The Houston Texans scraped out an incredible, if at times ugly, 22-19 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card Saturday at NRG Stadium.
Despite what was an atrocious first half, a number of second half changes and an inspired performance from Deshaun Watson led to 19 unanswered points after initially trailing 16-0 in the third quarter. With the anemic nature of the game, the grades are a touch challenging.
quarterback
After a measly first half with only 68 yards of offense, the quarterback exploded midway through the third quarter. Watson finished completing 80% of his passes, 20/25, for 247 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Watson added 55 yards on the ground, 20 of which came on the Texans first score of the game when trailing by 16.
This was a classic example of why the Texans can never be counted out. Despite taking seven sacks and not finding a groove until late in the contest, the Texans were never out of the game. Upon getting in rhythm, Watson was able to make great reads, extend plays and carry the team to victory.
It also doesn’t hurt we saw a signature Texans moment from the signal caller.
Grade: A
running backs
The running backs had a somewhat average performance against Buffalo. Carlos Hyde led the group with 48 yards while Duke Johnson contributed an additional 38.
Hyde was instrumental in turning the tide towards the Texans’ late in the game. He looked springy and gained hard-fought yards that created manageable downs for Houston. Meanwhile, Duke Johnson made a major passing game contribution with potentially the biggest play of the game.
On third-and-18, Johnson saved the Texans season with his effort to get the first down and certainly cemented his biggest moment as a Texan so far.
This group, though not flashy, consistently does enough for Houston to win games. They’ll need to make the same impact against Kansas City.
Grade: B
receivers
This grade was nearly an F after a botched call and return where Deandre Carter seemingly gifted the Bills six points right out the gate in the second half. However, referee Tony Corrente blew the call dead and awarded Houston possession first-and-10 at the 25-yard line as it was a touchback.
After talking smack the entire week, Deandre Hopkins was a stud against Buffalo. Despite no catches in the first half, Hopkins finished with six catches and 90 yards.
He consistently found space and made contested catches, feeding energy to Deshaun Watson and the rest of the offense. Meanwhile, cornerback Tre’Davious White was left to wonder what exactly happened to the vaunted Buffalo defense.
Kenny Stills was second in the group with four receptions, also playing an integral role with the absence of Will Fuller.
This group, as a whole, did enough to win. However, more consistency will be needed to keep pace with the elite offenses that await in the next round. It would behoove them to get Fuller back.
Grade: B+
tight ends
The tight ends were incredibly average on Saturday with Darren Fells leading the way with four receptions for 37 yards.
Two plays, positive and negative, stand out in particular. Fells caught a monster gain that setup the Texans second touchdown of the game, bringing the Texans to the 2-yard line and in prime scoring position. Meanwhile, Fells also dropped a key third down after a wild Watson scramble. It was a mixed bag.
Houston fortunately doesn’t depend on massive performances from this group. They are scheme dependent and should be evaluated as such.
Grade: C
offensive line
There’s no way to get around the offensive line allowing seven sacks of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Although some were certainly on Watson for holding onto the ball for too long, the pressure allowed contributed massively. Heralded left tackle Laremy Tunsil racked up an additional two false starts, bringing his total to 14 on the season. It wasn’t a perfect game.
However, their push generated 144 rushing yards and 360 overall offensive yards on the day. Their second half resurgence, possibly coincidental with the game plan, should be noted. This is not the same atrocious offensive line Houston fans were watching a year ago.
Not encouraging, but not demoralizing, this group has enough talent to sustain success in the next round. They were far from perfect, but it was enough.
