It was five long years since the Texans last played Sunday night football but the result was the same.
The Texans beat the Chicago Bears 19-13 1,750 days after beating the New England Patriots 28-22 on SNF in 2019.
Let's celebrate by diving into my Harris Hits.
1) I'm going to do something that most people would be shocked that I'd do…ever. Like most former and current football players, praise for kickers is typically grudgingly doled out but when your kicker is Kai'mi Fairbairn, it's time for high praise. Coach DeMeco Ryans said in his postgame press conference that "'Imi is the reason we have won these last two weeks." He made three 50-yard field goals for the second consecutive week and that's an NFL record. He tacked on a fourth field goal as well, and it was just one clutch field goal after another, one week after another. He was 2nd in the league in field goal percentage last year and he's been money, MONEY to start the 2024 season. He missed out on AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, but I've got to think that he's going to be earning those honors this week.
2) From field level, it was WILDLY impressive how ferocious this Texans defense was in all facets on Sunday night. The hitting? Wow. The pass rush? It never let Bears QB Caleb Williams breathe. The speed? So incredibly impressive.
3) On the second day of the legal tampering period back in March, just as Marc Vandermeer and I were hopping on the air for Texans All-Access, it was announced that the Texans signed free agent DE Danielle Hunter. I was sitting in studio when I heard/saw the news and nearly screamed. After he arrived back here in Houston, he sat in on radio with Marc and I and he said that he was in NRG Stadium for the Texans playoff game against the Browns. He then said that left an impact and last night against his former NFC North foe, Hunter went OFF, disrupting the Bears passing game all night. He used his litany of moves to get to Williams and then capitalized on a few beautifully schemed up stunts/blitzes to harass Williams. He started the game with a tremendous TFL, defeating the block of LT Braxton Jones, wrapping up Bears RB D'Andre Swift for the loss.
4) Hunter was not alone. One of the things that hit me back in March was what hit all Texans fans post Hunter signing - "Oh my, Danielle with Will?!?" Will Anderson Jr was just as disruptive on Sunday night. In fact, these two had nearly identical stat lines - 1.5 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QB hits. Hunter had one more tackle, but that's all that separated those two. The two shared a key sack on the Bears first drive of the game and then Anderson Jr. had his solo sack nearly ENVELOPING Williams from behind on third down in the first half. When J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney were both healthy in 2018, it was so incredibly fun to watch them wreck games one after the other. That's the vibe I get from Danielle and Will - it's just a matter of time before they do the same in any one game.
5) Every single time that Texans LB Henry To'oTo'o steps out on the field, he takes his game to a different level. He not only led the Texans with 13 tackles, but he tacked on a sack, a TFL and a QB hit. Not only that, but he played fast. Not only that, but he played FASTER than fast. He was around the ball all night long. He made a couple of solo tackles that just gave me chills. I remember talking to him during training camp and he just told me that he was ultra-focused on improving his game every single rep. He's done that in spades.
6) To'oTo'o was definitely not alone at the linebacker position. Azeez Al-Shaair was on fire as well next to Henry throughout the game. He orchestrated the defense all night. He was effective blitzing QB Caleb Williams throughout the game. I loved how the Texans defensive staff schemed up blitzes with Azeez to ensure Danielle and Will got 1-on-1 matchups on passing downs. But mostly it was the fire that Azeez played with all game long, yeah, you saw what I'm talking about on the Bears sideline. As the defensive CPU, Al-Shaair is going to make sure that the defense is on-point and he lined up everyone and played the right call every single time. Last night, he had that defense whipped into an absolutely ferocious frenzy.
7) Nico Collins is a DUDE, pure and simple. One week after six remarkable catches for 117 yards at Indianapolis, he put together another outstanding performance against Chicago. He finished with eight catches for 135 and one hilarious He-Man touchdown (credit to Marc for that one). One play after he was flagged for a personal foul down in the red zone, he went into Nico-mode after catching an in route from C.J. Stroud. He hit Bears CB Jaylon Johnson at the 2 or 3-yard line and just rammed him five yards deep in the end zone. He then tossed Johnson off of him and I half expected him to turn green with his muscles breaking through his Liberty White jersey like the Hulk. He's been incredible to start this season and I loved seeing him get the SNF Game Ball, as he noted, the first of his career.
8) Jalen Pitre's performance might have been the best one I've seen him have in his career, my goodness. He FLEW around the field all night long. He dropped the hammer a couple of times, LOUDLY. The one on D'Andre Swift? My gosh. I was standing 10 to 15 yards away on a swing pass and I FELT that hit! He's tackling like never before. 10 stops and one TFL. But he also combined with Derek Stingley on a key 3rd-and-1, locking up the Bears receivers, which led to a Will Anderson Jr. sack. Pitre has played some outstanding football this year and is evolving into one of the better young players at the nickel spot in the league.
9) Oh yeah, let me finish with this thought…QB C.J. Stroud is just such a joy to have here in Houston. He threw for 260 yards and a tuddy and made three or four throws that I'm convinced that only he could make. Thing is, it could've been more, much more. For example, he threw a beautiful deep ball to WR Tank Dell down the field that would've been a TD had Tank not stumbled. Either way, Stroud was magnificent when the run game wasn't quite clicking as it did in Indianapolis. Stroud represents and loves our city as much, and as thoroughly, as any Houston professional athlete and that makes me cheer for him that much more.
It was a late night to say the least, so I'm going to cut it right here; I'll watch the film in the morning…wait, it IS morning. Either way, what a night and what a performance for your Texans. It's now on to Minnesota to do something the Texans have NEVER done - beat the Vikings.
8) Sprint Left Option for the win! Good day getting the big three receivers involved, but again, the Colts couldn't stop Nico Collins. In the last three games against the Colts, two of them in Lucas Oil Stadium
Week 2, 2023 - 7 for 146 yards and a TD
Week 18, 2023 - 9 for 195 yards and a TD
Week 1, 2024 - 6 for 117 yards
Three consecutive games against the Colts, three 100-yard performances. In total, 22 catches for 458 yards and two TDs. Just incredible. Then, there's the catch on 3rd-and-11 on the final drive. Are you kidding me? He and C.J. Stroud have been in sync throughout training camp and that's exactly what that completion was all about. I was thinking exactly like some Texans fans - Nico is becoming the T.Y. Hilton to the Colts as T.Y. was to us forever.
9) Oh, okay, let me get to this. The Colts have a ceremonial anvil hammer person to start every game. So, the Colts brought Hilton in on Sunday to do it. He hit the anvil once, twice, three times or so and then started raising his arms to the crowd. Then, he turned around…AND PUT ON THE FREAKIN' CLOWN MASK. Then, the Texans clowned the Colts, for the most part.
10) Throughout this offseason, I had so many people ask me about the defensive interior. Some of the ardent fans started getting mad at me, like I MADE the decisions. "YOU DIDN'T DO ENOUGH, JOHN!" I mean, seriously, that's the way plenty of fans talked to me about it. But, as training camp progressed, I kept seeing Folorunso Fatukasi and Mario Edwards Jr. making one play after the other. As much as I tried to tell people not to panic, that this IDL group was better than they expected, I just got pushback everywhere. Okay, what now? Sure, it's one game, but both sacks came courtesy of those two interior dudes. They each had a TFL. They each had a sack. They each had a QB hurry, the only two on the day. Look, it may not be perfect, but do you now believe what it can be?
11) How good was #7 on Sunday? The throwback to Nico across the field on third down in the third quarter. The throw to Nico on 3rd down late in the fourth quarter. Dots and dimes all day. How about the throw to Brevin Jordan from Stroud's knees in the first quarter. He was under pressure throughout the first half with three sacks, but took just one in the second half. Even under that pressure, he just kept making clutch throw after clutch throw. Just ridiculous and we are so lucky to have that man playing QB and leading this team.
12) Speaking of clutch, how about Kai'mi Fairbairn? Not one, not two, but three 50+ yard field goals in the opener. MASSIVELY CLUTCH! ESPN superstar Adam Schefter tweeted/posted later in the day that Fairbairn and Rice University alum Chris Boswell were the first two kickers in NFL history to hit THREE 50-yard field goals in a regular season opening game. Also, Schefter noted that it was the first time that multiple kickers converted three 50-yard field goals in the same week. History, baby! And, it could've been FOUR for Kai'mi had the end of the half not gotten so wonky.
Okay, that's going to do it for the Harris Hits from the first glance at this game. I'll go back over the game tape and have more thoughts on All-Access radio this week too. See ya then, everyone!
