It was not perfect, but the Texans' offensive line deserves a lot of credit for their 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Pass protection was leaky, as C.J. Stroud was sacked four times for a loss of 30 yards. There were also three false start penalties, two on third downs against Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and one against left guard Kenyon Green.
But the unit was stout in the run game, helping Joe Mixon to 159 rushing yards on 30 carries. They won the game because they established the run early, then were able to hold on to possession late with a narrow lead.
Being able to hand it off to Mixon and expect positive yards, coupled with crucial catches by Nico Collins, was the difference.
Stefon Diggs, who was named a team captain last week, put it well.
"You've got to give the o-line its credit," Diggs said. "The game is won up front. Playing at the line of scrimmage is huge. Our o-line dropped their nuts when they had to, came out with a dub. Joe didn't do it by himself. But it's just a game-changer when you can run the ball with four minutes left, three minutes left."
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