HOUSTON — After being down by as many as 38 points, the Houston Texans closed their Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Rams by scoring 22 unanswered points. Following the 38-22 defeat, David Culley said he was not discouraged in his team, given the way they played throughout the fourth quarter.
For three quarters, the Texans’ play-calling was conservative as usual, until midway through the final period when Houston upped the tempo by running a hurry-up offense.
The Texans scored three touchdowns in the final quarter, as rookie quarterback Davis Mills led the improbable comeback with 180 yards while completing 12 out of his final 15 attempts with two touchdowns.
“I’ve always been comfortable pushing the tempo out there,” Mills said during his post-game press conference. “I think it is easier as a quarterback to find a rhythm when making quick decisions. I think we do it well as a team because we are built well for stuff like that.”
The Texans experienced their highest-scoring quarter of the season, but their success came after Los Angeles coach Sean McVay pulled the majority of his starters on both sides of the ball entering the final quarter.
For Culley, it did not matter which players the Rams had on the field amid their 22-0 run to close out the game, he appreciated the fight the Texans showed to stay competitive.
The first substitution for McVay came under center when John Wolford replaced Matthew Stafford entering the fourth quarter. Stafford finished the game with 305 yards in passing and three touchdowns in three periods.
“I am disappointed and frustrated, but I am not discouraged with this football team,” Culley said. “I saw at the end that this is a team that is not going to quit. We have to just play and coach better. We know what that process is, and we know what we have to do. We are just not there yet.”
As they attempt to break their losing streak next Sunday against the 1-7 Miami Dolphins, Culley will talk to his staff about the possibility of making the hurry-up offense a common part of the Texans’ game-plan moving forward.