(SportsRadio 610) - That fans and media are so bummed the Texans blew a game they should have won at Carolina shows how much improvement they've made under first-year coach DeMeco Ryans.
With that improvement on both sides of the ball comes higher expectations, some unrealistic. Defeating the Panthers wasn't an unrealistic goal. A 15-13 defeat suffered on a field goal with no time remaining to give the Texans a 3-4 record would have been acceptable before the season, but no more.
This is a team that's proven it can contend for the playoffs, but all the Texans proved against the Panthers is they can lose to a bad team on the road. In their last road game, they lost 21-19 at Atlanta – on a field goal with no time left on the clock.
Sunday's game featuring rookie quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young – the first two picks in the draft – put Young one up on his good friend. The game was a disappointment on so many levels and not just because Young outplayed Stroud.
The Texans were 3-3, including 3-1 in their last four games. They averaged 26.5 points in that four-game stretch and were favored by three points on the road – a rarity for a team that's been so wretched for the last three seasons. And they were giving up 18.8 points a game, eighth-best in the NFL.
A victory over Carolina would have made them 4-3 and returning to Houston as the favorite over Tampa Bay and an opportunity to be 5-3 for the first time since 2019, the last year they won the AFC South and a playoff game.
But it just wasn't to be, and now the Texans trail first-place Jacksonville (6-2) and are tied with Tennessee (3-4) for second-place, one-half game ahead of Indianapolis (3-5).
"We have to learn to handle success," Ryans said. "You have to learn how to prepare after you have some success. It's hard when you put yourself in a hole – too many costly penalties at the wrong time. We have to do a better job of cleaning that up."
When reviewing the game, let's start with the positives. Ryans' defense allowed only one touchdown. The Texans sacked Young six times, knocked him down 10 times and had nine tackles for losses.
Jonathan Greenard had 2.5 sacks, and Maliek Collins had two. They may have put on the most impressive end-tackle performance in team history. They were lucky to get out of Charlotte without being arrested based on the way they punished Young.
Remember when the Texans had the worst run defense in the league? Like last season when they gave up 170 yards a game? No more. They stuffed the run, allowing 44 yards on 24 carries, a 1.8-yard average. They had a tremendous goal-line stand in which the Panthers had three chances from the Texans' 2 and couldn't score.
Now, to be honest, the defense does have to accept some blame for the defeat. The Texans didn't force a turnover. On the Panthers' only touchdown drive, Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Pitre combined for a sack on third down, but cornerback Ka'dar Hollman was called for holding – the first defensive holding call of the season – and it was a big one.
Given new life and a first down, the Panthers continued down the field, and Young threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tommy Tremble for the score.
The only other thing the defense didn't do well was stop the Panthers on the last drive – the same thing that happened in the defeat against the Falcons.
Now, switching over to the other side of the ball, the performance of Bobby Slowik's offense was the most discouraging thing about the defeat. Not only were the Panthers 0-6 and beat up on defense, but they were allowing 31 points a game, tied with Denver for the most in the NFL. Their run defense was 31st, surrendering 144.3 yards.
Slowik and his assistants had two weeks to prepare for this game, but all the Texans could produce was 229 yards – 167 on two touchdown drives that ended with Andrew Beck's 1-yard run and Stroud's 1-yard sneak.
On their other seven possessions, the Texans accumulated only 62 yards. That's horrendous.
It's not that Stroud played badly because he didn't, but he threw for only 140 yards without a touchdown. He went another game without an interception, but he didn't move the team with the efficiency of the previous four games.
"I'm not saying I played terrible, but I'm not making the plays I want to make," Stroud said. "We've got to be more explosive down the field. We have the talent to be explosive. We have to call it and execute it."
But if the defense is taking away shots down the field, it would be foolish for Slowik to ask Stroud to risk interceptions. Without a dependable running game to count on, that puts more pressure on Stroud. Slowik has to find other ways for receivers to get open and for Stroud to find them.
"We have to reward our defense for making stops," Stroud said.
Against what had been a terrible run defense, the Texans managed 110 yards rushing, barely more than their 108.5 average entering the game. They did run for two touchdowns on Andrew Beck's 1-yard run and Stroud's 1-yard sneak.
In the third quarter, Beck's lost fumble after a catch at the Texans' 27 was the game's only turnover. The defense didn't give up a first down, but Pineiro kicked a 37-yard field goal.
The ending of this game could have gone a different way.
The last time the Texans got the ball, they led 13-12. They faced third-and-5 at Carolina's 35. A 53-yard field goal attempt is certainly within Ka'imi Fairbairn's range.
The only thing they couldn't do was to have a play for negative yardage. And that's exactly what happened – a delay of game. Inexcusable. But that can happen when you have a rookie quarterback.
"I thought I got the (ball snapped) on time, but it is what it is," Stroud said.
Ryans wisely had Cam Johnston, who was exceptional with a 45.8-yard net average, four inside the 20 and a team-record 74-yard punt, back up the Panthers to their 9 with 6:17 left.
But the defense couldn't get off the field. On fourth-and-2 at the Texans' 47 and 3:22 remaining, Young completed a 3-yard pass to Adam Thielen for a first down.
On third-and-2 at the Texans' 22 with 1:50 left, Chuba Hubbard ran for 3 yards. Ryans had to use his timeouts. The game ended with Eddie Pineiro's 23-yard field goal.
"In crunch time, we have to be better," Ryans said. "You hate to lose. Losses are always tough. It's about what can we learn, how can we grow, and how will guys respond?"
If another loss on a field goal with no time left doesn't cause the Texans to respond the way Ryans wants, nothing will.
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
