The Houston Texans (0-3-1) entered Sunday’s game with optimism regarding potentially grabbing their first win of the season over an injured Los Angeles Chargers squad. Second-year quarterback Davis Mills has always played better at home than on the road and just last year flashed great potential during the team’s 41-29 upset of Los Angeles that had knocked the Chargers out of the playoffs.
Things didn’t go quite as well this time around for Mills.
The Stanford product finished 26 of 35 for 246 yards while throwing 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions during the 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a game of highest highs and lowest lows for Mills as he still vies to prove that he could potentially be the next franchise signal caller for Houston.
Brutal throw from Davis Mills. He continues to look like one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks when he has to throw down the field.
Not the start to the game Houston needed #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) October 2, 2022
The game opened up with a poorly thrown Mills pass that soared over the head of Nico Collins and into a waiting Chargers defensive back. It was a continuation of the down field struggles that have seemingly plagued the Texans offense all season.
Dameon Pierce broke off a 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter but the Houston offense was so stagnant at one point that the Chargers led 27-7. Whether it was because of penalties or poor throws from Mills himself, Mills and the offense were largely unable to move the ball until the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter featured the prettiest drive of Davis Mills career where he found Collins soaring down the field in-stride for a 58 yard-gain before delivering an 18-yard strike to Brandin Cooks for the touchdown to bring the score to 27-21. It was the two-man game between Cooks and Collins that many fans had been hoping for all-season.
That's the prettiest throw I've seen Davis Mills make in his career. Phenomenal ball to hit Nico Collins down the field.
Houston might just make this one a game #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) October 2, 2022
Ultimately, the offense was unable to finish their comeback. Down 34-24 at the end of the fourth, Mills threw a sky ball on 4th & long that resulted in his second interception of the game.
Houston remains one of two teams in the entire league that is yet to win a game and Mills has yet to do anything that would give evidence of deserving a second full season under center for the Texans. The anemic Texans offense still struggles to consistently perform in any facet of the game beyond trusting Pierce to put the team in favorable situations on 2nd and 3rd down.
They’ll face the divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars next week in what will be a pivotal contest entering their early season bye week. Davis Mills will have to improve and do so against one of the NFL’s most ferocious pass rushing teams.
