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The Texans’ Offense Regressed, and Mistakes Multiplied
(By Sam Warren)
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...e-21109582.php
The Houston Texans couldn’t keep momentum after their week off Monday night as they lost to the Seattle Seahawks 27-19. The road defeat in prime time further complicates the Texans’ playoff chances, as their 2-4 record puts them 3½ games behind the division-leading Indianapolis Colts and keeps them in 10th place in the AFC. The top seven teams make the post-season.
Here are some instant takeaways from the troublesome loss:
Offense Takes Step Backward
The Texans’ offense looked like it made some major strides heading into its week off. It posted 70 combined points in wins over the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. But Monday night showed those performances were more telling of the opponents, not of their own prowess.
Houston was dreadful on offense against the Seahawks. It failed to score a touchdown until the waning moments of the game. It had just 254 yards of total offense. It went just 2-for-15 on third down, and just 1-for-4 on fourth down. And its lone turnover could have been compounded by more throughout the night, with Houston nearly giving up two safeties in the game.
The root of the Texans' issues was the ineptitude of their offensive line. Quarterback C.J. Stroud faced pressure from the Seahawks' dominant front all evening, and Houston couldn’t get any movement in the run game, either. The Texans ran for just 56 yards, their lowest total of the season. And Stroud was sacked three times.
The pressure did a number on Stroud, who never looked comfortable. His feet pattered with unease, and he continually dropped back further than he needed as he felt the need to flee from Seattle’s pass rush. He finished the night 22-for-49 with 229 yards, a touchdown and an interception. His 59.0 passer rating was his lowest of the season and the lowest he’s compiled since Houston’s loss to the Green Bay Packers in October of last year.
While the Texans' defense did give up some gashes, particularly to the league’s leading receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, it played well enough for Houston to win this game. The four turnovers it created were the most it’s forced this season, and Will Anderson Jr. secured the first defensive touchdown of the year with his third quarter strip sack.
But its offensive counterparts couldn’t do anything with that help. Houston could not score a touchdown off any of the three other turnovers, coming up with field goals on just two of them. The loss became just the fourth in franchise history when the defense has forced four or more turnovers, the first since last season’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
Monday night was a chance for the Texans’ offense to take the next step after a week to regroup and build on their recent successes. But instead, it regressed. Houston’s defense showed it can almost single-handedly win games. However, if the offense continues to look this incompetent, those winning chances look slim for the rest of the season ahead.
Mistakes Make a Difference
The Texans had 15 days to prepare for Monday night’s matchup. But it definitely didn’t look like it.
Houston began the game sloppy on all fronts, with critical errors putting it in a hole early. C.J. Stroud ran backward for a near-safety on the Texans’ first offensive drive. A stumble by Derek Stingley Jr. in coverage propelled Seattle to its score first. Azeez Al-Shaair then picked up an unnecessary roughness penalty on Sam Darnold to extend the next series, allowing the Seahawks to post another touchdown. Then a penalty on Aireontae Ersery and a drop by Nico Collins derailed Houston’s next offensive chance, which had some promise.
The Texans’ biggest mistakes came in the game’s final minutes, however. Their lone touchdown made it a one-score game with 2:04 left and one timeout. But instead of kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn sending the ball out of bounds to save the two-minute warning stoppage, he allowed George Holani to return his kick out of the end zone and shave time off the clock. If that weren’t enough, an unnecessary roughness penalty by Tim Settle on the team’s ensuing third-down stop gave Seattle a free first down, ending the game without a fleeting chance for the offense.
The struggles against a strong Seahawks team were somewhat understandable in a tough road environment. But the silly mistakes were not. The Texans had more penalty yards than offensive output deep into the second quarter, weren’t executing simple plays and their stars were not stepping up. They looked like a team with just days to get ready for the bout, not one with over two weeks of preparation.
Houston’s errors Monday night were deeply troubling. The team had gotten better on the penalty front prior to its week off. But it reverted to its early season issues in Seattle, which cost them dearly against a good team. Those mistakes after the break show signs of an undisciplined team with an inability to implement practice. The Texans will have to shake those traits if they want to go anywhere this season.
Roster Oddities
The Texans also made a pair of interesting choices with their lineup Monday night.
After Juice Scruggs had seemingly won the left guard job prior to the team’s week off, Houston gave Laken Tomlinson the start there against his former team. The Texans then went back to Scruggs on the next drive and continued to alternate between the two throughout the rest of the evening.
Houston used the strategy in its third and fourth games of the season as it felt it gave the offensive line the best chance to succeed. But Scruggs supplanted Tomlinson in the win over the Ravens as the veteran didn’t see a single offensive snap. It’s unsure why the Texans went back to switching, but it didn’t work as the line got no push against Seattle’s defensive line no matter who was in.
Another abnormal choice was Houston’s deployment of Braxton Berrios in favor of rookie Jaylin Noel early. With Christian Kirk ruled out prior to the game with a hamstring injury, Berrios made his Texans debut after being a healthy scratch the last three weeks. A big reason for his inactivity was the strong play of Noel at returner and receiver, but Berrios took over both roles to start against the Seahawks.
Berrios struggled to begin his first game of the year. He let his first punt return go for Seattle to pin Houston within its 5-yard line, and he caught one pass for minus–1 yards on three targets. Meanwhile, Noel flashed the explosiveness he’s shown all season in his chances, as he made a 29-yard catch to set up points going into halftime and a 22-yard catch to set up the Texans' only touchdown. Noel ended the night as the Texans second-leading receiver, catching four passes on seven targets for 77 yards.
The decisions were unusual, as there wasn’t clear reasoning for Houston to opt to deploy the two veterans over the younger players. But whatever the rationale, the choices did not make a positive difference for the Texans in the loss.
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