If I told you this was going to be rock bottom for the Texans this season, would you believe me?
Would you take it?
After a deflating 32-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans (aka fake Oilers) Sunday afternoon, the Texans (7-5) still have another two divisional games ahead of them, one of which is next weekend against Jacksonville. The other, week 18, is against the same team that just handed them their most recent loss.
With Miami, Kansas City and Baltimore in between, depending on how you interpret what “rock bottom” means, Sunday’s blunder may not be it for you.
For the sixth consecutive week, the Texans failed to score a meaningful second half touchdown.
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If you’d like to count the garbage time score against the Cowboys last Thursday night, I can’t stop you. However, if you really look in the mirror, it was meaningless.
Speaking of looking in the mirror, that was clearly a message delivered by either the players or coaches after Sunday afternoon’s loss, which was their third in the last four weeks and fourth in the last six.
Nico Collins declined to speak with the media following the loss, saying he’d “catch up” with us during the week.
Apparently, every other offensive skill position player decided they’d do the same, as they were about as visible in the locker room as they were in the second half.
Quarterback CJ Stroud did address the media from the podium (as he does after every game) and delivered what can only be assumed to be one of the few messages on the day that wasn’t lost in communication.
"That's all I know how to do is practice better, play better, meet better, do everything better," Stroud said. "When it comes out like that, it's not fun, but it's part of the game. We use it as one game out of the year, that will teach us a lesson. Sadly, we have to learn right now. It will teach us in future years. For me, I'm going to use this as a time where I need to look at myself in the mirror and get better."
Will Anderson Jr., Tytus Howard, Danielle Hunter, Jimmie Ward and Henry To’oTo’o all responded in a very similar way, arriving at the conclusion that a good look in the mirror was needed.
For a team that has reportedly held three players only meetings within the past two weeks, to decide that another look in the mirror is required, might just be the result of them not liking what they’re seeing looking back at them.
If you’re ugly, you’re ugly. Some of us can’t afford to change that.
The Texans can’t afford not to.
The Texans offense has been searching for an identity all season. While its makeup is not entirely their fault, as injuries to Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, Nico Collins and Kenyon Green at various points have forced them to alter their appearance, the results have been largely disappointing.
"Too many negative plays," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board. That starts with me, obviously. We weren't ready to go as a team, so that starts with me."
It’s hard to believe that a team that was coming off a 34-10 road win against the Dallas Cowboys, that just got both Collins and Anderson back, that saw another dynamic kick return by Dameon Pierce of 80 yards to start the game, followed by a 19-yard touchdown from Stroud to rookie tight end Cade Stover wasn’t "ready to go" from the jump.
However, that’s exactly what every player that made themselves available to the media following the loss said was the case.
A Texans defense that, as Anderson said after their week eight victory over the Indianapolis Colts, wants to be the reason they win, was apparently the reason they lost on Sunday.
"Our offense did plenty," Ryans said. "They gave us enough points. On defense, we have to be able to stop them."
Despite the slow start for the Texans defensively, I’ll gladly die on the hill that says the defense did plenty to win the game. The fact that Ryans believes the offense did plenty to win this one is shortsighted.
The Texans became just the third team ever to lose a game after the defense recorded eight sacks and a pick-six in a game. In fact, since sacks began being recorded in 1982, only 30 times has a team lost when sacking the opposition at least eight times in a game.
On Sunday, the Texans became the 31st.
After allowing the Titans to score on their first three possessions of the game, the defense held Will Levis and the Titans offense to just 43 yards and three-points. Those three points were the result of a drive that lasted just four plays in which the Titans went backwards for 18 yards before sneaking a 56-yard field goal in as time expired in the first half.
In the second half, after allowing a field goal on the opening drive, the Texans defense forced the Titans into four punts and returned an interception for a 65-yard touchdown.
What turned out to be the go-ahead touchdown for the Titans, a 70-yard catch and run on a short crosser to tight end Chig Okonkwo, was the result of about as fundamental a mistake as a linebacker can make.
Henry To’oTo’o, the backside linebacker, bit down hard on the play action, when he should’ve stayed home and sat in his area. Okonkwo ran right where To’oTo’o should’ve been and was off to the races. Eric Murray, one of the two high safeties on the defensive set, was helping Derek Stingley Jr. over the top with Calvin Ridley.
While To’oTo’o was clearly in the wrong in biting down on the play action, it’s not clear if Stingley was supposed to have help from Murray over the top in that instance.
For the anemic Texans' offense, in seven possessions in the second half of Sunday’s embarrassing loss, they mustered just 68 total yards on 29 plays which resulted in three punts, an interception, a missed field goal and a safety.
"You can point at a lot of places, but I always point at myself," Stroud said. "I'm the leader of the offense. I've got to get us rolling, get our rhythm, we've got to find a better way to end the first half, and start the second half better. That ultimately starts with me in taking care of the football and getting into a rhythm, running the ball well, getting us into the right reads, and the right looks. I would say that's how we're going to get better is I've got to be better."
With the game on the line, trailing 30-27 inside five minutes remaining in the game and the most legitimate opportunity to score a meaningful second half touchdown since week six, Stroud found Collins on a crossing route that Collins took 39 yards to the house.
That would’ve been the go-ahead touchdown, putting the Texans on top 33-30, awaiting an extra point from Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Instead, the play was nullified due to an illegal shift as both Joe Mixon and Tank Dell, in unison, went in short, pre-snap motion to the right. The drive stalled on the Titans' 10-yard line and Fairbairn was of course unable to punch the chip-shot 28-yard field goal attempt through the uprights to at least tie the ballgame.
Stroud took responsibility for the mix up in communication on the play.
"It was miscommunication on my part in the huddle," Stroud said. "Two motions at the same time. That play kind of maybe seals the deal, you go down to the 1-yard line, I don't know if Nico scored. I stopped paying attention. But if he scored, we give our defense a chance to stand up and run it out."
Until Ryans and his staff take responsibility and hold the offense to the same high standard as the defense, the Texans can have all the player meetings the want and look in the mirror all day, every week, they’re going to hate what they see looking back at them.