(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans lost in heartbreaking fashion Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium, 24-21 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
An opportunity to capture first place within the AFC South was on the line and just like Matt Ammendola's 58-yard game-tying field goal attempt in the waning seconds …
DOINK.
The Texans fall to 6-5 on the season and at the close of business Sunday night, currently occupy the eight seed in the AFC with the Indianapolis Colts holding the final Wild Card spot, also at 6-5 on the season.
Below are some key observations and a look inside the numbers of the Texans tough loss to the Jaguars.
1. Facing a third-and-15 after C.J. Stroud had taken a seven-yard loss on a sack, he found Tank Dell for a 62-yard completion to the Jacksonville 24-yard-line. Instead, the play was negated by a flag for an illegal-shift, costing the Texans five yards.
The referees ruled that Dell never set prior to the snap, while the commentators discussed another player moving at the same time Dell was motioning from left to right.
According to the shift rule, a player must come to a complete stop for at least one second prior to the snap. Dell did not.
It proved costly as it took the Texans out of field goal range and they eventually had to punt, trailing 3-0 at the time.
2. Moments later, after Trevor Lawrence had completed a 42-yard pass to running back D'Ernest Johnson, Texans safety DeAndre Houston-Carson was flagged for pass interference on a third-and-goal while covering receiver Zay Jones.
It was a legitimate call, and unnecessary for Carson to interfere with Jones. He grabbed Jones's left arm, which might've help him undercut the route, but it also looked like DHC would've made a play on the ball regardless. It put the ball at the one-yard line, setting up a Lawrence touchdown run to give the Jags a 10-0 lead with 9:43 remaining in the first half.
3. With thirty-one seconds left in the half and the Texans facing a third-and-nine, Stroud scrambled out of the pocket and found Dell on the sideline for what would've been a 19-yard gain to the Jags' 12-yard line.
The official literally on top of the play, initially ruled a completion, but the side judge, who was 20 yards away from the play, ran down to briefly confer with the official and ruled it incomplete. The play was reviewed and upheld.
This was HUGE because if it had been ruled a catch, as it was initially before the official was convinced otherwise, overturning it would've been damn near impossible.
It was THAT close.
The Texans had to settle for a 50-yard field goal attempt from Matt Ammendola, which sailed wide-right and the Texans still trailed 13-7.
4. After Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for a 57-yard gain on a third-and-eight, in which he absolutely deep-fried Tavierre Thomas, the Jaguars called a timeout and elected to go for a touchdown from the one-yard line with just one-second remaining in the half, instead of kicking the field goal.
Desmond King II, brought back to the team last week after getting cut by the Texans following training camp, made the stop of the day, at the time.
King stopping running back Travis Etienne short of the goal line gave the Texans momentum going into halftime.
5. The Texans were able to carry the momentum gained at the end of the first half with the big goal line stop and create their first and only takeaway of the game.
For the second straight week, Derek Stingley Jr. came away with an interception. It was big because the Jags were driving the ball and chewing the clock out of the break.
Moments later, the Texans capitalized on the takeaway and scored a touchdown, giving them their first and only lead of the game, 14-13.
I thought coming in, especially after the way the game was going early on, that the Texans HAD to get a turnover on defense. They did. Then, they had to do something with it after failing a few of times last week to capitalize.
BTW - After Stroud's 1-yard TD run, he and the offense pulled off a next-level celebration that I thoroughly enjoyed.
After a couple of big plays had been negated by penalties earlier in the game and failing to capitalize on takeaways the week prior, the tide felt like it was starting to turn for the Texans in the game.
Unfortunately, it would turn back later.
6. On the next Jaguars possession, Tavierre Thomas, who had a game to forget, was flagged for two pass-interference penalties, both coming on pivotal third-downs.
The first one came on a third-and-three in which he was hand grappling with Evan Engram.
A very ticky-tack call.
The second, was three downs layered on a third-and-goal from the Texans' five-yard line. An absolutely horrendous call by the refs in which Thomas had about as much to do with Kirk not making the catch as you or I did.
Moments later, on another third-down, Thomas was beat easily off of the line by Calvin Ridley for an easy touchdown that gave the Jags a 21-14 lead, following a two-point conversion, with 4:29 left in the third quarter.
7. Facing a third-and-six from the Jags 47-yard line, Stroud took a 12-yard loss on a sack by defensive end Josh Allen.
It stifled a drive that began with a 24-yard completion to Nico Collins and it also came immediately after Jags linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson hit Stroud, in which he appeared to have injured his left knee.
8. The referees breathed new life into the Jaguars offense whistling Texans cornerback Steven Nelson for a phantom hold on a third-and-seven.
The call negated a Texans stop and instead of the Jags having to punt from their own 14-yard line, the drive continued and eventually led to a 53-yard field goal, giving the Jags a 24-14 lead with 11:20 remaining in the game.
9. It feels like torture having to wait until Thursday to hear an explanation of why the Texans decided to throw the ball on both third and fourth downs in the fourth quarter.
With the Texans down 10 and needing to come away with points, they faced a third-and-one from their own 46-yard line and decided to air it out.
I'm not sure what the heck Slowik saw, but I've got to believe they liked a matchup and Stroud just didn't get the look he wanted. It was a rare instance where Stroud had time to throw in the pocket. He threw it deep toward Nico Collins, who was barely in the same zip code and couldn't have been the first option on the play.
Stroud again had a clean pocket on fourth down, but overthrew Dalton Schultz down the left sideline for a turnover on downs.
It felt like the game was over at that point.
10. The Jaguars, trying to capitalize on a Texans turnover on downs, took over with excellent field position at the Texans 46-yard line. Facing a third-and-13, the Texans finally came up with a penalty-free, third-down stop.
For some reason, instead of taking a delay of game and punting the ball away to try and pin the Texans deep, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson opted to attempt a 55-yard field goal. They missed it and the Texans took possession at their own 45-yard line, capitalizing on spectacular fashion.
Stroud led a five-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins.
The touchdown pulled the Texans within three, making it a 24-21 ballgame with 5:15 remaining in the game. Plenty of time for Stroud to do his thing, if the defense could hold up.
11. It wasn't looking promising after Etienne busted out a 20-yard run, getting into Texans territory at the 49-yard line, but DeMeco Ryans' defense came through once again late to give Stroud and the offense a chance.
Steven Nelson nearly intercepted Lawrence on the second-and-seven pass, intended for tight end Luke Farrell. The ball sailed through Nelson's hands in a diving attempt which was enough to disrupt Farrell's ability to make the catch.
The next play, while Zay Jones did make the catch, he came down with just one foot in bounds, thanks to an incredible contested play made by Stingley on the third-and-seven attempt.
12. There were many moments it looked bleak Sunday afternoon, but Stroud had his chance to once again lead his team down the field for a chance to tie or win the game.
After a couple of big-time third down conversions to Brevin Jordan and Robert Woods to keep the drive alive, Stroud took massive losses on sacks by Josh Allen and Travon Walker following both completions, making the task even taller for him and the Texans to overcome.
Unable to convert on a third-and-12, the Texans opted to let Matt Ammendola attempt a 58-yard field goal to tie the game with twenty-nine seconds left.
Ammendola, who has never made a field goal in the NFL longer than 49-yards kicked it right down the middle, but about a foot too short.
A game of inches they say.
Tytus Howard managed to walk off of the field but was carted off from the sideline with apparent left knee injury during the first quarter of Sundays 24-21 loss to the Jaguars.
Rookie Juice Scruggs came in at left guard the next offensive possession, making his NFL regular season debut.
Howard, who was made the fourth-highest paid right tackle in the league this past offseason, signing a three-year $56 million deal, has played left guard in every game he's been active this season.
He was seen in the locker room with a sleeve on his left leg, but was not made available for comment.
CJ Stroud was on a different level Sunday afternoon. From the first series of the game, his ability to extend plays, elude the pass rush, escape collapsing pockets all game, was something we hadn't seen from the rookie.
It was an absolute game changer.
He literally kept the Texans in the game offensively as the offensive line had their worst game since week two.
Stroud finished 26-of-36 in the air for 304 yards, including two touchdowns. He took four sacks, was hit seven times and appeared to have banged up his left knee on a play in the second half when he was hit by K'Lavon Chaisson.
Stroud found Dell for the touchdown after escaping pocket. It felt like it had to be one of, if not the longest play of the season for Stroud in which he'd thrown a pass after escaping the pocket.
Stroud is the first rookie in NFL history to throw for 300 or more yards in four straight games and just the third rookie in NFL history with 300 or more yards through six games, joining Justin Herbert (eight games in 2020) and Andrew Luck (six games in 2012).
The Jags converted nine plays that went for at least 18 yards on Sunday, including four plays that went for more than 40 yards.
DeMeco Ryans defense has held the opponent to fewer than 100 yards on the ground in six of their last seven games, including Sunday's loss to the Jags, the Texans limited the Jags to just 81 yards on 30 attempts for an average of just 2.7 yards per carry.
CJ Stroud and Tank Dell are just the sixth rookie quarterback-receiver duo in NFL history to connect for at least seven touchdowns since Indianapolis' Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton (2012).
I know, they lost. But, this duo continues to be incredible to watch and I'm holding onto the 7-WON-3 out of spite, since Dell ruined the opportunity to reference them as the '7-1-3,' by changing his jersey number after training camp.
Collins caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in the loss, recording his third 100-plus yard game of the season.
