I can unequivocally tell you that was one of the worst Sundays I've spent on the road on the sideline for a Texans game.
I can pretty much recite them, chapter and verse.
2015 Atlanta
2015 Miami
2023 Jets
2024 Vikings
There might have been a few games in between those four that I'm forgetting. But when I think about miserable afternoons from beginning to end, those first three always come to mind. Add Sunday's loss to the Vikings in that group.
There's a chance that the Texans COULD go back up there in 2026, if both teams finish in the same spot in their respective division. But, outside of that, the Texans won't have a chance to beat Minnesota in Minneapolis until 2032. Saying that out loud is depressing, considering how old I'll be at that point, but perhaps not as much so as the way things went down on Sunday. Let's dive into some Harris Hits, gory though they may be.
-Things started off about as awfully as possible. Not only was there a holding call on the first play, it happened against a former Texan. Not only was there an interception on the second play, the first actual play, it was intercepted by a former Texan. The Vikings did plenty yesterday and former Texans stung the current Texans hard. Here's the thing, though: Kamu Grugier-Hill was out of position on the interception and QB C.J. Stroud saw that. He had Tank Dell wide acre open with plenty of running room up the field because Kamu had chased the same receiver as the other linebacker on the other side of the formation. But, DT Harrison Phillips deflected Stroud's pass nearly at a 90 degree angle, right into Kamu's hands.
It wasn't all over at that point, but looking back at the game, perhaps it was.
-Before the game, The Voice of the Vikings Paul Allen and I had a chance to catch up and he immediately said "Hey, look out for a Cam Akers halfback pass". He was thinking right along with me because I remembered Cam throwing for a million yards in high school. He was right, but he had the wrong former Viking. Stefon Diggs plays catch with the fans each week and it's clear that he can zip the football. So, I wasn't totally surprised that he was the one throwing the throwback screen to Dare Ogunbowale for a key first down in the second quarter. Unfortunately, it was wasted due to penalties on the offense after that, but loved seeing OC Bobby Slowik get creative at a key time in the game when the Texans offense needed a jolt.
-I will always love seeing Stroud throw such a beautiful parabolic rainbow to Nico Collins as he did in the third quarter. Just dadgum majestic. That was as pretty a play as the Texans ran all day on Sunday.
-I spoke with DT Tim Settle after the game, following his 2-sack performance, as our player of the game. It was great to see the former Virginia Tech Hokie pick up the two sacks and I did think the defensive line played physically. In my opinion, that unit held up against the Vikings run game rather well…until they were on the field just too much in the second half. But, that unit got pressure on Vikings QB Sam Darnold and registered four sacks.
Well, there's not much more to discuss for this one as my eyes slowly shut early Monday morning. The team will watch the film, but I think I'm going to flush it and get ready for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. BIG one at NRG coming up. See ya then, everyone!
