Coming off a playoff appearance in 2023, the Houston Texans appeared to be just a few key pieces away from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season. That was the driving force behind general manager Nick Caserio trading for former Bengals running back Joe Mixon and swinging a deal with the Buffalo Bills for wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
After a week? It’s already looking like those moves are going to pay off. The two newcomers and superstar quarterback CJ Stroud helped pace the Texans’ offense on Sunday. They captured a divisional victory over the Indianapolis Colts, 29-27, as Houston racked up 417 offensive yards in the game.
The 28-year-old Mixon was a workhorse in the backfield, carrying the ball 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Diggs did a double dance in the end zone, catching six passes for just 33 yards, but grabbed two touchdowns along the way. The veteran receiver played perfectly off holdover Nico Collins, who led the Texans with 133 yards receiving.“And
“I think this is a testament that like, you can see everybody had numbers today,” Stroud said after the win. “Maybe not everybody, it was skewed in other ways, but everybody touched the ball. We try to call plays for guys, for everybody to have the opportunity to get it. And I think whenever you get those guys the ball, they make plays happen. So for me, I just gotta get them the ball as best as I can and not force anything and just really understand that those guys are going to make me look good.”
Coach DeMeco Ryans’s Comments on the Week 1 Victory
No one was happier to escape week 1 with a win than Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans. Now in his second season at the helm, he’s quickly established himself as one of the bright, young coaching minds in the game. A former Texans linebacker and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006, he has overseen a renaissance of Texans football.
Ryans commented after the game, praising his offensive stars, particularly his newcomers, Diggs and Mixon.
“Extremely tough football players, they love football and they play the game the right way,” Ryans said. “It jumps off the tape, and they’re great people And adding those guys to our team, it’s just evident. With Stef becoming a captain, with Joe also being on the leadership council, those guys are leaders as well. So it’s just very valuable, not only on the field but off the field.”
“It starts with our offensive line. The way they control the line of scrimmage was awesome, right? And then Joe [Mixon], he stepped up big time for us. We needed him to run the ball. He did. They knew it was run, we knew it was run, and he still made the play. So man, just excited to have him on our side. We’ve seen it all training camp, and it was exciting to see him do it here, his first game.”
Texans will Host Sunday Night Football in Week 2
The Texans (1-0) will be the home of NBC’s Sunday Night Football this week, as they host the Bears at NRG Stadium on Sept 15. Chicago (1-0) won in their opener, defeating the Tennessee Titans, 24-17.
Main Image: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
