the pressure rate went way down. It was the best overall performance in the 2024 season.
4) Then, for the second time in two division road games, the Texans faced a third down, with the lead, and a decision. In Indy, on third down late in the 4th quarter, the Texans chose to hand the ball to Mixon for the yards needed for a first down to end the game. This time, the Texans faced 3rd-and-5 to end the game. The Jaguars were out of timeouts and this is what happened, per my Big Play Breakdown…
4th quarter - Texans ball
2:00 remaining
Texans ahead 23-20
3rd and four
-49-yard line
During the two minute warning break, Marc, Andre and myself discussed what we call here and I'll always give credit to my guys - Andre said, unequivocally, run the damn ball (I was okay with a not-so-risky bootleg). So, the Texans obliged and ended the game. They came out in 13 personnel, OLD SCHOOL I formation with Cade Stover at fullback and TE Dalton Schultz and Irv Smith Jr at the Y-TE on either side of the formation. RB Joe Mixon has said when it's nut-cutting time, he's following Cade. And…he did…on a lead zone play to the left side. So, on the play…there were some sweet blocks. Schultz and Stover doubled Jaguars star DE Josh Hines-Allen right out of the hole. WR Robert Woods came inside and cracked down on the playside linebacker Ventrell Miller with a tremendous block. LT Laremy Tunsil locked up the playside linebacker as the rest of the OL did a great job handling the down guys. Mixon hit the booster button and exploded through the hole those blocks created for nine yards. BALLGAME! Let's go home everyone!
5) Two road division wins, narrow victories, but running out the clock with the run game in each win? Priceless.
6) Derek Stingley Jr. came up with his third interception of the year and his third interception of Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence in his career. I don't know that I've seen a cornerback/defensive back have such great ball tracking skills. He doesn't panic with the ball in the air and plays the ball like a wide receiver, as opposed to a DEFENSIVE back. He gets offensive with the ball in the air and it's fun to watch.
7) Late in the game, Jaguars QB Mac Jones threw a TD to Parker Washington with Kamari Lassiter defending, but I thought Lassiter was brilliant during the day, especially playing the run and being physical in tackling when the Texans needed it most. If you don't think this is important, I want you to go watch Mixon's game-ending run and watch the Jaguars CB who was the one who needed to engage and make the play…and he backed off. Lassiter never backed off and flew into the fray often to make tackles near the line of scrimmage throughout the game.
8) There's going to be a ton of conjecture, talk, whatever there might be about Azeez Al-Shaair's hit on Lawrence. As I thought through what I wanted to/should say about it this morning on radio, Azeez put out a statement that captured my exact thoughts. Check out his Twitter/X feed for that statement.
9) I love when Mixon said earlier this year that he just follows his guy Cade Stover in the run game in key situations and man, Joe is doing the right thing. The touchdown run in the third quarter. The 31-yard run on the play prior. The last run of the game. The rookie from Ohio State made key blocks all day long in those situations. Stover has really made his way as a blocker and then he made a tackle on special teams as well. His receiving game will continue to come along, but on Sunday, he was one of the most impressive players as a blocker.
10) This might be one of the funniest tweets/posts that I've ever seen from a Texan. TE Dalton Schultz. By the way, so GLAD to see him get in the end zone for the first time all season. Regardless, Schultz posted this after the game. I saw his post and LOL'd so hard that I had tears in my eyes.
11) Of course, Talladega Nights is one of my favorite movies, so Dalton "quoting" that movie, as I recall seeing him in the air, hurdling a Jaguar defender, just cracked me up.
12) Two huge field goals from K Kai'mi Fairbairn! Just seeing him get his confidence back on those kicks after the tough miss against Tennessee was great. He's been one of the most valuable Texans on this team this year with all of the 50-yard field goals he's knocked home.
Okay, it's time for the BYE week and I can honestly say that, like nearly everyone in this building, I'm dying for a BYE week. Then, it's four of the most intriguing games of the season; the first three games of that quartet take place within ten days! But that's for next week to discuss. Time to get some R&R…so to speak. See you soon, everyone, buckle up, this is going one hell of a finish to the 2024 season.
