Rookie quarterback Davis Mills threw for 112 yards in over two quarters of action as the Houston Texans beat the Green Bay Packers 16-7 in their first of three games in preseason.
Mills completed 11 passes on 22 attempts. The third-rounder from Stanford came in on the Texans’ second drive of the first quarter after starter Tyrod Taylor went 4-of-4 for 40 yards.
The only rookie mistake Mills made was a red zone interception in the second quarter following defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson’s first of two fumble recoveries for Houston.
Coach David Culley, who made his preseason debut as the Texans’ fourth full-time coach in team history, was not pleased with the red zone giveaway.
“The positive takeaway is we did get a touchdown with one of the drives, but the negative is that when we get in the red zone, we’ve got to have touchdowns,” Culley said. “We can’t have field goals and we can’t have turnovers. That’s not good football, and eventually in the long run, that will come back and haunt you.”
In addition to Johnson’s fumble recoveries, cornerback Tremon Smith picked off Packers backup quarterback Kurt Benkert. The Texans defense limited the Packers to 49 yards on 21 carries, a promising start for a defense that led the NFL with 5.2 yards per carry surrendered in 2020.
Houston’s offense provided 170 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries. Second-year back Scottie Phillips was the Texans’ leading rusher with 13 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Chris Conley was the Texans’ leading receiver with four catches for 51 yards.
Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn barely made his first field goal from 37 yards in the first quarter. However, his next three field goals were straight down the middle, and he finished the night 4-4 with his other three kicks from 25, 41, and 42 out. Fairbairn also went 2-of-2 on extra points.
The Texans will stay on the road for their second preseason game as they head to Arlington, Texas, to play the Dallas Cowboys Aug. 21 at AT&T Stadium.