Breaking down the longest pass in Houston Texans’ history

Deep passes are an art that leaves many NFL fans in awe. With the NFL shifting to more of a passing league by the minute, chunk gains on huge pass plays are often at the center of many highlight reels. 

This begs the question, what was the longest pass play in Houston Texans' history? Was it a highlight made in the recent stages of the NFL’s evolution to a passing game?

Surprisingly the record for the longest pass play in team history came in their inaugural season in 2002 in a week 6 matchup at home against the Buffalo Bills. The two men responsible for the moment in history? Quarterback David Carr and wide receiver Corey Bradford. 

Deep into their own territory in the beginning stages of the contest, the Houston Texans were looking for a big play to get themselves within striking distance. Carr had two wide receivers to his right and one running back in the backfield with the Bills showing a zone look on defense. 

Upon the snap of the ball, Carr faked the handoff to his running back and rolled right, setting his feet before launching a downfield heave to Bradford, finding the speedy receiver at the 50-yard line. The speedy wideout was able to add significant yardage after the catch to complete the iconic moment in Houston Texans' history, a record that still stands to this day. 

In what was a solid day for the Houston Texans offense, the team was able to use the momentum from their early scoring drive to secure a 31-24 victory over their AFC counterparts. Though hindsight is twenty-twenty and we know what Carr ultimately became, plays like this during his rookie season reminded fans of the massive arm strength that the Texans fell in love with from the pre-draft process. 

Carr’s pass to Bradford put that arm strength and accuracy on full display.

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