The first is the worst, the second is the best and the third better be elite.
That’s how the Houston Texans must feel following their underwhelming performance in a 21-13 loss against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football.
With three consecutive prime-time games, Houston must improve and use a trip to MetLife Stadium as “a wake-up call” before the Detroit Lions arrive at NRG Stadium next Sunday.
“To come out here on a prime-time game and get embarrassed, that is never fun,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “We have to be better in a lot of areas, and it starts with me. There’s plays I got to make, throws I got to make. I point the finger at me and realize I got to be better as a football player. If we want to win, this is not the recipe for it. We got to learn how to dominate.”
Stroud completed a career-worst 37% of his passes for 191 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Tank Dell delivered on offense with his first 100-yard outing of the season, but the passing attack was passive at best.
Houston (6-3) rushed for 187 yards, including 106 from running back Joe Mixon. The former Pro Bowler posted his fifth 100-yard rushing game and scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
It’s the third time that Houston has gone over 180 yards on the ground in 2024.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Snaps counts and stats from #Texans road loss to #Jets who snapped five game losing streak while Houston dropped to 6-3 on a sloppy, flat night of football @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/U35Fa9D92F
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 1, 2024
Offensive snaps: 79
Defensive snaps: 58
Special teams snaps: 13
Dell, who totaled 126 yards on six catches, played in 58 snaps. Xavier Hutchinson led all playmakers with 59 snaps. Kenyon Green left midway through the second quarter, playing only 28% of the snaps.
Defensively, Calen Bullock totaled his three games with 100% of reps. Both Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. totaled 58 snaps in the secondary. Jalen Pitre played 83% of the snaps. Linebacker Neville Hewitt played in 86%.
The Texans return home next week to face off against the NFC favorites. They should have back Nico Collins, who’s missed the previous four games while on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
