Welcome back, Joe Mixon. Also, welcome to the history books.
Back in the lineup with the Houston Texans for the first time since Week 6, Mixon surpassed a career milestone, recording his 100th career game. He came out the gate swinging against the New England Patriots, scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to help Houston secure a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
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Mixon would have crossed off the marker in Week 3 if not for an ankle injury suffered against the Chicago Bears. During the third quarter, Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards recorded an illegal hip drop tackle and rolled over Mixon’s ankle.
He never found a consistent ability to practice, leading to him missing three games. Before that, the former Cincinnati Bengals star was off to a record-setting start with a 159-yard rushing performance in Week 1’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.
During the second quarter, Mixon proved that his ankle was fine after breaking free for a 59-yard run to set up Houston inside the red zone.
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That one run puts him over his Week 2 total of 50 yards. The hope is Houston will have a blend of speed and power with the return of Dameon Pierce.
With a win, the Texans would advance to 5-1, marking their best start since 2012.