In a game that was a three hour cure for insomnia, the Houston Texans produced their most embarrassing effort, certainly of this season, and maybe any season, in a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans that saw the Texans allow 354 total yards and generate a paltry 161 yards of total offense. They could have kept playing overnight against air, and I don't think the Texans would have scored a touchdown.
There were most certainly winners (hardly any from Houston) and there were DEFINITELY losers (anyone who purchased a ticket for this fiasco), so let's examine:
WINNERS
4. Malik Willis
I'm not sure when Willis, a third round rookie out of Liberty, found out he was starting in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill, but society found out on Saturday. For the record, Willis isn't anywhere close to ready to be a starting QB in the NFL. Also, for the record, he could not have picked a better team too tart off the season playing against than the Houston Texans, and their 11 man folding chair of a defense. Early on, the Titans were asking Willis to do a little too much, and he threw a pick and took some sacks. In the second half, they literally just started handing the ball to Derrick Henry and Dontrell Hilliard on every single play, and things went far smoother.
3. Dameon Pierce
Pierce, a rookie drafted in the fourth round, remains the only compelling on field reason to buy a Texans ticket. On Sunday, he got next to no help from the team's offensive line, had his biggest play wiped out by a horrific holding penalty on Justin McCray, and finished with 35 yards on 15 carries. Yes, that's how bad things were on Sunday — I made a "winner' out of a back who finished with 2.3 yards per carry, because he breaks tackles, never complains, and is fun. Pierce DID score the Texans' only touchdown of the day with 17 seconds to go in the game.
2. Jon Weeks
Congratulations to Weeks, who played in his 200th game in the NFL on Sunday, all as a Houston Texan. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Texans' longtime long snapper isn't the fact that he has never had a single bad snap. Instead, I think the most amazing thing is that Weeks has managed to hold onto one of the more commoditized jobs in the league for 13 seasons, and has done so across four different head coaches, four different general managers, and God knows how many special teams coaches. Congrats to him!
1. Derrick HenryCal McNair with former #Texans star Andre Johnson (@johnson80), who’s honoring long snapper Jon Weeks (@jonweeks46) by wearing his jersey. Jon is playing in his 200th career game today, all with the @HoustonTexans. pic.twitter.com/4nnd7uiOWz
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) October 30, 2022
There was a time when the opposing AFC South player that owned the Texans was Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who averaged over 100 yards per game against the Texans over the course of a bout a decade long career. The player now treating the Texans like a Pop Warner team is Derrick Henry. Here is all you need to know about his dominance of the hometown team:
LOSERSMost games in NFL history with 200 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns:
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 30, 2022
6 -- Derrick Henry
4 -- Derrick Henry only against the Texans
3 -- Jim Brown
3 -- Barry Sanders
3 -- LaDainian Tomlinson pic.twitter.com/9caJpdxkTZ
4. Davis Mills
Six games into the season, and after his worst performance since the Buffalo game in Week 4 fo his rookie season, we can say unequivocally that Davis Mills has not only regressed, but regressed significantly from the end of his rookie season. On Sunday, he had 17 yards passing at halftime, and outside of a couple throws to Brandin Cooks in garbage time, I can't think of one play that Mills made on Sunday where I was like "Wow, good job, Mills! YAY MILLS! ALL HAIL, DAVIS MILLS!" The question now becomes "if this is who he is, how much longer do you trot him out there when he clearly is not giving the team a chance to win?"
3. Houston sports fans conditioned for October excitement
I can't imagine going to any of these Astros home games in the postseason, particularly Saturday's Game 2 Astros' World Series win, and then waking up on Sunday and going to yesterday's Texans game. It's like going from the Playboy party at the Super Bowl to Michael Scott's dinner party from hell:
2. Brandin Cooks
Until he had two catches for 70 yards on the final garbage time drive for the Texans, Cooks slogged his way through the afternoon with two catches for a whopping total of three yards. There are probably multiple reasons for it, but Brandin Cooks has become a far less productive player this season. Reportedly, he wants out, and the Texans are trying to accommodate him, assuming the price is right. This will be the fourth time Cooks has been traded, if indeed he is moved, tying him with Eric Dickerson for most times traded.
1. Anyone with a "DL" or "LB" label on the Texans
There was zero secret what the Titans were going to try to do yesterday — they were going to establish the run, if it killed them. The thing is that this is their strategy even with a healthy Ryan Tannehill, but at least Tannehill can hurt you through the air. Willis was a circus throwing the football, and still, the Titans were able to line up and pound the Texans' front seven into oblivion with 314 yards on 45 carries. Henry averaged nearly seven yards a carry, and former Texan Dontrell Hillard averaged over ten yards per carry on his eight carries. This was a complete and utter shaming by the Titans.
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