Texans clearly just aren’t there — yet.
Let’s just get it out there. We are all guilty.
After last year’s dramatic seven-win turnaround, we thought the Texans were poised to skip some steps in the rebuilding process. Two years removed from a disastrous three-win season, so many of us were sure the Texans were ready to contend with Baltimore, Buffalo, and the reigning world champion Kansas City for AFC supremacy and yes, a legit shot at the Super Bowl.
After Sunday night’s 26-23 meltdown against the Detroit Lions, we now see that those lofty expectations were a bit premature. But we weren’t wrong to believe.
Let’s get this straight: These Texans are good. They will win the pedestrian AFC South and they will make the playoffs.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. Credit: AP
DeMeco Ryans is still one of the brightest football minds in this game. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is still on the verge of greatness.
But last year’s AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year ain’t there yet. Stroud, for all of his brilliance and beyond his age maturity is still learning.
He is still figuring out how to place and when to drill it into the endzone rather than lofting, as we saw in the two passes thrown in the direction of Tank Dell in the third quarter, which were intercepted both times by cornerback Carlton Davis.
The Texans desperately needed points in the second half and Stroud and the offense couldn’t deliver as the Lions scored 19 unanswered points in that span to come away from NRG Stadium with a three-point. During the first half, the Texans looked on the verge of beating one of the NFL’s best teams this season with Stroud completing 14 of 20 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown that led to shortlived a 23-7 halftime advantage.
“It’s not good enough turning the ball over in the red zone of coming out,” said Ryans, who has been cautious not to be overly critical of his young quarterback. “We talk about coming out and getting started in the second half, we talked about being better in the second half but to come out and turn the ball over on the first play of the second half and then to get into the red zone where we have points and to turn the ball over is not winning football.”
Quarterback C.J. Stroud had a rough second half. Credit: AP
The Texans’ lack of second-half offensive production has become a consistent theme, and they must solve it. They haven’t scored a touchdown in the second half since the win over New England on Oct. 13.
“It seems like it’s different every week,” Stroud said to the Defender. “I feel like this game was on me definitely. You’ve got to make the play, you’ve got to make throws, and can’t turn the ball over when in scoring position.
“I blame this one on me. I’ve got to be better.”
Injured Nico Collins was cleared last week to return to practice but did not play Sunday. Credit: AP
Sunday was a game in which the Texans have and should have won, especially with the defense intercepting Jared Goff five times.
But the Texans will be fine once Nico Collins and Will Anderson are cleared to return to action. With a big Monday Night Football game coming up next week against the troubled Dallas Cowboys, the Texans just need not overreact by taking away offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s play-calling, as was suggested Sunday night.
The Texans just need to be better.
