Marc Vandermeer is exhaling along with the rest of us as the Texans finally hit the long-awaited bye week. It wasn't easy getting the win in Jacksonville, but it sets up an exciting sprint to the finish after a breather.

The loss to the Titans was like making Thanksgiving dinner and overcooking the Turkey - It didn't go down easy but you have to take it, move on and make a better meal next time.

Monday night, the Texans took the drama right out of the script by holding the Cowboys scoreless after the break. This was the second half they'd been looking for. 

The Texans can't dwell. And they certainly need to correct their mistakes. But the really important games, the ones that will ultimately define 2024, have yet to be played.

Thursday's loss to the Jets meant the Texans moved across the halfway point of the season with a 6-3 record, still leading the division with all sorts of wonderful possibilities ahead of them.But record and standings aside, they know they need to flat-out play better to get to where they want to go.

Fans certainly get their money's worth at Texans home games. Houston is undefeated at NRG stadium and all the games have gone down to the wire.

Now we get back into the AFC South. The Colts have manufactured their way into a 4-3 record. Anthony Richardson is back. Sole possession of first place is on the line.

The Texans got their first-ever win in Gillette Stadium on Sunday, and Marc Vandermeer pulled some key storylines out of a strong performance.

So many Texans stepped up big against the Bills, but with the clock running down, it was Ka'imi Fairbairn who finished things off as time expired.

All week long, on Texans All Access, John Harris and I have been telling you that this one was likely going down to the wire. Yes, the Texans made life harder than it had to be, but this is the NFL, where nothing seems to ever come easy.

A look around the league puts things in perspective after a tough loss. The NFL is truly a week-to-week thing. This outing must be analyzed, improved upon and forgotten as an all-important AFC South showdown awaits.

Ka'imi Fairbairn has connected on seven out of seven field goal tries, including six from 50 yards or beyond. He's the first kicker in NFL history to have five or more field goals from 50+ in the first two games.