(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans were not competitive in the second half of Sunday's game against the New York Jets, falling 30-6.
To make matters worse, Houston lost rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to concussion protocol toward the end of the game, when he was slammed to the ground by Jets All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in the fourth quarter. Stroud was tended to in the medical tent on the field before he was walked to the locker room and officially ruled out in concussion protocol.
The Texans entered the game without rookie wide receiver Tank Dell, who suffered a fractured fibula in the previous game against the Denver Broncos, and top tight end Dalton Schultz, who missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury.. Leading receiver Nico Collins left Sunday's game against the Jets early with a calf injury.
Texans rookie edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (ankle), linebacker Blake Cashman (hamstring) and nickel corner/special teams contributor Tavierre Thomas (hamstring) also left this game.
Both teams were scoreless at halftime, but the Jets had touchdowns on their first offensive two drives of the third quarter, while the Texans were only able to score later off a fumble forced on Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
Houston's offense was otherwise putrid without their most dynamic weapons in New Jersey's rainy, windy weather conditions. The Texans had just 135 total yards on offense, averaging just 2.6 yards per play. Running back Devin Singletary averaged 5 yards per carry and scored the Texans' only touchdown, but had just 13 carries.
Stroud was 10-of-23 with 91 passing yards and was sacked four times. His passer rating was 54.8.
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was also sacked four times, but he was 27-of-36 for 301 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Xavier Gipson, who played college ball at Stephen F. Austin, also ran a jet-sweep for a touchdown in the third quarter.
The loss drops the Texans (7-6) out of the seventh and final seed for the AFC playoffs, as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Colts hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans and the Bengals hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Colts, leaving Houston on the outside looking in.