Week 7 wasn't the best outing for the Houston Texans. Facing the Green Bay Packers on the road, they fell to 5-2 thanks to a last-second field goal from Brandon McManus. Head coach DeMeco Ryans was likely frustrated with some of the play on the field — especially in the passing game — but he's not free of criticism either.
In fact, Ryans and the rest of the coaching staff are taking some heat for the way they handled the final offensive drive.
Trailing 21-19, Houston moved to the Green Bay 12 at the two-minute warning. When they came back out from the timeout, they played conservatively and ran the ball between the tackles on two plays in a row. They forced Green Bay to use two timeouts but then decided to throw on third-and-15, stopping the clock when it was incomplete.
Afterward, NFL reporter Charean Williams claimed they weren't "playing to win." She added that the offense won't reach its full potential if they play the way they did Sunday.
At some point, the Texans might reach their potential. But not playing to win usually doesn't get you a win. It didn't Sunday. They settled for a FG after reaching the GB 12, knowing there would be plenty of time for the Packers to kick a game-winner. Got what they deserved.
— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) October 20, 2024
Her claim is fair but the decision to throw on third was more confusing. Houston seemed to go with a conservative approach only to change it up when Green Bay had just one timeout left. Even more head-scratching was the throw, which wouldn't have even led to a fresh set of downs.
Long-time Houston reporter John McClain re-tweeted Williams' thoughts and had one of his own where he says he wants to hear Ryans' take on the passing game. He was also surprised they only lost by two.
Considering how pathetic their passing game was with a net of 55 yards and Stroud throwing for 86, it's amazing the Texans lost only 24-22 with no time left.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) October 20, 2024
Much of the offensive struggles will be placed on offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who never had an answer for what Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley threw at him. Even so, Ryans is the one who didn't override him on the final stretch.
Houston is still in first place in the AFC South and it's far from time to panic. But they deserve some criticism for the way this one went down.