For the eighth time since 2011, the Texans found themselves in a familiar time slot to kick off the NFL’s opening playoff game.
Familiar territory.
Entering Saturday afternoon’s tilt at NRG Stadium as a three-point home underdog, also familiar territory.
In 13 playoff games in franchise history, the Texans have been the underdog eight times. Among those, the Texans have hosted a game in the wild-card round eight times and have been favored to win just four of those, having actually won all of them.
Saturday’s 32-12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers marked just the second time in franchise history and second consecutive season that the Texans won a playoff game as the underdog and they used the franchise's most dominating defensive performance ever to accomplish it.
Whether it be the regular season or playoff game, there have been some memorable defensive performances in Texans franchise history.
From a meaningless Texans 20-0 shutout victory over the Tennessee Titans in week 12 of the 2010 season when Glover Quinn intercepted somebody named Rusty Smith three times, to the Texans' first playoff victory in franchise history in 2012 when they were led in part by a rookie named J.J. Watt and used a four-sack, three-interception game to blowout the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10.
Nothing can compare to Saturday’s wild-card win led by what is maybe the most well-fortified Texans defensive effort in team history.
Here’s a look at some of the most underrated as well as the very properly rated plays that led to the Texans' 32-12 victory:
Foley Fatukasi preventing Chargers running back JK Dobbins from leaking out on the right side to pick up a sure first down on a third-and-one was huge. The Chargers were getting whatever they wanted in both the run and pass game on that first series.
The Texans' ability to hold them to a 35-yard field goal was huge as it could’ve changed the complexion of the game completely if the Chargers drive down the field and get into the end zone on their opening series.
Will Anderson Jr., who finished with three tackles, three tackles-for-loss, two pass deflections and 1.5 sacks combined with Mario Edwards Jr. on the Texans' first sack of the game on the Chargers' second offensive series.
They were given great field position, taking over at the Houston 33-yard line after John Metchie III lost a fumble on the Texans' first offensive play of the game.
This was another important play because it helped stifle a drive that could’ve led to the game spiraling out of control early for the Texans.
Henry To’oTo’o, who finished with six tackles on the day, I think affected the outcome of a key play that easily gets lost in the shuffle, given all of the other great plays the Texans made defensively on Saturday.
Following the combo sack by Anderson and Edwards, Chargers tight end Will Dissly dropped a pass from Herbert on a second-and-19 for what easily could’ve meant a fresh set of downs for the Chargers.
To’oTo’o, who got his hands up to try and intercept the pass, I think distracted Dissly’s ability to track the ball which led to the drop. Dissly, who had a stellar 78% catch percentage this season, doesn’t often drop passes, especially ones that wide open.
On the Chargers' third offensive possession, the Texans defense really started to get going. They made three key plays to keep the game at bay.
Texans defensive lineman Tommy Togiai got his hands up and I think it made Herbert change his timing or window he was throwing in.
On the ensuing third-and-nine, Will Anderson got to Herbert, hitting him on the throwing arm as he released to force another incompletion. The Texans were frustrating Herbert and the Chargers long before they started to intercept everything.
Finally, for this series, D’Angelo Ross sped his way past the Chargers punt formation line to just get a finger or two on the ball. While it took an extremely friendly bounce and was downed on the Texans' 28-yard line, it could’ve been a much deeper kick and would’ve possibly been detrimental for the Texans' offensive unit, which was struggling mightily at the time.
Rookie defensive back Kamari Lassiter came up with a massive interception early in the second quarter.
With the Texans trailing 6-0, C.J. Stroud had just thrown an interception to Chargers cornerback Deane Leonard, giving LA good field position as they took over on the Texans' 40-yard line.
While the Texans punted the ball right back to LA just four plays later, it prevented the Chargers from gaining anymore momentum following the interception thrown by Stroud.
Derek Stingley Jr. made a nice play on a ball to Ladd McConkey that would’ve extended a drive and put the Chargers into Texans territory on a second-and-eight.
The defensive line followed that up with heavy pressure on the ensuing third-down as Danielle Hunter drove Joe Alt all the way to Herbert, as both Denico Autry and Fatukasi used great pad levels to help overpower their guys to affect Herbert’s throw, ultimately forcing an incompletion and a punt.
The Texans relentlessly pressured Herbert and between Lassiter, Stingley, Murray and Myles Bryant, there weren’t very many uncontested passes.
That defensive effort to force the Chargers' third punt of the game set the table for the drive that finally woke the Texans' offense up from a nightmarish start.
When asked after the game what sparked the Texans' offense, a number of players, including Stroud, said it was the 34-yard completion to Xavier Hutchinson that followed Stroud mishandling the snap and scrambling toward the sideline, desperately trying to make chicken salad out of something not so good .
"I tried to just save the play," Stroud said. "'Hutch’ [Xavier Hutchinson] did a good job trusting me and I trust him, so he kept on the move. After we made the completion, I looked at the sideline and everybody was turned up, and that turned me up, because I was still kind of mad at myself. Those are the type of plays that change momentum, and a team can rally around plays like that."
I’d make the argument that Joe Mixon’s run on the first play of that 13-play, 99-yard touchdown drive got Mixon going.
Prior to the seven-yard run, which included a fantastic effort by both Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson to push the pile and get a couple of more yards out of the play, Mixon had just six yards on three carries.
After that run, Mixon rushed for 93 yards on his next 21 attempts for an average of 4.42 yards per carry.
Nico Collins finished the game with 122 yards receiving on seven catches, including a touchdown. There haven’t been many touchdown drives the past two years that didn’t involve Collins being a part of an explosive play during the drive or ending one with a score.
During the most pivotal drive of the game, he did both.
When you’ve got Stroud, if there’s time, it’s enough time.
Just 31 game seconds later, the Texans' defense forced a three-and-out by Herbert and the Chargers to give the Texans offense enough time for Stroud to work a little more magic.
And he did.
What Stroud seemed to be struggling with throughout the course of the season was feeling pressure that wasn’t there yet. He showed great awareness in the pocket before escaping and scrambling for the longest running is career, 27 yards to put the Texans into field goal range before the break.
Somehow, the Texans took a 10-6 lead into halftime. It was a slog of a first half for both teams offenses that included a combined seven punts and three turnovers, things got even more wild and whacky in the second half.
Having the lead and momentum in and out of the break, the Texans started with a mixed bag in the third quarter. After Stroud found Collins for a 41-yard gain on a third-and-five from their own 35-yards line, Joe Mixon gave the ball right back to the Chargers.
On the following offensive possession for the Texans, the crowd really started to get into it.
The Texans executed a designed run by Stroud and a throwback screen to Collins beautifully before rookie Cade Stover got involved and Mixon began seeking redemption from his fumble and busted out a 15 yard run to get back into the red zone.
They were rolling pretty good before this.
Trying to drop one in the bucket for Dalton Schultz, Stroud was intercepted by Derwin James in the end zone. After review, the play was overturned, ruling that James didn’t survive the ground.
Mixon received an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play and Blake Fisher followed up with a holding penalty which pushed the Texans all the way back to the 49-yard line, facing a second-and-40. Somehow, they still turned the drive into three points and took a 13-6 lead with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter.
On the next Chargers possession, the Texans defense got the crowd going again with a swift three-and-out, hammered home by Denico Autry’s sack on a third-and-six.
While the Texans gave the ball right back to the Chargers on a three-and-out of their own, the pass rush by the Texans that constantly harassed Herbert kept the juice flowing inside NRG stadium, making a one score game feel like two.
Moments later, the defense would make it a two-score game themselves.
On the first play from their own 28-yards line, Herbert tried to find the rookie McConkey, but double-clutched the ball and didn’t really step into the throw, disrupting the timing of the play just enough to cause the ball to sail enough for Eric Murray to get one of the easier interceptions any corner could get.
This gave the Texans a 20-6 lead with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
Moments later, after back to back catches from McConkey to get the Chargers into Texans territory, Stingley would strike again, capitalizing on a deflection by Chargers tight end Will Dissly.
The 55-yard interception return to the Chargers 13-yard line by Stingley gave the Texans a great opportunity to put six more points on the board. Unfortunately, the Texans again, had to settle for three-points to take a 23-6 lead at the 12-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Will Anderson and Mario Edwards got the crowd absolutely unhinged with back to back sacks before the defense got sliced up by McConkey for an 86-yard touchdown.
For about 30 seconds, NRG Stadium was destructively loud. However, McConkey’s score didn’t put much of a dent in the Texans armory as they still held a 23-12 edge before this happened…
While Denico Autry came up with the block and D’Angelo Ross did the hard work, returning the blocked PAT 77-yards for 2-points, not much happens on special teams without Neville Hewitt having a hand in something.
Hewitt putting his hat through Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker’s chest was fun.
The Texans put together one of their most impressive drives of the season thereafter, matching down the field for 74 yards in 14 plays that drained six minutes and fifty-six seconds off of the game clock. The Texans converted two fourth-downs on the drive, ending it with Joe Mixon’s 17-yard run on a fourth-and-one to give the Texans a 32-12 lead with 3:42 remaining.
Less than a full game-minute later, Texans first-team All-Pro cornerback, Derek Stingley put the game on ice with his second interception of the game.
After the game, there was music and cigars. The Texans can enjoy this one, but come Monday, it’s as Joe Mixon said in response to this…
After 106 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown, helping his team to a 32-12 victory in the wild-card round over the Chargers, for Mixon and the Texans it’s simply “on to next week."