Houston Texans: Week 3 grades following loss to Panthers
By Mitch Hill
Week 3 for the Houston Texans was a game of “what could have been.”
The lack of personnel that both teams finished Thursday’s primetime matchup with was the determining factor in the outcome and final score of the 24-9 loss for the Texans.
The Houston Texans had a total lack of offensive production with Davis Mills at quarterback, and the defense wasn’t able to contain the Panthers offensive attack until Christian McCaffrey sustained a hamstring injury in the contest.
What seemed like it was a game that would come down to the last possessions ultimately was on which team would bend and not break, but the Houston Texans broke on both sides of the ball. Their offense was stalling late in drives and unable to capitalize, and the defense was not able to make timely stops to give the Texans offense a chance to make the game even.
OFFENSE (C)
Fans that watched the game saw how much the dynamic of the Houston Texans offense changed when Davis Mills was under center rather than Tyrod Taylor. The pace seemed slow and there was a definite lack of confidence in the player’s ability to make plays on the field.
Davis Mills did not come out of his comfort zone in this matchup. The rookie quarterback threw the ball for 168 yards and one touchdown. With only throwing 28 passing attempts with 19 completions, it was clear that the coaches had a game plan of keeping Mills away from any chance of throwing an interception.
Brandin Cooks did his thing as he always seems to do. He is quickly becoming the quarterback’s favorite target with his nine receptions for 112 yards in Thursday’s contest.
What hurt the Houston Texans was their lack of running production. With a loaded running back room, it is expected and needed that this team gets consistent production from their running backs. Mark Ingram was only able to run for 21 yards on six attempts. As a whole, the Texans only produced 42 yards rushing.
If the Texans want any consistent success and any chance of developing their young quarterback, they will need better production from the run game as well as the willingness to take chances down the field.