Houston Texans outside linebacker recovered a fumbled snap from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett with 7:34 to go in Sunday’s Week 7 game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The takeaway gave the Texans first-and-10 at the Colts’ 4-yard line, but Mercilus wishes he could have scored on the recovery rather than being stopped for a return of two yards.
“I should have scored,” Mercilus told reporters following the Texans’ 30-23 loss to the Colts. “I should have scored but I think it was 78 (Ryan Kelly), I forget who it was that just hawked me down. But hoping I was going to turn a little bit of success right there and really just get us some juice to really overcome what was happening in the game.”
As it turned out, the Texans could not punch it in from four yards out. In fact, in one of the more controversial points of the game, on the ensuing third-and-goal from the 4-yard line, quarterback Deshaun Watson was ruled in the grasp and sacked, even though he escaped to throw an apparent touchdown pass to receiver DeAndre Hopkins, which would have given Houston a 10-7 lead after the extra point. Instead, the Texans had to settle for a 31-yard field goal, and remaining in the chase position the entire afternoon.
The whole complexion of the game might have changed if Mercilus was able to return that loose ball for a touchdown. There was no way he could have been ruled in the grasp on that particular play.
However, Mercilus, though his team is 4-3 on the season, second in the division, and lacking a tiebreaker over the Colts, is still confident about the trajectory of the season with nine games to go.
“We fell a little bit short but it all good,” said Mercilus, who tallied four combined tackles, a half-sack, and a quarterback hit to go along with his fumble recovery.
