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.
DEFENSE (C)
The Texans defense did well enough overall to give them a chance to win this game. Where the defense was at fault was after the Christian McCaffrey injury. They did not capitalize on the absence of the Pro Bowl running back and allowed the Panthers to continue running the ball late in the fourth quarter.
The secondary unit for the Houston Texans defense was exploited throughout the game, allowing Sam Darnold to throw for 304 total yards. For the first time this season, the Houston Texans defense was unable to produce a turnover.
Once the injury to the Panthers running back happened, it looked as if the defense had some swagger. After some key stops in the third quarter, it seemed that the defense ran out of gas and was unable to make the timely stops the Texans needed to make a comeback in the primetime matchup this past Thursday.
SPECIAL TEAMS (D)
Once again the special teams unit for Houston Texans let them down. It starts with the kicking game. Obviously, Joey Slye is not the answer, and Texans fans can only hope that Kai’imi Fairbairn heals quicker than expected.
He missed an extra point in the second quarter which kept the game at an eight-point deficit for the Texans throughout much of the contest.
On the one punt return for Andre Roberts, the Texans were unable to gain positive yards from the opportunity and failed to capitalize on the return that presented itself.
If the Texans are to gain any consistent momentum in their games, their special teams unit will have to perform better throughout their matchups. It is disappointing to see the lack of production from the special teams unit be a deciding factor in their contests.
COACHING STAFF (C)
Head Coach David Culley laid out a solid game plan for the Houston Texans in their primetime matchup. What became the deciding factor was the inability of the offensive and defensive coordinators to adapt to the situations in the game and trust their personnel to make plays on the field.
Lovie Smith was unable to capitalize on the McCaffrey injury and produce consistent pressure for the Panthers offense. This also was the first game this season that the Texans were unable to produce a turnover. That is a direct impact on the lack of pressure that was produced by the defensive unit for the Texans.
Tim Kelly’s offensive unit seemed slow and unwilling to make big plays down the field. With a rookie quarterback behind center, it is understandable to get him into a rhythm by throwing short passes to help him gain confidence.
Where the offense failed was down the stretch. The inability to get creative in the fourth quarter was ultimately the deciding factor in this game. The fact that the Houston Texans could only muster up nine points against the Panthers is a troubling statistic.
The run game was non-existent and with the lack of confidence in Davis Mills to make plays down the field, it is easy to wonder if this offense can be potent without Tyrod Taylor as the quarterback.