Houston Texans finish 1-7 at home in 2013

Dec 22, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) spikes the ball after Denver Broncos defensive end Shaun Phillips (90) sacks him during the second half at Reliant Stadium. The Broncos won 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

Following their 37-13 loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday, the Houston Texans wrapped up their home schedule with a disappointing 1-7 record, with the lone win at Reliant Stadium coming in Week 2.

Houston ended their home slate with the loss to the Broncos, but their first home game of the season came in the home opener during Week 2, a game where they defeated the Tennessee Titans by a 30-24 score in overtime.

The win in September put them at 2-0 overall and things were looking positive for the 2011 and 2012 AFC South Champions.

Since then though, sigh, nothing at all has went right at home (or on the road) with the Texans losing 13 straight games, including their final seven home games of the season.

Home results for the Texans this season included:

• vs. Titans (W, 30-24, OT)
• vs. Seahawks (L, 23-20, OT)
• vs. Rams (L, 38-13)
• vs. Colts (L, 27-24)
• vs. Raiders (L, 28-23)
• vs. Jaguars (L, 13-6)
• vs. Patriots (L, 34-31)
• vs. Broncos (L, 37-13)

So what exactly went wrong for a team that saw their stadium progressively get emptier and emptier as the season continued, no matter what was announced as the paid attendance?

Of their seven home losses this season, the Texans lost five of those games by seven points or less, including three games by three points each. Add up all their home losses it is a -64 point differential, but add up those five losses by a touchdown or less and it equals 21 points.

What could have been.

Is it safe to say all the little things added up to those seven loses, especially those ones by a touchdown or less? (Not to mention a lot of Matt Schaub interceptions didn’t help matters.)

The team scored 160 points at home, but allowed 224 points with two of their losses coming by scores of 38 points allowed and 37 points allowed. In each of those two games the Texans scored 13 points.

In a span of three consecutive weeks the teams lost three homes games to the Raiders, Jaguars and Patriots by a combined score of 75-60.

So whomever said “home sweet home” didn’t have the ’13 Texans in mind, but the road has been just as unwelcoming.

Maybe next year can be “home is where the heart is” for the Texans … maybe.