I've had some good days at NRG Stadium and some tough ones down on the sideline.
Saturday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers was one of the two or three best days I've ever spent at NRG. Once the Texans found their mojo in the second quarter, it was over.
Here is my Big Play Breakdown from the 32-12 win over the Chargers.
2nd Quarter - Chargers ball
11:39 remaining
Chargers leading 6-0
1st and ten
+40-yard line
The Texans' offense had struggled through much of the first quarter and trailing 6-0, QB C.J. Stroud threw an interception that he would've loved to have back. Chargers CB Deane Leonard made a brilliant pick on the Texans sideline, giving Chargers QB Justin Herbert great field position and an opportunity to give the Chargers a 2-score lead. So the Chargers put 11 personnel on the field and went to put the dagger in…deep. Chargers WR Quentin Johnston lined up in a condensed split on the left side of the formation with two WR on the right of the formation. Herbert gave a play action fake and rolled to his right, but his plan was to throw back to Johnston who ran the same route that Dalton Schultz ran against the Browns in last year's Wild Card win. He started across the formation in the direction of Herbert, then broke it back to the opposite corner. Texans CB Kamari Lassiter, who was brilliant again on Saturday, matched Johnston step for step. Herbert then got enough pressure to keep him from planting his feet and launching. Instead, he threw without much power across the field. Bad move. Lassiter darted in front of Johnston, reached up and snatched the pass intended for Johnston, helping to turn the game around on that play.
2nd Quarter - Texans ball
2:24 remaining
Chargers still ahead 6-0
3rd and 16
-12-yard line
After the Chargers pinned the Texans back to the one-yard line, it didn't look good for the good guys. But three key plays happened before the BIGGEST play of the game.
- C.J. was able to throw the ball away from the end zone when he was in danger of being sacked for a safety
- C.J hit Nico Collins for a first down on third down to give the Texans some breathing room.
- C.J found John Metchie III for a first down on 2nd-and-7.
But a tripping penalty put the Texans WAY behind the chains, eventually landing on 3rd-and-16 from the 12-yard line. There are no plays for this situation, especially when the snap goes through the QB's hands. The Texans had three receivers out to the left side of the formation and Xavier Hutchinson was the middle receiver of the trips set. When the snap went through C.J.'s hands, he was able to corral the bouncing ball and amazingly beat OLB Tuli Tuipolotu around the corner. With three Chargers defenders chasing him, Stroud found just enough time to deliver the pass back across the field to Hutchinson, who saw Stroud scramble and went to an open area of turf. Two of those three Chargers defenders should've been in coverage in the middle of the field, but they left that area when Stroud took off running. The INSANELY CRAZY 34-yard gain kick started the offense into a gear it hadn't reached in weeks. That man Stroud put that CAPE on and became Superman for the rest of the game.
2nd Quarter - Same Drive - Texans ball
1:02 remaining
Chargers still ahead 6-0…for now
3rd and 11
+13-yard line
To complete the 99-yard drive with a touchdown was the goal, but the Texans bogged down once into the red zone. But, the Cape was still around the broad shoulders of Stroud. The Texans had 11 personnel on the field and initially aligned in a condensed 2x2 set - Nico and Metchie III to the left and two receivers to the right. I had been calling for Nico targets throughout the second quarter and OC Bobby Slowik obliged. Metchie III, who started on the left side then went in motion to the right side, leaving Nico alone to do his work on the left side. When Metchie III did go in motion, Chargers CB Tarheeb Still ran across the formation, which indicated man coverage. Nico, then, beat CB Kristian Fulton on the slant and C.J. ripped a fastball and put it right on Nico's numbers. Collins snatched the rock and ran into the end zone to give the Texans a 7-6 lead.
3rd Quarter - Chargers ball
10:57 remaining
Texans leading 10-6
3rd and two
+34-yard line
After Joe Mixon's fumble, the Chargers hit a big play to Ladd McConkey, combined with a face mask, to move the ball into Texans' territory. After two plays netted eight yards, the Chargers faced a 3rd and two. The Chargers had RB Gus Edwards who was notorious for hammering the Texans as a member of the Ravens. I knew they were giving him the ball, but it was just a matter of how and where. The Chargers ran inside zone to the left side and the Texans called a beautiful run blitz. When they did LB Henry To'o To'o dove into the A gap on the playside and LB Azeez Al-Shaair flowed over the top. Edwards THOUGHT he had a hole and Al-Shaair SLAMMED the door shut. Watching it back on TV, it didn't have quite the impact as it did live. I mean, Azeez hit the dog snot out of Edwards to set up a fourth down.
Ensuing play…4th-and-2.
The Chargers brought in FB Scott Matlock so I thought they might try to run for it, but it was a quick game pass. Johnston was the WR on the right side, tight to the line of scrimmage to give him plenty of room to work against All-Pro Sting, Derek Stingley Jr. Johnston drove hard inside and then back to the flat. Stingley recovered to the outbreaking route in a blink. When Herbert threw the ball to Johnston, he actually made one heck of a one handed catch, but Stingley was all over him and tackled him short of the first down. A dozen or so plays later, K Kai'mi Fairbairn knocked him a field goal to give the Texans a 13-6 lead.
3rd Quarter - Chargers ball
0:21 remaining
Texans leading 13-6
1st and ten
-28-yard line
Momentum was wearing deep steel blue at this point, but the Texans defense was ready to put this game away. The Chargers had 12 personnel in the game and put both TEs to the right side. McConkey went in motion to the left side to join Johnston. Herbert went back to throw and for some reason, he double-clutched. I don't know why. But, after re-cocking his arm, he eventually fired the ball at McConkey, who ran a hitch route against the Texans zone coverage. But, having to reset his throwing motion, Herbert delivered high and Texans S Eric Murray was in the perfect spot to make a play. The thing is that the ball got on him so quickly that he almost didn't grab it. But he eventually reeled it in and took off for the Chargers end zone. He made it into the end zone with the third pick six in the last two Wild Card games in Houston. E MURRAY! I just yelled it into Marc's ear as Murray sped down the sideline. That pick six set that crowd OFF and Murray's pick six gave the Texans a two touchdown lead with the fourth quarter left to play.
4th Quarter - Chargers Extra point
10:38 remaining
Texans leading 23-12
The Chargers had just improbably hit an 86-yard touchdown on 3rd and 26 and set up for the extra point. THIRD AND FREAKIN' 26?!?! Herbert threw a dime to the fastest guy on the field McConkey and it was about to be 23-13. A touchdown and a field goal and the game would be tied. However, on the extra point, Denico Autry, who had a sack earlier, was lined up in the A gaps between the guard and the center. He burst through and got his right arm up and blocked the kick. The ball bounced up high in the air and before it eventually fell back to earth, it fell into D'Angelo Ross's hands who then sped the distance of the field for a key two point score for the Texans. The two point score didn't erase the touchdown, but it gave the Texans a 25-12 lead, much different than what it should've/could've been 23-14.
4th Quarter - Texans ball
3:47 remaining
Texans ahead 25-12
4th and one
+12-yard line
After the Chargers score that cut the lead to 13, Marc threw it down to me. I noted how "time and a score" was much needed to put this away - burn clock AND score points. The offense listened. It marched down the field, picking up one 4th and one earlier in the drive, facing another one with just under four minutes left in the game. Head coach DeMeco Ryans decided to go for it again. The Texans put 12 personnel in the game. TE Irv Smith was aligned as the Y-TE on the left side. TE Dalton Schultz was in a nasty slot in a three pass catcher bunch set to the right side. He came in motion to Smith's side as Stroud went under center. Simple. Outside zone to the left with the Schultz escort motion. LG Tytus Howard and LT Laremy Tunsil caved in the left side and Smith and Schultz pinned defenders to the outside. RB Joe Mixon had a wide open running lane and easily picked up the first down, but he wasn't done. He pie-faced a Chargers linebacker at the nine yard line and had an open lane to the end zone. He raced in for the TOUCHDOWN! Mixon called GAME and put the capper on one heck of a playoff win at NRG Stadium
I'll remember this one for a damn long time!
