3 biggest surprise contributors from Texans big week 3 win against the Jaguars

The Houston Texans rolled into week 3 looking to make a statement after two straight close matches with the Ravens and the Colts. The Texans did that with a huge blowout win against the playoff-contending Jaguars as they beat them 37-17. The Texans looked good on both offense and defense.

Stroud had an excellent game as he picked apart the Jaguars defense. He went 20-30 with 280 yards and two passing touchdowns while scampering for an additional 14 yards on the ground. Sadly, for the Texans however, running back Dameon Pierce still struggled to find his footing in the offense although he did find the endzone he was handed 14 carries for 31 yards and a 2.2 yards per carry.

The big surprise came on the defensive side of the ball as the Texans dominated the Jaguars passing game causing an interception and a big hit on Jamal Agnew causing a fumble. Lawrence went 27/40 with one passing touchdown, an interception, 58.9 QBR, and a passer rating of 85.3.

However, the Texans run defense yet again struggled to stop the run as they gave up 116 yards. Travis Ettiene accumulated over 88 of those yards on 4.6 yards per carry. The team has struggled to close gaps in the run game but has made up for it with their intense pass defense. With all this in account, let's dive into the three biggest surprise contributors in the big Jaguars win.

1. Andrew Beck

It's not often you get to see a fullback score a touchdown unless your name is Kyle Juszczyk. But Andrew Beck did more than just score a touchdown now he showed the NFL, that fullbacks deserve more opportunities as he took a kickoff 86 yards to the house!

The 85-yard return was the first Texans kick return touchdown since Tremon Smith's 98-yarder in week 15 of the 2021 regular season and the first return by a fullback since 2005 according to ESPN stats and info.

Beck originally came over from the Broncos after playing tight end for them from 2019-2022. He caught 14 passes for 159 yards, 11.4 yards per reception, and one touchdown. The Texans signed him in 2022 and converted him to fullback to help block in the run game. After his surprise return, we may see head coach DeMeco Ryans call his number more in the future either in the red zone or short yardage situations.

2. Blake Cashman

The Texans have a very good defense with a star-studded line and amazing secondary but we never give enough love to the linebacker core. The linebacker I'm referring to is veteran Blake Cashman who gave Trevor Lawrence nightmares with his play in the passing game. In the game, he racked up six tackles, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

Cashman was given his first start of the 2023 season as star linebacker Denzel Perryman was ruled out with a hand/wrist injury. Cashman made a key leaping interception for the Texans to keep the momentum on the Texans side late in the third quarter. He showed his experience as he faked a blitz and baited Lawrence into throwing the route in his direction as he continuously read Lawrence's eyes. With that excellent performance, we could see Cashman in more zone coverage.

3. Tank Dell

Tank Dell has surprised many fans and teams with his electric speed and agility but no one was prepared for the breakout game he was going to have against this tough Jaguars defense. As they ranked 5th in takeaways with 6 (2 interceptions 4 fumbles). Dell had a solid game last week against the Colts catching 7 receptions for 72 yards, a touchdown, and 10.3 yards per catch.

In the game against the Jaguars, however, it was a totally different story as he doubled his yards with 145 yards on five receptions for an average of 29 yards per reception and a touchdown. His best catch came in the first quarter when he absolutely burned pro-bowl corner Marcus Peters for a 46-yard bomb to get the Texans inside the five for their first score of the game.

He made many catches that helped extend drives as he made two key first-down conversions to allow the Texans to get into field goal range to put the lead 17-0 before half-time. He's one of the most exciting players on this young offense and he will only get better as the Stroud-Dell connection continues to grow throughout the season. Who do you think was a surprise contributor in the Texans' key win against the Jaguars?

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