Houston Texans: Week 1 by the numbers sees three interceptions

There were some Houston Texans stats and numbers that stood out following their Week 1 win.

Here is the deal with the 2021 Houston Texans, and that deal is nobody really knows what this team will bring week to week. Did the Texans play so well because of their opponent? Are the Texans much better than many think they are?

No matter how anyone looks at things, the Houston Texans are 1-0, and they had some numbers that stood out, and the first number that leaps off the page is three. The No. 3 is the first number mentioned because on Sunday the Texans had three interceptions in a single game. In ’20, the Texans defense totaled three interceptions for the entire season.

Don’t forget the Houston Texans traded four cornerbacks before the season opener this preseason, so seeing the defense intercept Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence – who was making his NFL debut as the No. 1 overall pick – was exciting, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Gaining interceptions for the Houston Texans were Justin Reid, Vernon Hargreaves III, and Christian Kirksey on Sunday, totaling 40 yards in their returns combined.

As fun as seeing that many interceptions in a single game by the Texans, there were more numbers from this game which need a closer look as well.

Houston Texans: More numbers to count in the win over the Jaguars

1 – This is the number of sacks by the Houston Texans defense, which came from linebacker Whitney Mercilus. This was the first sack by the linebacker since Nov. 26 of last season. In ’20, Mercilus totaled four sacks, as this was his 55th career sack.

2 – Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor finished with two touchdown passes to go with his 21-of-33 day, where he passed for 291 yards with no interceptions in his Texans regular-season debut.

8 – Desmond King II led Houston with eight total tackles, including five solo tackles.

13 – This is the number of points scored by kicker Joey Syle, as he was 4-for-4 on extra points and 3-for-3 in field goal opportunities. Syle is the backup kicker as Ka’imi Fairbairn is injured.

14 – Houston scored 14 points in the first quarter, which was a stark difference compared to last year.

23.5 – Andre Roberts, who was signed this offseason, averaged 23.5 yards per kickoff return. He totaled 47 yards on two returns, with his top return being 24 yards.

26 – The 37-21 win by the Texans was their 26th win in history against the Jaguars. Houston has won the past seven meetings.

120 – The trio of Texans running backs on 37 carries combined for 120 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Mark Ingram II led the Texans with 26 carries for 85 yards and one touchdown, though he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Phillip Lindsay collected 25 yards on eight carries with one touchdown, while David Johnson totaled three carries for 10 yards.

132 – Brandin Cooks finished with his 132 yards receiving off passes from Taylor, averaging 26.4 yards per reception. Cooks’ longest reception was 52 yards, which help set up a touchdown, and he was targeted seven times.

This was a great game for the Texans, though it would be nice to see more from the running backs in terms of total rushing yardage. Next the Texans will face the Cleveland Browns, which will be a much tougher challenge than facing the Jaguars.