There are losses...and then there are LOSSES.
Sunday night's loss to one of the best teams in the league falls in the latter category for sure. These Harris Hits might be more therapeutic than anything else, so let's dive into one of the more memorable nights I can remember at NRG Stadium.
Keep in mind, memorable doesn't always have to be a win and in this case, it was not as the 8-1 Detroit Lions roared back from down 23-7 to win the game on a last-second Jake Bates' kick, 26-23. The atmosphere was unbelievable in the Stadium and I'll never forget hearing and seeing the Lions and their fans celebrate this win. All night, and into early Monday morning as I write, I read something that resembled "that win can define a season." Well, a loss can do it too. The Texans have to let this loss fuel a bounceback over the next three weeks before the much-needed bye in week 14.
1) What keeps running through my mind is that the Texans first half performance WITHOUT Nico Collins, Will Anderson, Mario Edwards Jr and others was as precise and dominating as any moment in the last, what, decade or more? DOMINATING. Then the second half started with a C.J. Stroud interception and the collective vibe went from "we're taking this one" to "oh no, I know how this goes and I don't like it." Yet, Kamari Lassiter intercepted Jared Goff on the next series to maintain the 16-point halftime lead. That produced a swing of emotions that ran like that all night long.
2) The second half offensive struggles are equal parts mystifying and frustrating and Sunday night was probably the most of either adjective. Two interceptions, a missed field goal and four punts - no points, ten days after kicking just two field goals against the New York Jets. The Texans haven't scored a 2nd half touchdown since their trip to New England. The last four weeks have gone as such.
One field goal at Green Bay - lost on last second kick
Two field goals v. Indy - won, holding off late game Colts efforts
Two field goals at New York - lost 21-13
No points v. Lions - lost 23-20
3) The Texans haven't completely owned first halves, but juxtaposed against their second halves, wow.
19 first half points at Green Bay
17 first half points v. Indy
7 first half points at New York (0 for Jets)
23 first half points v. Detroit
Mystifying.
4) The Texans intercepted the hottest QB in the NFL FIVE times. Sure, one was on a Hail Mary at the end of the half. In fact, Kamari Lassiter intercepted two consecutive Jared Goff passes - the Hail Mary and Goff's first throw of the second half. The Texans missed the rookie badly as he suffered a concussion later in the quarter when he collided with Jimmie Ward.
5) The first pick went in the interception column in Ward's name and, trust me, that was one heck of a catch. But the play was made by Jalen Pitre. Here's how I described it in my Big Play Breakdown.
1st Quarter
No Score - Lions ball
13:01 remaining
2nd and 11
-41-yard line
The Lions put 12 personnel on the field with TE Sam LaPorta to the right side of the formation with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. RB Jahmyr Gibbs motioned to the right behind those two and Lions QB Jared Goff took a quick step after a shotgun snap and eyed that three receiver side, mainly Gibbs. The Texans brought pressure, but nickel Jalen Pitre peeled off as he saw Goff cock his arm to throw to Gibbs out in the flat. Pitre tipped the ball HIGH in the air and S Jimmie Ward flew in and picked off the pass on the Lions first series of the game. 1st of FIVE interceptions that the Texans had on the night.
6) Pitre was a menace throughout the game. He did an excellent job as a run defender throughout the game, setting the edge in the perimeter run game. When he knows, and goes, it's WOW and he saw a lot of that game happening before it happened.
7) It's weird to look at the box score and see no sacks for the Texans, because the pressure was relentless on Goff for much of the night. Danielle Hunter was credited with just one QB hurry, but his pressure rate was extraordinary. He flew around the field throughout the game and it was one of the most impressive performances I've seen from an edge guy that didn't get credit for any sacks.
8) Denico Autry was the same way. He got after it on Sunday night! He was the one who got his hands on Goff in the first half, forcing the ball out of Goff's hands into the waiting arms of fellow DL Tommy To….I mean, LB Henry To'oTo'o. Without DL Tommy Togiai trying to catch it and the Lions knocking it out of his hands, To'oTo'o would probably have had no chance to make a play on it for one of Goff's interceptions.
9) Goff finished the game 15 for 30, which is 50% (I know you knew that math, but it's late, so I wanted to make sure). To show you how much of an anomaly that was and how GOOD this defense really was on Sunday night…here are Goff's numbers the past five weeks
Week 5 - v. Seattle MNF - 18 of 18 (100%), no INT
Week 6 - @ Dallas - 18 of 25 (72%), no INT
Week 7 - @ Minnesota - 22 of 25 (88%), no INT
Week 8 - v. Tennessee - 12 of 15 (80.0%), no INT
Week 9 - @ Green Bay - 18 of 22 (81.8%), no INT
Week 10 - @ Houston - 15 of 30 (50.0%), FIVE INT
10) The Texans defense didn't deserve to lose that game. Period. AND it played the entire game without starters Will Anderson Jr, Mario Edwards Jr (who could return this week after a 4-game suspension), Foley Fatukasi for a half, and Lassiter for a half. This unit just needed one score from its offense in the second half. One and we're all celebrating a win over the thought-to-be best team in the NFL.
11) I can't even put into words how valuable it was to have LB Azeez Al-Shaair on the field again for this squad. Throw in another gritty performance by To'oTo' and outstanding flashes of speed and violence from Devin White and this linebacker position is about as good as I can remember in my time on the sideline. When the Texans went to a three LB alignment, man, it was a true SWARM. The Lions ran outside zone in the second half and White was on the backside of the play. But he saw a lane to Gibbs and took off like a shot and BOOM landed a big hit for a 1-yard gain.
12) I'm not sure that I've seen Lions RB David Montgomery STONED in a hole 1-on-1 in his career, but Azeez did that on a Montgomery run in the first half. I mean, when I say stoned, he ended Montgomery's run at the point of contact. I remember thinking how much I would use the video of that play to teach my linebackers if I still coached. That was TEACHING TAPE good.
13) What a game for John Metchie! BIG play after BIG play, including his first TD as a Texan was just magical stuff, especially with his former Alabama WR teammate Jameson Williams on the other sideline. Metchie made huge catches against the Colts in the win two weeks ago and on Sunday night, he was massive. The drive before the half? First play: Metchie reception for nine yards. Second play: 25-yard catch-and-run. Sixth play of 6-play drive: Metchie 15-yard TD reception. Huge. He had the 16-yard catch and run on 3rd-and-16 on the Texans first drive of the game as well.
14) The Texans radio broadcast team is definitely in the "throw to Joe Mixon" camp and the screen in the first quarter was a big reason why. He ran 25 times against some stout boxes and it felt like he was hitting a Honolulu blue wall every time he ran. But when he caught the ball out in space, he was, well, out in space, running like Bobby Boucher from the Waterboy down to the 3-yard line. Unfortunately, a penalty on the next play sent the Texans backwards, instead of into the end zone for six points. Either way, I like seeing Joe get touches in all kinds of ways, but in the pass game when the holes aren't as plentiful in the run game? Even more so.
15) Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter with a combined seven interceptions as rookies? That's ridiculously good and the future's SO bright.
16) I loved seeing practice squad call-up Tommy Togiai battle in a game for the first time since January 2023. He's not the biggest guy by any means, but he got after it up front for the Texans.
Alright, it's tough to keep writing about this game because it was one play here, one play there that could've been the difference. Shoot, Jake Bates' tying AND game winning field goals scraped each of the damn uprights. Two inches either way on either kick? Who knows what we're talking about in the aftermath of this one? Didn't happen on this night, though, so time to pick ourselves up and get ready for that team up north. Time to rock and get right again!
