The Houston Texans went for the kill against the Los Angeles Chargers Week 16 at NRG Stadium.
Leading 27-23, the Texans were trying to take time off the clock and add a few points before the Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert inevitably took another possession.
The Texans effectively dealt the Chargers a crippling blow as quarterback Davis Mills threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie, receiver Nico Collins.
According to Mills, who finished going 21-of-27 for 254 yards and two touchdowns, the Texans’ intent was to take as much time off the clock as possible, not necessarily score a touchdown.
“We were in four-minute mode there,” said Mills. “Two plays previously we called the same play. It was a run play by design with the tag route on the backside where if I see Nico can win on his route, I can trust him and get him the ball.”
On the play two plays before the touchdown, running back Royce Freeman went up the middle and lost two yards.
“We ended up coming back to that same play on Nico’s touchdown,” Mills said. “I saw the safety was kind of in the middle of the field. He had some space out there, and, I mean, I don’t get yelled at because it wasn’t an incompletion, but we were trying to burn some clock there in the four-minute and I trusted Nico to win on his route, and he was able to get his first touchdown. So, it was pretty cool.”
Collins, who was also taken in the third round the same as Mills, finished the game with three catches for 33 yards.
The Texans turned Los Angeles over on the ensuing drive with cornerback Tavierre Thomas scoring on a 48-yard interception returned for a touchdown. Houston improved to 4-11 following the 41-29 beating of the Chargers, who slip to 8-7 and out of the three wild-card spots entirely with an 8-7 mark.