It was a historic day for the Houston Texans on Sunday.
On an afternoon where the rival Tennessee Titans wore Houston history on their chest, the Oilers’ uniforms that filled the city through the 90s, head coach Demeco Ryans’ squad pulled out a gutsy 19-16 victory. Impressively, they did so without their star quarterback C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, George Fant and Will Anderson alongside the host of other veterans they’ve lost during the season.
Quarterback Case Keenum, a continuing Houston legend, was able to pull out yet another stunning victory in his tenured career as a backup. Representing the city that once made him a legend while at the University of Houston, he finished 23 of 36 for 229 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was openly appreciative of the opportunity to carry the torch for Houston.
Keenum began his press conference by saying how proud he’s always been to wear the name “Houston” across his chest, and how much it meant to be able to do it again today. pic.twitter.com/Zy0Iwt1fHP
— Drew Dougherty (@DoughertyDrew) December 17, 2023
It was one of the only times all season that Houston was able to run the ball consistently. Devin Singletary finished with 26 carries for 121 yards and a score and their threat on the ground put Keenum in a position to benefit. Wide receiver Noah Brown and tightened Dalton Schultz had enough moments throughout the day for the offense to be passable despite the absence of standout young wideouts Tank Dell and Nico Collins.
However, it was the defense that made this one special for the Texans.
Ryans’ squad absolutely shut down Tennessee running back Derrick Henry. A player who had so often tormented the Houston Texans during his career suffered the worst start of his NFL tenure. He finished with 16 carries for just 9 yards, four receptions for 1 yard, and no scores total. Henry was erased.
Derrick Henry had 16 carries for 9 yards and no scores. He was stuffed (met before or at the line of scrimmage) on 43.8% of his carries.
This came despite only seeing one attempt against a stacked box the whole game.
Houston's defense totally flipped the script #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) December 17, 2023
It was the least yardage in NFL history for a player with 20 or more touches. It was also the first time Henry was ever held to less than 10 yards on the ground during his tenure as the starting running back for the Tennessee Titans.
It was nothing short of a dramatic reversal for Houston’s defense and a statement one.
Beyond the running game, the defensive line was dominant. They finished with seven sacks on quarterback Will Levis while forcing the rookie quarterback to finish with less than 200 yards and zero scores through the air. Five different players gathered sacks and Jonathan Greenard continued his explosive fourth season with 2.5 sacks on the day, increasing his season total to 12.5
Linebacker Christian Harris had an incredible game, with several standout tackles on Henry and even receiver Deandre Hopkins. Slot cornerback Desmond King and linebacker Denzel Perryman led the team with 11 and 10 tackles respectively Derek Stingley and Steven Nelson continued their incredible joint campaign; they allowed no scores and combined for 10 targets with just five receptions for 85 yards. Nelson contributed a nice interception in the third quarter as well.
How sticky was CB Steven Nelson yesterday?
Nelson saw just 4 targets allowing 2 catches for 45 yards and forcing an interception while covering Hopkins. He forced a "tight window" throw percentage of 75%.
Receivers? They averaged a measly 1.0 yards of separation #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) December 18, 2023
Coach Ryans has preached all season that they were going to be a physical football team. The mentality of SWARM, “Special Work Ethic and Relentless Mindset”, has been what many would call the defining trait of his football team. That was never more evident than the defense showing up with their most complete game of the 2023 season.
It was a statement win for a Texans team (8-6) that desperately needed it if they were going to compete for the AFC wild-card picture. After the Jacksonville Jaguars lost on Sunday night to the Baltimore Ravens, it also placed them in a three-way tie with the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South lead.
There was ample concern after the terrible loss to the New York Jets last week that Houston may not have the defensive firepower to support Stroud’s absence. One week later, their defensive outlook appears much more friendly and there will be genuine optimism as they prepare for a home game over the Cleveland Browns.
The status of Stroud and others will be watched closely to see if they can return for the two-game home stretch. Their teammates gave them a chance to make an impact with the improbable win on Sunday. Now fans will see if they can continue a most improbable playoff run.