With their 24-16 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon, the Houston Texans now sit at 1-7-1 on the season, still on track for the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, which is rapidly becoming the goal for many Texans fans as this abomination of a season continues to unfold (or unravel, depending on how strongly you feel about results, at this point).

Sunday's loss was virtually the same blueprint as the other six losses on the season, in which the Texans find a way to hang around enough to make the final score look closer than the actual game. Along the way, they allow the other team's running game to plow through their defense like the front seven is made of tissue paper. Yesterday, it was Saquon Barkley rushing for 152 yards on 35 carries.

Above all else, this was another game where the opposition got to bring its C+ game, not do anything particularly exotic, and walk away with a victory. Lather, rinse, repeat. There were winners and losers, on both sides, so let's highlight a few:

WINNERS

4. Christian Harris
On a Sunday that was not exactly the best for the Texans' rookie calls (more on that in a minute), Harris was very active and solid in his third career game. Of course, it was a hamstring injury that kept Harris out for the first six games of the season, but he has gotten more and more comfortable, and has already been a major upgrade over the departed quitter, Kamu Grugier-Hill. For the afternoon, Harris finished with seven tackles.

3. Jordan Akins
Akins continues to be a revelation in his return to the Texans. After leaving in the offseason (ironically, to sign with the Giants) and returning as a practice squad addition, Akins continues to make at least one big play in the passing game each week. Yesterday, it was this one:

Jordan Akins with the explosive play! 45 yards catch and run on a screen pass from Davis Mills. pic.twitter.com/sZw3GtDcr5

— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@Vator_H_Town) November 13, 2022

Unfortunately, the Texans were unable to capitalize on this field position, as Dameon Pierce fumbled two plays later, but Akins' level of play is a big reason why second year tight end Brevin Jordan was a healthy scratch on Sunday.

2. Dexter Lawrence
Someday, the Houston Texans will take a stab at fixing what ails their defensive line, which right now is a lack of any sort of presence on the interior to stop the run and get an insider pass rush. When they do address those issues, hopefully they can draft and develop a player like Lawrence, who has turned into a certified beast this season, four years after the Giants drafted him in the first round. On Sunday, Lawrence put up an old school J.J. Watt-style box score, with five tackles, five QB hits, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a pass defended. Lawrence was the best player on the field on Sunday.

1. Jerry Hughes
One bright spot for the Texans along the defensive front, and on the team as a whole really, has been Hughes, the Fort Bend County native and former TCU Horned Frog, who's exceeded all expectations from when the Texans signed him this offseason. Hughes came into Sunday's game with a  team leading seven sacks, and registered his eighth sack of the season on Sunday. I wish it was a younger player, like the injured Jonathan Greenard, flashing this productivity, not a 34 year old like Hughes, but we will take whatever victories we can get at this point.

LOSERS

4. Kenyon Green
On a day where the Texans' rookies had their fair share of struggles, none had a worse day at the office than Green, the first round pick out of Texas A&M. Green had two holding penalties that were declined by the Giants, and then one costly holding penalty that was upheld, on what would have been a touchdown catch for Brandin Cooks. Green has had a tough dance card these last three games with Tennessee's Jeffrey Simmons, Philadelphia's Fletcher Cox, and yesterday Lawrence. The baptism continues.

3. Texans' scheme
I could deal with 1-7-1, I really could, if there was anything schematically about the Texans that is remotely watchable. But offensively, OC Pep Hamilton seems hellbent on conducting a clinic of check down passes and Rex Burkhead runs on 3rd and 4. Defensively, Lovie Smith seems content to deploy a zone defense scheme that is proficient in giving receivers 20 yard cushions and turning the third overall pick in the draft, cornerback Derek Stingley, into a boring nothing burger when he should be following top receivers all over the field in man coverage. In short, this sucks to watch.

2. Jalen Pitre
Pitre is going to be a really good player, but he HAS to fix his tackling. Yesterday, his tackling issues came back to roost in the worst way possible:

TOO FAST 😤

Darius Slayton takes it all the way for the 54 yard touchdown! 🔥pic.twitter.com/NPFfyNNheq

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) November 13, 2022

BRUTAL.

1. Turnovers
The Texans were actually able to recover from a wretched first half — 26 plays, 86 yards — to put up over 300 yards of offense in the second half of the game. Granted, a decent chunk of that sum came against soft prevent defenses that the Giants were showing in trying to protect a double digit lead. Still, the Texans had their chances, but they were mainly short circuited by two red zone turnovers in the fourth quarter — a fumble by Pierce, and an interception thrown by Mills.

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