Texans are a terrible 2nd half team in 2021

Week 12 saw the Houston Texans revert back to what we’ve watched all season long, and that was being a slow starting team, gaining a little bit of momentum, then disappearing in the second half. That’s why the Texans lost to the New York Jets, 21-14 and fell to a 2-9 overall record.

Last Sunday it looked like the Texans could take a step forward this season and actually win consecutive games after defeating the Tennessee Titans in an upset win. That wasn’t the case at all on Sunday afternoon, because one excellent quarter doesn’t cut it in the NFL, which leads to the Texans allowing the Jets to win their third game of the season.

The Jets are known for their fans spelling out their name during games … J-E-T-S … Jets, Jets, Jets. Well, there are probabaly a few words Texans fans could spell about their team following the ninth loss of the season, but we’ll move on.

On Sunday, the Texans allowed the Jets to score some sort of points in each quarter, and even though the points in each quarter didn’t surpass eight points, the issue was Houston had their own problems with scoring points.

The Texans were held scoreless in the first, third and fourth quarters. That is kind of a pattern for the ’21 season, and even though it is a rebuild season, the numbers are just plain awful when it comes to the Texans and how they play in the second half of games.

For preparation for what’s next, the Texans in the second half of games this season have been outscored, 156-62.

Texans: Third-quarter scoring is 41 points total in 11 games played

Through the first 11 games played by the Texans in 12 weeks of the NFL season, the Texans are not only 2-9 overall in the standings, but when it comes to scoring points in the second half, they’ve totaled only 41 points. Take away the 22-point fourth frame against the Los Angeles Rams where they showed mercy, and that total is only 19 points against the rest of their opponents.

In their two wins, the Texans were outscored in the final two quarters, 13-10 against the Titans in what was a 22-13 Week 11 win, and in the Week 1 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars it was the Jags who won the second half at 14-10 in a 37-21 Texans victory.

Other than outscoring the Rams 22-14 in the second half, the only other second half won by Houston was against the Miami Dolphins by a 3-0 score.

Looking closer in the third quarter this season, that’s where the Texans are losing games because it seems they aren’t making adjustments, while their opponents are making the proper adjustments to their game plans and handing the Texans loss after loss this season.

In third quarters this season, Houston has been outscored 81-21, and in the fourth frame the differential is 79-41. Houston has been held scoreless in the third quarter eight times in 11 games, and scoreless in the fourth quarter five times, including this past Sunday against the Jets.

It is understandable this is a franchise that is rebuilding, and at times the first two quarters of games are fun to watch – including the Texans QB Tyrod Taylor throws 40-yard TD to Brandin Cooks 40-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to Brandin Cooks – but playing so poorly in the second half starts off with the adjustments to the opponent by David Culley, Tim Kelley, Lovie Smith and the rest of the coaching staff of Houston.

The same story is being written every week by Houston in the second half, and this can’t continue if the franchise wants to take a step or two forward in this rebuild anytime soon.

This type of play will land the Texans a Top 5 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft next spring, but making their fan base watch such poor play in the second half of games (and not that great of play in the first half of those same games) isn’t helping matters by any means.

One day things will eventually be better, and such terrible play in the second half will be a distant memory, but right now it is unacceptable for an NFL franchise to play so poorly coming out of the locker room after halftime, and they have six games left to at least try to be competitive in the second half.

If not, Houston might not win another game, and if that happens that’s expected, but what isn’t expected is not looking like or playing like they are prepared for the final two quarters of games this season.