The Houston Texans (4-5) rallied late to overcome a 29-10 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) 36-29, splitting the season series 1-1.
The win showed that despite the holes the team digs itself into, it can overcome them. This was a game where nothing was going right until the fourth quarter, but they never gave up, scoring 26 unanswered points to close out the game, providing the fan base a new lease on the remainder of the season.
Texans’ Defense Bended But Didn’t Break
Even though the Jaguars scored 29 points, the Texans’ defense remains the top defense in total yards allowed (261.3) and points per game (16.7). The Jags still did not have a great run game, as Travis Etienne only had 58 yards (two more than he had in the first matchup), and Trevor Lawrence added 35 rushing yards.
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The defense handled Lawrence better in this matchup, holding him to 158 passing yards — down from his 222 passing yards in the first matchup — a touchdown, and an interception on 13-of-23 passing attempts.
The pass rushers made Lawrence miserable all day, pressuring him 27 times and sacking him six times, including the fumble forced by Will Anderson Jr. that Sheldon Rankins ran in to secure the win. No matter how bleak the season has looked, the defense has kept the Texans in every game they’ve played.
Money Mills and the Offense Delivered
Despite the first drive interception and being down the majority of the game, the Texans offense delivered a performance everyone has hoped for: a comeback when everything was going wrong.
With C.J. Stroud missing the game with a concussion, backup Davis Mills stepped in and stepped up, throwing for 292 yards, two touchdown on 27-of-45 passing. He also had 20 rushing yards on three carries, including the go-ahead rushing touchdown that put the Texans up 30-29.
In the biggest moment in his career since the Indianapolis game in 2022 that landed the team the pick that became Stroud, Mills showed why he was extended and retained even after drafting Graham Mertz.
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Nico Collins had a throwback game with 136 yards on seven receptions, adding on with Dalton Schultz and Jayden Higgins who went for 53 and 42 yards and a touchdown each. The offense moved well enough, and ramped it up in the fourth quarter.
Woody Marks continued to show why he needs to be the focal point of the rushing game, as he had 63 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and 18 receiving yards. When he is on the field, it gives the offense more opportunities to be dynamic.
The offensive line held up well in Stroud’s absence, only giving up two sacks on Mills. When Stroud returns, they need to do the same thing.
Why This Mattered?
The Texans entered Sunday’s game 3-5 and still mathematically in the playoff race. Had they lost that game, the chances of coming back to make the wild card would have been nearly impossible from a 3-6 record.
Now they move to 4-5 and are given a grand opportunity against Tennessee to get to .500 and control their playoff destiny.
The team needs to carry this momentum as their next four games are the Titans, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and the division leading Indianapolis Colts. If the Texans want to reach the postseason for the third straight season, they need to take care of business on Sunday.
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