Winning isn’t easy in the NFL, and Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills knows just how demanding a task it can be amid a 1-6-1 start to the team’s 2022 season. It goes without saying that the Texans are among the league’s worst squads this year, but to hear Mills tell it, things might not be as bad as they seem.
He spoke to reporters after Thursday’s loss to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and gave quite a response when asked for his evaluation of the offense at the season’s halfway mark. Though he indicated that things could obviously be better, not all seemed lost from his point of view.
“The record is what it is, but I think we’re at a good spot,” Mills explained. “[We] came [out] and played arguably the best team in the league right now, and our guys battled. Especially the offensive line played really well up front. [The] run game was flowing all night long. Passing game, guys were making plays. Obviously the two turnovers, I’ve got to protect the ball better. Tried to force some plays when I guess they weren’t there. Just be smart with it. Puts our defense in a bad spot. But I think we’re in a good spot. We’re getting better each week. Just got to find a way to get over the hump and finish some games.”
Whether they will be able to turn the corner and truly compete this year remains to be seen. For now, the Texans are in a race to the bottom with the Detroit Lions for the chance to be the worst team in the NFL by record, though given their situation, that was expected by most analysts heading into this season.
The team is in the midst of a full-on rebuild, and things were always going to get worse before they got better. Mills’ optimism is commendable and should serve as a beacon of hope in an otherwise dark time in Houston football history. If he can take his game to another level in the coming weeks, the Texans might be able to give their fans something to cheer for before the 2022 season draws to a close.