(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans lost to the Carolina Panthers on a last-second field goal Sunday.
The Panthers (1-6) had been winless going into this game. The Texans' record falls to 3-4 in their first game following the bye week.
Carolina gets its first win on a 23-yard field goal chip shot field by Eddy Piñeiro Jr. Houston's final offensive play ended in a punt after five plays and 12 yards. The Texans punted from Carolina's 40-yard line, holding a 13-12 lead with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter.
A key play was the delay of game penalty on 3rd and 5 at the Panthers' 35-yard line. It was the Texans' first delay of game this season, and could not have happened at a worse time.
The penalty pushed them back five yards, impacting field position and the subsequent play calling decisions.
Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers' No. 1 overall pick, engineered a 15-play, 86-yard game-winning field goal drive.
Young, despite being sacked six times by the Texans defense, was 22-of-31 for 235 passing yards and a touchdown.
Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick, was 16-of-24 for 140 passing yards with a rushing touchdown. Fullback Andrew Beck had the Texans' other score.
The Panthers' only touchdown drive came in the second quarter with a short pass from Young to tight end Tommy Tremble.
Piñeiro, after missing the extra point on the touchdown drive, hit field goals from 46 and 37 yards in the third quarter to give Carolina the lead, then the game-winner in the final seconds.
Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard led Houston's defense with 2.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins also had a pair of sacks. Linebackers Blake Cashman and Denzel Perryman also got to Young on called blitzes.
None of it was enough to overcome an offense that regressed Sunday at Carolina.
