Tag: davis mills

Texans vs. Colts Week 18 live blog: 32-31 Texans, FINAL

The Houston Texans end their regular season with a tilt against the Indianapolis Colts. Keep up with the updates here.

The Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts meet up for their final game of the regular season.

For fans of the 2-13-1 Texans and the 4-11-1 Colts, the game is nothing more than a 60-minute countdown to the end of a disastrous 2022 campaign that unpacked failed goals, unrealized expectations, and a painful reminder of just how deep each club really is in their rebuild.

Houston can lose the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft if they beat the Colts and the Chicago Bears also lose to the Minnesota Vikings. Chicago won’t be taking a quarterback in the draft with the top pick, if that is any consolation.

Follow along for all updates from Lucas Oil Stadium here.

 

First quarter

15:00 — Houston gets started with QB Davis Mills hitting WR Brandin Cooks for a 33-yard gain to the Indianapolis 42-yard line.

11:22 — Mills hits Cooks for an 11-yard touchdown on second-and-8. Extra point is good. The drive took seven plays, 75 yards in 3:43. 7-0, Texans

11:22 — CB Dallis Flowers fumbles the kickoff for the Colts and S M.J. Stewart recovers for the Texans at the Indianapolis 18-yard line.

9:44 — Houston goes three-and-out, but the good news is one can still get points from three-and-outs if they are in the opponent’s red zone. K Ka’imi Fairbairn hits a 37-yard field goal. 10-0, Texans

3:59 — QB Sam Ehlinger throws a 1-yard touchdown pass to WR Michael Pittman. Extra point is good. 10-7, Texans

1:04 — On third-and-7 from the Colts’ 45-yard line, Mills throws an incomplete pass looking for RB Rex Burkhead.

 

Second quarter

15:00 — The Texans sack Ehlinger for a 7-yard loss. LBs Christian Harris and Christian Kirksey split the sack on third-and-10 from the Colts’ 9-yard line.

10:52 — RB Royce Freeman rushed for seven yards up to the Colts’ 14-yard line on second-and-8. However, DE E.J. Speed forced Freeman to fumble, and S Julian Blackmon returned the turnover 34 yards up to the Colts’ 42-yard line.

10:41 — DE Jonathan Greenard may have had a terrible season, but he had maybe the play of the year as he one-hands an interception from Ehlinger and rushes 39 yards for a touchdown. DE Rasheem Green had his arms around Ehlinger’s ankles. Extra point is good. 17-7, Texans

4:56 — Ehlinger throws an interception to Kirksey on third-and-9 from the Houston 13-yard line. Kirksey returned the takeaway up to the Houston 20-yard line, a return of 18 yards.

1:42 — Mills throws an incomplete pass looking for TE Jordan Akins on third-and-15 from the Colts’ 43-yard line. The Texans decide to send P Cam Johnston out for a punt, not allow Fairbairn to try a 60-yard field goal.

 

Halftime

Stats

TEXANS

Mills: 10/14, 119 yards, TD; 1 carry, 6 yards

Cooks: 4 catches, 76 yards, TD

Kirksey: 2 tackles, 0.5 sack, QB hit, pass breakup, INT

 

COLTS

Ehlinger: 12/16, 89 yards, TD, 2 INT; 3 carries, 9 yards

Zack Moss: 6 carries, 47 yards; 3 carries, 7 yards

Michael Pittman: 2 catches, 7 yards; TD

 

Third quarter

11:55 — Ehlinger’s pass falls incomplete on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Turnover on downs.

9:43 — Mills throws an incomplete pass looking for WR Chris Moore on a third-and-10 from the Houston 15-yard line.

6:48 — Moss rushes for a 15-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. 17-14, Texans

3:57 — Mills throws a 19-yard touchdown pass to Akins. Extra point is good. 24-14, Texans

1:00 — Mills throws a pick-six returned by S Rodney McLeod for 26 yards. Extra point is good. 24-21, Texans

0:07 — Mills ends the third quarter with his second interception as he looks for Moore on a third-and-8 from the Houston 27. LB Rodney Thomas picks off Mills and takes it to the Colts’ 42-yard line, a return of 11 yards.

 

Fourth quarter

10:34 — Ehlinger throws a 4-yard touchdown pass to TE Mo Alie-Cox. Extra point is good. 28-24, Colts

9:48 — Mills throws a 5-yard pass to WR Amari Rodgers on a third-and-7 from the Houston 28-yard line.

8:57 — S Jalen Pitre is being evaluated for a concussion and was taken to the locker room after a trip to the blue medical tent on the sideline.

3:37 — K Chase McLaughlin nails a 54-yard field goal right down the middle. 31-24, Colts

1:26 — Mills throws a 30-yard pass to Cooks on fourth-and-12 from the Colts’ 48-yard line. Replay Official reviewed the play and confirmed the ruling of a completed pass. Houston converts.

1:07 — LB Zaire Franklin sacks Mills for a 10-yard loss on third-and-10 from the Colts’ 28-yard line. Houston calls their second timeout.

0:58 — Mills throws a 28-yard touchdown pass to Akins, his second of the day. Houston calls their final timeout ahead of the two-point conversion attempt. Mills looks for Akins again and the attempt succeeds. 32-31, Texans

0:02 — Ehlinger’s pass falls incomplete on the Hail Mary attempt. Houston wins, but it costs them the No. 1 overall pick, which goes to the Chicago Bears. The Texans have No. 2 overall as they finish 3-13-1.

 

Injuries

Second quarter — TE Brevin Jordan was listed as questionable with a knee injury. In the third quarter, Jordan was later downgraded to out.

8:57, Fourth quarter — S Jalen Pitre is being evaluated for a concussion and was taken to the locker room after a trip to the blue medical tent on the sideline.

Texans Wire Countdown to Colts: 10 factors to watch in Week 18

The Houston Texans finish up their 2022 season at the Indianapolis Colts. Here are 10 factors to keep an eye on throughout the game.

WHEN: 12:00 p.m. CT

WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.

FORECAST: Snow showers, 36 degrees, 3 mph winds (indoors)

FOLLOW: @therealmarklane, @bigsargesportz, @johnhcrumpler @thetexanswire

LISTEN: Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] and 100.3 The Bull [KLOL]

WATCH: CBS (Spero Dedes & Jay Feely)

RED — New England at Buffalo

BLUE — Baltimore at Cincinnati

GREEN — Cleveland at Pittsburgh

YELLOW — Houston at Indianapolis

Source: 506 Sports

Colts vs. Texans: Keys to victory in Week 18

Here are the keys to victory for the Colts as they host the Texans in Week 18.

Well…here we are. The finale to one of the most disappointing Indianapolis Colts seasons of the past few years.

This team had lots of promise in training camp but, needless to say, has not lived up to the hype. With a revolving door at quarterback, major offense line concerns, and a coaching change on the horizon, it will be an eventful offseason in Indianapolis.

The Colts can end this season on a high note as they host the Texans on Sunday.

Houston is just one loss away from locking up the No. 1 draft pick in April. The Colts can lock up a top-five pick—or even higher—with a loss.

Jeff Saturday, however, will want to show he has what it takes to lead this squad in the future and potentially get another shot at coaching, improbable as it should seem.

Here are the keys to victory for the Colts on Sunday against the Texans:

Pep Hamilton says Texans must find ways to ‘stay out of obvious passing situations’

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton says the offense has to do a better job of avoiding “obvious passing situations.”

Coaching in the NFL isn’t as complicated as it appears to be with the color-coordinated, laminated play-call sheets, headsets, and gridiron technobabble uttered over headsets every practice and game day.

“It’s always our goal as offensive coaches, we always talk about putting our players in the best position to be successful,” offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said. “Even deeper than that is really just situational football.”

Getting from point A to point B is the challenge, and the Houston Texans have had more failures than successes in this endeavor throughout the 2022 season, as evidenced by their 2-13-1 record.

According to Hamilton, part of the coaches’ job is to also ensure the players are in good situations throughout the game.

“There’s going to come a time in the game where it’s not about necessarily just trying to create a matchup,” said Hamilton. “It’s about us putting our guys in a better position to have an advantage before the ball is snapped. If that’s using two quarterbacks, if that’s using smoke and mirrors, if that’s running the fumblerooski, whatever it is we need to do to mitigate the time where we’re playing from behind or it’s an obvious passing situations, that we do that.”

The Texans are tied for the 15th-lowest yards gained per first down at 5.1. Houston descends to being tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the lowest yards gained per second down at 4.3, and it doesn’t help matters when their 7.9 average yards to go on second down is also tied for the 10th-most in the NFL.

“Just reflecting on what’s happened up until this point, ultimately it is just finding ways to be more efficient on first and second down to stay out of obvious passing situations,” Hamilton said.

The Texans play the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Lucas Oil Stadium to finish their season.

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Texans tank: How Houston could benefit from a loss against the Colts in Week 18

Lovie Smith said sometimes divorce is good. Should the Houston Texans divorce their middling identity and tank in Week 18 at the Indianapolis Colts?

“Sometimes divorce is a good thing.”

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith has said this somewhat surprising quote several times over the last year. He mentioned it when the team fired executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby and in remarks following the Texans’ blockbuster offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns. It’s a statement that, at its core, recognizes sometimes change is a very necessary thing.

During his tenure, the Texans sit at 2-13-1 and are reeling off a humiliating loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that saw the team trail by such a comfortable margin that a team they previously had won nine straight against opted to bench starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence well before the fourth quarter.

Houston is an ugly football team that represents what has become an ugly football franchise. The Texans were the laughingstock of the league during their previous two four-win campaigns and have now somehow become even worse. Nothing better highlights the franchise’s irrelevance to the national picture than the national media fawning this week over the potential of the Chicago Bears to take the No. 1 pick.

Divorce is an ugly process that, as Smith has highlighted, ultimately allows two parties to come out the other side in better shape than before. In a very similar manner, Houston is potentially staring a beautiful divorce opportunity in the face on Sunday if they want their chance at leaving the cellar of the NFL.

The Texans should tank during Sunday’s game against Indianapolis.

The loss would secure the first overall selection for the fourth time in franchise history and give general manager Nick Caserio a clear path to a new franchise quarterback. An ugly, embarrassing loss to the Jeff Saturday-led Indianapolis Colts would cement the team’s need to move on from Smith and underscore just how the bad the team has been under his tenure.

It would be a horrific way for Houston to end their season, the ultimate collapse of a team that had huge aspirations for improvement from last season and confirmation of the national narrative that they’re the worst in football. It would be embarrassing for Caserio and chairman and CEO Cal McNair that this is the product they put on the field for 2022.

It would also be the best potential path moving forward for the franchise.

Picking first in every round, in addition to all the draft capital acquire from previous trades, would set the Texans up well to run the 2023 NFL draft. Caserio would have his pick between quarterback Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud to find a signal caller that might elevate Houston into eventual Super Bowl contention.

No further losses can take away from the talented young players such as Derek Stingley, Dameon Pierce, Christian Harris, Tytus Howard, and Jalen Pitre. The coaching vacancy will have its perks in one of the country’s biggest football cities and that vacancy only becomes more attractive with Houston’s ability to control their own destiny in the draft.

This is all aside to some other perks such as forcing the rival Colts further away from the quarterback conversation in the draft and potentially encouraging their owner Jim Irsay to re-hire Jeff Saturday.

It’s not a very palatable proposition at first glance but it’s one that, viewing the whole picture, would seem to be a glaringly obvious choice for the Texans if they ever wish to change their own narrative.

Maybe that decision would look like resting key starters such as Laremy Tunsil, Steven Nelson, and Brandin Cooks. Maybe that decision could revolve around benching Davis Mills and returning to the disastrous Kyle Allen or Jeff Driskel. There’s not a perfect path but there’s an obvious best case scenario for Houston on Sunday.

Sometimes divorce truly is the best things, fans will have to see if the team acknowledges that on Sunday and decides to move on from their middling identity.

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Davis Mills still has value for the Texans — even if they draft Alabama QB Bryce Young

The Houston Texans will likely draft QB Bryce Young. What does that mean they do with Davis Mills?

Davis Mills has made the best case over 16 games that the Houston Texans need to take a quarterback in 2023.

If the Texans lose to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Lucas Oil Stadium in the season finale, Houston will possess the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The Texans will be in prime position to fix the quarterback spot — presumably with their choice of Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. Most mock drafts have the Texans taking Young.

For argument’s sake, let’s say the Texans take Young. It still begs the question: what does the team do with Mills?

The former 2021 third-rounder will be entering the third year of his four-year, rookie contract. Even if he doesn’t take another significant snap, the Texans can count on Mills to be a backup for the next 34 games.

Mills as a backup would add tremendous value. The Stanford product will have seen 28 regular season games with 26 starts and a full offseason wherein all first-team reps went to him. If Mills were a willing team player and set aside his ego — strong indications are this is likely — he would be a perfect mentor for Young. Mills could enlighten him as to all the tips and tricks of being the first-team quarterback and pass on what Tyrod Taylor, Kyle Allen, and Jeff Driskel taught him about being an NFL quarterback.

Where Mills could have his greatest asset would be as trade bait, but this wouldn’t be likely unless there were a market for him. The type of market that would want Mills would be near the end of a preseason where a swath of veteran backups were wiped out, or a rebuilding team needing a “hold the fort guy” at starting quarterback would rather go with Mills’ services.

Just because Mills may longer be the starter after Week 18 doesn’t mean he no longer has a future in Houston.

Texans fall back to No. 32 in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans have returned to the No. 32 spot in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings to conclude Week 17.

It was fun while it lasted.

The Houston Texans had been convincing the rest of the NFL over the past three weeks they weren’t as terrible as their record indicated. However, their progress to finally get up off the mat at No. 32 overall in the power rankings was short-lived.

According to Mark Lane from the Touchdown Wire, thanks to Houston’s 31-3 loss at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium, the Texans fell back to last place in the power rankings.

The Texans seemed like they were finally put together, but their 31-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, their worst of the season, reminded everyone why they are on pace for the No. 1 overall pick in the first place.

Quarterback Davis Mills looked ineffective as he completed 22 passes on 40 attempts for 220 yards. The Jaguars’ pass rush only sacked him once, but the Josh Allen sack-fumble was enough to provide cornerback Tyson Campbell with the opportunity to return the turnover 12 yards for a touchdown.

Throw in that the Texans weren’t able to get any points off their two interceptions of Jaguars quarterbacks, and it made for a long afternoon.

Coach Lovie Smith says he is not worried about the No. 1 overall pick when it comes to Houston’s rematch with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Nevertheless some Texans fans won’t be rooting too hard for a win.

Across the rest of the AFC South, the Colts were No. 30 in the power rankings. The Tennessee Titans remained No. 18 following their 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. The Jacksonville Jaguars improved one spot and rank No. 8 thanks to their win over Houston.

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Davis Mills says record doesn’t indicate how talented Texans actually are

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills says that the record doesn’t indicate how talented the team actually is.

The Houston Texans have had a terrible season, at least record wise.

The Texans fell to 2-13-1 following their 31-3 beating at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium. Although the game was meaningless for the Jaguars in terms of clarifying their playoff eligibility, the contest was meaningful in terms of snapping Houston’s nine-game winning streak against the franchise and also giving Jacksonville some momentum heading into Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South title.

With the Jaguars leading 21-0 at halftime and then delivering Houston their largest margin of defeat for the season, it seemed Jacksonville was in a different class than the Texans.

Quarterback Davis Mills said after the game that the Texans’ 12 losses have been “tough.”

“You make it so far,” Mills said. “You make it to the NFL, and you expect that you’re going to have a chance to win every game. And it’s just been a struggle.”

Mills completed 22 passes on 40 attempts for 202 yards and was also Houston’s leading rusher with four carries for 33 yards. Mills had a fumble returned 12 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Tyson Campbell in the second quarter.

Even though the Texans have had their struggles, Mills believes Houston is better than their 2-13-1 record indicates.

Said Mills: “The record doesn’t show how talented and how good this team is. We found ways to fight and play teams really close all season long. Just haven’t really had a chance to finish games. That’s something we continue to work on.”

Houston’s season comes to an end in Week 18 when they take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“We have another opportunity to do that next week in a big divisional game versus Indy,” Mills said.

Texans vs. Jaguars live blog: 31-3 Jaguars, FINAL

Follow along for all of the updates from the Houston Texans versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17.

The Houston Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 from NRG Stadium.

The Texans have won their last nine games against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson said that the game isn’t meaningless, even though nothing can be decided in their race with the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South until next week. A win does nothing to help the Jaguars.

A win for the Texans would start to interfere with their positioning for the No. 1 overall pick, pending the Chicago Bears also lose in Week 17. Houston would have 3.5 wins to the Bears’ three.

First quarter

15:00 — Texans get the ball first.

14:17 — The officials give the Texans a generous spot on third-and-1 on the Houston 35 as RB Dare Ogunbowale picks up the first down with just a yard.

12:12 — On another third-and-1 from the Houston 45, Ogunbowale gets stuffed.

11:35 — The Texans go for it on fourth down. C Scott Quessenberry snaps the ball a bit early for QB Jeff Driskel, who didn’t appear to be ready for the ball and wasn’t able to make an adequate sneak attempt. The Jaguars stuffed him for no gain. Turnover on downs.

8:28 — RB Jamycal Hasty rushes for a 5-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. 7-0, Jaguars

7:44 — QB Davis Mills dumps off to RB Rex Burkhead on third-and-6 from the Houston 30. The pass gains just three yards. Houston goes three-and-out.

4:29 — The Texans stop the Jaguars on third-and-12 from the Houston 44-yard line as WR Jamal Agnew is limited to a 4-yard catch.

3:41 — Lovie Smith throws the challenge flag after it appears the Jaguars have pinned the Texans at their own 1-yard line on a punt. While there is evidence to suggest the Jaguars special teamer who caught the punt is standing on the goal line, thus making it a touchback, an official from referee Scott Novak’s crew is standing in front of the camera. The Texans’ video board had a great view of the Jaguars’ defender on the goal line. However, the league has to go by the CBS broadcast views, and the official was standing in front of the camera angle.

3:07 — On second-and-8 from the Houston 3, Mills throws for WR Brandin Cooks and draws pass interference, enforced at the Texans’ 24-yard line.

1:32 — Mills looks for Cooks on third-and-4 from the Texans’ 30-yard line incomplete.

 

Second quarter

15:00 — DT Kurt Hinish jumps offsides, creating second-and-5 for the Jaguars at the Houston 48.

14:57 — Lawrence throws to Etienne for no gain on third-and-5 from the Houston 48. LB Christian Harris was inches away from grabbing the pass in the flat and taking it for a pick-six.

12:46 — On third-and-4 from the Houston 17-yard line, Mills overthrows TE Brevin Jordan and hits S Andre Cisco right in the hands. However, the Jaguars defensive back deflects it and the ball sails incomplete. The Texans go three-and-out.

12:30 — Etienne rushes for a 62-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. 14-0, Jaguars

11:43 — DL Folorunso Fatukasi strips Mills for a sack, and CB Tyson Campbell scoops up the fumble for a 12-yard touchdown return. Extra point is good. 21-0, Jaguars

10:05 — Mills scrambles for seven yards on third-and-8 from the Houston 27-yard line. The Texans go three-and-out.

8:30 — On second-and-5 from the Jaguars’ 14-yard line, Lawrence overthrows his receiver and CB Desmond King picks it off. Houston gets the ball at the Jaguars’ 41-yard line.

7:00 — Mills can’t connect with Ogunbowale on third-and-5 from the Jacksonville 10-yard line.

6:54 — Houston goes for it, but Mills’ pass for Burkhead falls incomplete in the end zone. Turnover on downs.

5:37 — Etienne gets stuffed for no gain on third-and-3 from the Jaguars’ 17. Jacksonville goes three-and-out.

2:35 — Mills completes a 2-yard pass to Burkhead on third-and-8 from the Jaguars’ 44.

1:00 — DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo sacks Lawrence for an 8-yard loss on first-and-10 from Jacksonville’s 48.

 

Halftime

Stats

TEXANS

Mills: 8/16, 58 yards; 2 carries, 9 yards

Driskel: 0/1; 2 carries, 7 yards

O.J. Howard: 1 catch, 26 yards

 

JAGUARS

Lawrence: 12/15, 87 yards, INT

Etienne: 9 carries, 108 yards, TD; 3 catches, 32 yards

Hasty: 2 carries, 16 yards, TD

 

Third quarter

9:31 — RB Snoop Conner rushes for a 3-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. Etienne was on the sidelines. The Jaguars faced just one third down the entire 11-play, 75-yard drive. 28-0, Jaguars

5:54 — Houston responds with K Ka’imi Fairbairn kicking a 56-yard field goal. 28-3, Jaguars

5:44 — The Jaguars have put QB C.J. Beathard into the game.

0:45 — S Jalen Pitre intercepts Beathard and returns the takeaway up to the Houston 10-yard line.

 

Fourth quarter

15:00 — Mills hits FB Troy Hairston for a 7-yard gain on first-and-10 from the Houston 21.

12:25 — Mills dumps off to Burkhead for a 5-yard gain on third-and-8 from the Houston 44.

11:42 — The Texans have a turnover on downs as Mills can’t complete a pass for WR Phillip Dorsett on fourth-and-3 from the Houston 49.

6:10 — K Riley Patterson nails a 53-yard field goal. 31-3, Jaguars

0:00 — The Jaguars prevail 31-3. Houston falls to 2-13-1. At least the draft positioning is safe.

Texans Wire Countdown to Jaguars: 10 factors to watch in Week 17

The Houston Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17. Here are 10 factors that could help shape the game.

WHEN: 12:00 p.m. CT (weather delay)

WHERE: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

FORECAST: Foggy, 74 degrees, 9 mph winds (indoors)

FOLLOW: @therealmarklane, @bigsargesportz, @johnhcrumpler @thetexanswire

LISTEN: Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] and 100.3 The Bull [KLOL]

WATCH: CBS (Andrew Catalon & James Lofton)

RED — Miami at New England

GREEN — Denver at Kansas City

BLUE — Indianapolis at NY Giants

YELLOW — Jacksonville at Houston

Source: 506 Sports