Carlton Davis III arrived in Houston with a score to settle, and left with two picks in the Lions' most improbable win of the season.
"For me personally, last year I played in this stadium when I was with the Bucs and had a terrible game, probably one of the worst games I’ve ever had in my life," Davis said after the Lions' 26-23 victory over the Texans. "So just coming back here one year later, I think it was the same time last year, I gave up a winning touchdown and that was just heavy on my heart. I wanted to get payback."
In Davis' last trip to NRG Stadium, he allowed seven catches on eight targets in coverage for 112 yards and three touchdowns -- a literal perfect passer rating for C.J. Stroud of 158.3. He was beat by Tank Dell for the game-winning score with six seconds to go in the Bucs' 39-37 loss the Texans.
On Sunday, it looked like Davis was headed for another long night in Houston. The Lions trailed 23-7 at halftime, by far their biggest deficit of the season, and Stroud was throwing the ball well. He had 164 yards and a touchdown at the break.
Davis said Aaron Glenn gave the Lions' defense a "heartfelt" halftime pep talk, "for us to just play our game and put it all on the line." Dan Campbell stressed the need for takeaways.
On the first play of the second half, Davis jumped an out route from Stroud to Dell and delivered the first interception by a Lions' cornerback this season. It didn't lead directly to points, but it flipped the field and set up Detroit's offense for a touchdown two drives later. Davis saw the route coming after Stroud got him on a couple similar throws in the first half.
"If you watch the film, I jump outs all the time. I’m in good position on every out," said Davis. "And I know this team likes to run out, run out and then go double move, so I wasn't playing it too hard. They were throwing it, completing it and I knew coming out of halftime that they would want to go back to that because they’re a team that loves to repeat successful plays. So when they gave me the set that I was looking for and we were in the right call, I knew I would jump it."
Later in the third quarter, Davis got the better of Stroud and Dell again. With Dell open in the end zone, Stroud put a little too much air under a deep ball and Davis flashed across the field and skied for the pick. It was a huge play in a game that came down to the wire.
"When we were losing I just told myself, 'Bro, we gotta make a play,'" Davis said. "Like, I’m not going out sad to these guys twice. They’re a great team, well-coached guys, but we are, too. The emotional state just kind of took over and I was like, I’m making a play regardless, man. Can't leave this stadium twice, two years in a row, not being able to say I’m a winner and not being able to overcome this team."
In the second half, the Lions held Stroud to 68 yards and kept the Texans off the board entirely. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year finished with a passer rating of 64.2, while Dell had just 39 yards receiving.
"The competitor in me just needed it," said Davis. "I needed to show them. It’s not about stats or whatever. Honestly for me, at the end of the day, it’s about respect. I want to earn the respect of every team I play against, and last year I didn’t do that. They may have gone into this game thinking, 'We can get him again.' And they had a little bit of success earlier (in the game), but I had a personal vendetta just to show ‘em and get my respect back. That's what it's all about."
Detroit's second-half rally -- on the road, in primetime, against a first-place team -- confirmed what the Lions already knew about themselves, Davis said: "Sh*t, grit. That’s it. I got nothing else to say."
"You look up the meaning of that word and it will tell you everything else," he said. "Just grit, bro. That’s all we’re made of."