The Houston Texans didn’t earn the win, but it wasn’t a loss either, as many things were learned about the team in Week 1 when they tied with the Indianapolis Colts.
Of course nobody wants to tie with their opponent, especially in the NFL, but as the final seconds ticked away in Week 1 at NRG Stadium the Houston Texans had no choice, and when facing the Colts, it is better than a loss.
The 20-20 score could come into play later down the line whether it be for playoff positioning for either team, or when a team lands in the 2023 draft order, the best we can say is a tie is better than a loss.
Houston had 13 losses in 2021, and in 2022 after one game the improvement was shown, but there were things that were also a bit worrisome too, including losing a 20-3 lead in the final quarter.
There is so much to take away from the season opener as the Texans coaches and players work to become a solid unit in all aspects of the game, and here are three lessons learned from the Week 1 tie with the the Colts.
3. Team needs to play strong for a complete game
Maybe the Texans’ defense was worn down by all the yardage and hits given by the rushing game of the Colts with Jonathan Taylor finishing the season opener with 31 carries for 161 yards and one touchdown. Taylor averaged 5.2 yards per rush against Houston, and to have the 227-pound Taylor and his offensive line bash into the defense 31 times will wear on any team.
Even with Houston having 11 passes defensed, it is still tough to see a team lose a 17-point lead in the final 15 minutes. The offense of the Texans didn’t help the defense in the fourth quarter either, as turnovers proved to be costly too.
There was a defensive stop in the first quarter in the Red Zone where Jonathan Greenard made the huge stop for the turnover on downs that needs praised. Those types of plays early in games will be the difference in wins and losses, and that was the case in the season opener.
Also, don’t forget about the big second-quarter interception by Jerry Hughes off a Matt Ryan pass. That was one of the most exciting plays of the game and showed the defense can be much better than last year.
This was a lesson learned because now this young Texans team knows what it feels like to lose what should have been a win and watch it slip away. Hopefully they don’t want that feeling again, and the offense, defense and special teams will all remember that feeling the next time they have a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
2. Offense can be creative with Pep Hamilton at OC
Watching Davis Mills on Sunday in Week 1, he did some things well and there is work to do for the quarterback, but that can be said about any player in the NFL after Week 1. Houston is going to be running play action with Mills this season, and as the games continue, it will be fun to see what offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has in mind for Mills.
There was more creativity for Houston with Hamilton calling plays. Heck, we even saw Jeff Driskel come in for Mills to make the defense think a little more when in the second quarter the backup quarterback came in and handed off the football for a rushing play.
Since there is talk about creativity, don’t forget about the flea flicker play with a Mills handoff to Burkhead, followed by the pitch back to the QB, then the pass to Brandin Cooks.
Mills finished 23-of-37 for 240 yards passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but he did have a fumble in the fourth quarter, which hurt the Texans late in the game. Even with the fumble, Mills deserves some positive notes too, one being he didn’t throw an interception, and all of us can agree that’s a great thing to have with the starting quarterback.
The QB1 Mills did have some miscues with some of his throws — no quarterback is perfect, even Tom Brady — but there was a lot to work with when watching Mills, and the hope here is he and Hamilton will keep improving together as Mills stays on the field this season.
The lesson for Mills is this … as we’ve said a lot with the QB1, patience is key this season for Mills, and once things all come together as the season continues, he’s going to be a quarterback to be reckoned with down the line.
The lesson for the offense is think outside the box, and be prepared to see pretty much anything with Hamilton calling the plays in his first season doing so while in charge of the Texans’ offense.
1. Houston has their TE and never quit grinding
Going into the offseason, the Texans didn’t have a set player to be the tight end that would be a difference maker in games. Even as training camp began and ended, that still was the case, but when the Buffalo Bills released O.J. Howard during final cuts, that was a blessing for Houston, and it paid off in Week 1.
The lesson here for gaining Howard is never give up, don’t quit grinding and always be ready to make the big decisions. That can also be said for the Week 1 game too, because the Texans gave up too many rushing yards, they were held scoreless in the fourth quarter and OT, plus they lost a 17-point lead in the final quarter and still didn’t lose.
Sure, losing a 17-point lead is an implosion and should never happen when it comes to pro football, but it happened and they didn’t gain a loss, which couldn’t be said about this franchise the past couple seasons.
Howard will keep helping the offense and Davis Mills in Week 2 and beyond, and being with the team for just a few days, he was able to have two touchdown receptions in his first game with his new team.
The addition of Howard could be the story of the season for Houston if he keeps playing at a level that will make him a difference maker for the young offense, and the lesson is this team can just keep grinding, and eventually that work during this rebuild will turn into wins.