Tag: davis mills

Texans WR Brandin Cooks says ‘it is win or lose with my guys’

Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks said that the team are “his guys” and they always will be regardless of the outcome.

Brandin Cooks has had an up and down season.

The 29-year-old has played in 11 games, missing four of them due to injury. The Houston Texans have also logged a 2-12-1 record with non-winning streaks as long as four and nine. Cooks has also had his moments of dissatisfaction with the franchise throughout the hard-luck season.

Cooks made his return from a three-game absence with a calf injury to catch four passes for 34 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ 19-14 upset of the Tennessee Titans Christmas Eve at Nissan Stadium. The nine-year veteran was in better spirits following the victory.

“At the end of the day, it is win or lose with my guys and that’s what’s most important,” Cooks said. “I miss getting out here on the field with my guys and coming out here today and being able to go to battle and being able to finish and getting a [win]. That was huge and is very important.”

The Texans staved off a series sweep. The Titans have not swept the Texans since 2020, and Houston has won three of the last four contests in Nashville and currently rides a two-game winning streak in Tennessee.

“At the end of the day, I have a lot of respect for these guys and every chance I get I go out there and give my best,” said Cooks.

The former New Orleans Saints 2014 first-round pick has 48 catches for 554 yards and two touchdowns on the year.

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Rex Burkhead recovers Davis Mills fumble for Texans touchdown

A Davis Mills fumble turned into a Rex Burkhead touchdown for the Texans

Rex Burkhead got an unexpected Christmas gift from Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills on Saturday.

The veteran running back gladly took it as he fell on the fumble by Mills in the end zone for a Texans touchdown.

The Titans’ troubles were continuing on a chilly day in Nashville.

WATCH: QB Davis Mills fumbles for Texans’ first touchdown against the Titans

Davis Mills fumbled at the 1-yard line to help the Houston Texans score their first touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans have found uncommon ways to move the football and score points.

The past two games the Texans have deployed a two quarterback system with quarterback Jeff Driskel getting snaps in the same drives as starter Davis Mills. Nevertheless the ball moves and Houston scores points.

The Texans may have added a new one to their arsenl.

On third-and-goal from the Titans’ 6-yard line with 2:40 to go in the first quarter, Mills scrambled to his right and fumbled at the 1-yard line. Running back Rex Burkhead had the presence of mind to fall on the football for Houston’s first touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

Texans vs. Titans live blog: 19-14 Texans, 4th Q — FINAL

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans square off in Week 16 to complete their season series. Follow along for all the updates from Nissan Stadium.

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans meet for their final encounter of the 2022 season.

Week 16 features a slew of games on Christmas Eve, and the Texans and Titans are no exception. Kickoff was delayed an hour and will now begin at 1:02 p.m. Central Time from Nissan Stadium.

The temperature is 19 degrees, sunny, and a 12 mile-per-hour wind in Nashville. Grounds crews cleared light snow from the field ahead of pregame warmups.

The Texans’ inactives revealed that DE Mario Addison would be out against the Titans.

The Titans are 7-7 and have the Jacksonville Jaguars nipping at their heels with a 7-8 mark. The two meet in Week 18. Tennessee can’t afford to drop a game to Houston, who can actually spare a win because their 1-12-1 record is a game and a half ahead of any other team vying for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

 

First quarter

13:43 — DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and LB Blake Cashman meet at QB Malik Willis for the sack on third-and-13 from the Tennessee 24 to turn the Titans three-and-out on the game’s opening drive.

12:12 — QB Davis Mills sails it over everyone looking for TE Teagan Quitoriano on third-and-8 from the Houston 28. Three-and-out.

8:58 — Sooner or later you knew RB Derrick Henry was going to explode. The two-time NFL rushing champion galloped for a 48-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. 7-0, Titans

6:44 — RB Royce Freeman picks up three yards on first-and-10 from the Houston 36. LG Tytus Howard is injured on the play.

2:30 — The Texans use their first timeout ahead of a third-and-goal from the Titans’ 6-yard line. The Texans run the fumblerooski as Mills fumbles at the 1-yard line but RB Rex Burkhead recovers in the end zone for a touchdown. Extra point is good. 7-7

 

Second quarter

12:12 — The Texans appeared to take the lead with Mills throwing a 33-yard touchdown to WR Brandin Cooks, but it was nullified by offensive holding on TE Jordan Akins.

6:53 — Houston can’t convert on a third-and-goal from the Titans’ 9-yard line and have to kick a field goal. K Ka’imi Fairbairn nails a 25-yard kick. 10-7, Texans

4:23 — Willis loses a yard on third-and-4 from the Titans’ 45-yard line. There was a holding call on the Titans that would have negated the play anyway. DT Roy Lopez may have gotten away with smacking Willis directly in his face mask to make the tackle.

0:09 — The Texans take a knee to get to halftime. Houston gets the ball to start the second half.

 

Halftime

Stats

TEXANS

Mills: 5/10, 47 yards; 3 carries, 8 yards

Driskel: 3/3, 40 yards; 1 catch, 4 yards

Freeman: 11 carries, 28 yards; 1 catch, 6 yards

Burkhead: fumble recovery TD

Okoronkwo: 2 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits

 

TITANS

Willis: 6/8, 38 yards; 2 carries, 2 yards

Henry: 11 carries, 83 yards; 2 catches, 0 yards

Robert Woods: 2 catches, 19 yards

 

Third quarter

12:30 — The Texans go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 47-yard line. However, the formation is shotgun with Driskel, who executes a run-pass option with Freeman, decides to keep it, and then gets stuffed for no gain. Turnover on downs.

8:59 — Willis rushes for a 14-yard touchdown, carrying Texans defenders along the way. The Titans did not face a single third down on the drive. Extra point is good. 14-10, Titans

7:10 — Mills throws an interception to LB Justin Gibbens looking for Cooks. Gibbens returns it seven yards to the Texans’ 40-yard line.

6:10 — The Titans decide to go for it on fourth down from the Houston 38-yard line, and CB Tavierre Thomas tips away Willis’ pass. Turnover on downs.

 

Fourth quarter

13:53 — LB Jake Hansen strips Henry, and DE Jonathan Greenard recovers at the Houston 42-yard line.

8:11 — The Texans can’t convert a third-and-goal from the Titans’ 9-yard line as Burkhead gets stopped for five yards on a Mills pass.

7:27 — Houston settles for a 22-yard Fairbairn field goal. 14-13, Titans

5:56 — Willis gains two yards on third-and-10 from the Tennessee 21-yard line. The Titans elect to punt.

2:58 — Millsl throws a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cooks. Extra point is good. The two-point try, a pass from Mills to WR Amari Rodgers, falls incomplete. 19-14, Texans

2:00 — On a third-and-3 from the Tennessee 49-yard line, the Titans pick up the first down with Willis scrambling for six yards.

1:39 — LB Christian Harris picks off Willis and returns it to the Tennessee 38-yard line.

1:17 — The Texans have to punt the ball away, but pin the Titans at their own 4-yard line.

0:05 — On first-and-10 from the Texans’ 43-yard line, S Jalen Pitre intercepts Willis to end the game. Texans improve to 2-12-1. The Titans fall to 7-8.

 

Injuries

6:44, First Quarter — LG Tytus Howard was injured on the play, and went to the blue medical tent. Howard went to the locker room. Howard was questionable to return as he was placed into concussion protocol. Howard was later downgraded to out.

1:54, Second Quarter — The Texans announced TE Teagan Quitoriano was questionable to return with a knee injury. Quitoriano was later downgraded to out.

1:41, Third Quarter — The Texans announced S M.J. Stewart was being evaluated for a concussion.

Texans Wire Countdown to Titans: 10 factors to watch in Week 16

The Houston Texans take on the Tennessee Titans to complete the season series. Here are 10 factors for Week 16.

WHEN: 1:00 p.m. CT (weather delay)

WHERE: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

FORECAST: Mostly sunny, 19 degrees, 8 mph winds

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

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

WATCH: CBS (Andrew Catalon & James Lofton)

RED — Cincinnati at New England

GREEN — Buffalo at Chicago

YELLOW — Houston at Tennessee

BROWN — New Orleans at Cleveland

BLUE — Washington at San Francisco (LATE)

Source: 506 Sports

Texans vs. Titans: Time, TV schedule and streaming info for Week 16

The Houston Texans take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 16. Find out how to catch all of the action from Nissan Stadium.

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have been headed in opposite directions the entire season, but now they will cross paths one last time to complete the 2022 series.

The Texans are well on their way to securing the No. 1 overall pick with their 1-12-1 record. What would a win over the Titans hurt given that Houston is a game and a half ahead of the nearest team in the 2023 NFL draft order?

For the Titans, a loss to the Texans would really hurt as they are 7-7 and on a four-game losing streak. Once thought to be as in command on the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars are nipping at the Titans’ heels with a 6-8 record. If the Titans lose the next two games, and Jacksonville wins their next two contests, it sets up Week 18 for a winner-take-all scenario for the division.

A win over Houston completes the series sweep and helps Tennessee avoid any potential showdown with the Jaguars in January.

Houston will get to see Malik Willis again as Ryan Tannehill is out with an ankle injury. The Texans will deploy Davis Mills and their “two quarterback system,” which means Jeff Driskel will also see some action.

The biggest question mark of the contest: can the Texans defense slow down Derrick Henry in any way? The two-time NFL rushing champion has generated 200-plus rushing yards against Houston in his past four games against the Texans.

To get ready for the 16th week of the regular season, here is important game day information so you can catch the game. Follow the @TheTexansWire and the crew (@therealmarklane, @BigSargeSportz, @JohnHCrumpler)

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — Saturday, Dec. 24, 12:00 p.m. CT

TV channel: CBS (KHOU-TV, Houston, Channel 11) [Andrew Catalon & James Lofton]

Live stream: FuboTV

Radio: Sports Radio 610 (KILT-AM), Mega 101 (KLOL-FM) (Marc Vandermeer & Andre Ware)

Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

Forecast: Mostly sunny, 19 degrees, 7 mph wind

Referee: Shawn Smith

Texans vs. Titans odds

Key to developing Texans QB Davis Mills may be experience, not confidence

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills has indicated he is plenty confident. What has helped develop his game is experience.

Through the first 10 games of the 2022 campaign, Davis Mills had an even 11-11 touchdown to interception ratio, a 78.1 passer rating, and a 6.5 yards per pass attempt. The Houston Texans compiled a 1-8-1 record and were more on target for the No. 1 overall pick than they were climbing their way out of a rebuild.

For a second-year player, it would seem Mills’ problems were related to confidence. Throw in the fact Mills was benched for Weeks 12-13, and it would be understandable that the former 2021 third-rounder’s confidence would be fragile.

However, Mills didn’t seem rattled against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15 as he went 12-24 for 121 yards, two touchdowns, and ran for a 17-yard score. The Texans took the AFC West champions to overtime where the Chiefs narrowly escaped NRG Stadium 30-24.

According to Mills, his confidence has not wavered at any point this season.

“My confidence has stayed the same,” Mills said. “I’ve always been a confident player. I got more snaps than the previous week, and more snaps means more opportunities to go out there and be successful and move the football.”

Mills returned to the starting lineup in place of Kyle Allen, but with a new wrinkle as the Stanford product splits time with Jeff Driskel in the “two quarterback system.” Houston deployed the new look in Week 14, and the Texans gave the Dallas Cowboys a similar scare on the road as Houston allowed their potential second win to slip away, 27-23. Nevertheless Mills was efficient, going 16-21 for 175 yards and an interception.

For Mills, the objective is clear: “just moving down the field and scoring points.”

Houston takes on the Tennessee Titans Christmas Eve at 1:00 p.m. from Nissan Stadium.

Texans QB Davis Mills cites quicker throws for red zone efficiency against the Chiefs

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills says that the red zone efficiency picked up against the Kansas City Chiefs due to quicker throws.

The Houston Texans have been as incompatible with red zone efficiency Oklahoma roads are to smooth asphalt.

Houston’s 46.2% red zone efficiency is the third-lowest in the NFL. The Texans’ struggle in the red zone have been a key contributor to their 1-12-1 record.

However, Houston was able to play above their average against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. Despite taking another loss, the Texans gave the AFC West champions a scare as they took the Chiefs into overtime before losing 30-24. What helped Houston stay competitive with Kansas City was their red zone efficiency of 3-4 (75%).

What helped Houston improve their red zone efficiency was their quarterback play.

“I try to pride myself on situational football, third-downs and red zone,” quarterback Davis Mills said. “Any opportunity we get in the red zone we want to finish with a touchdown.”

Indeed Mills was a big factor in the red zone for Houston as he contributed with two red zone passing touchdowns. The former 2021 third-rounder also got it done on the ground as he rushed for a 17-yard score.

Ultimately there was a formula the Texans followed that provided for success, and it can be a legitimate strategy over the final three games.

Said Mills: “As long as I can get the ball out on time and our guys are creating separation, the concepts allow us to score a lot of points. We want to get down there as often as possible and hopefully have multiple opportunities down there.”

The Texans take on the Tennessee Titans Dec. 24 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from Nissan Stadium. The Titans defense has the 14th-highest red zone efficiency with 56.4% of opponent red zone trips converted to touchdowns. If the Texans are able to return to their 75% conversion rate from a week ago, it should help them avoid getting swept.

Davis Mills says defense has ‘a lot to prepare for’ with Texans’ two QB system

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills says that defenses have to spend a lot of prep work getting ready for their two quarterback system.

Who would have thought the answer to the Houston Texans’ woes on offense was to alternate quarterbacks?

The Texans have deployed the “two quarterback system” with Davis Mills starting the game and Jeff Driskel substituting throughout the game, sometimes even during drives. The fluctuation at quarterback has brought the offense out of its dysfunction as Houston has scored 47 points over the last two games, the most points in a two-game stretch this season.

According to Mills, why the system is working is because there is a weariness in too much studying.

“Having to defend two quarterbacks that are able to do two different things,” said Mills. “We have a ton of variations and different personnel and formations in each of our packages, and it gives defense a lot to defend and a lot to prepare for during the week.”

Mills has benefited from having another signal caller help carry his burden as the second-year quarterback has compiled an 89.6 passer rating and thrown two touchdowns to one interception — a desperation heave for the end zone at the end of Week 14 that was picked off.

The former third-rounder from Stanford believes the two quarterback system can continue to confound defenses because of the amount of in-week preparation.

Said Mills: “If we can continue to mix that up, it kind of simplifies what defenses can do because they have to prepare for so many looks during the week that they can’t add in all the complex blitz looks and disguises for certain coverages. It just kind of simplifies the defense for us so we can go out there and see it cleaner than usual. Really just go out and react and let our guys win on the edge.”

The Tennessee Titans will get a look at the Texans’ eccentric offense on Christmas Eve at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from Nissan Stadium.

Bryce Young opting to play in Sugar Bowl is team-first mindset Texans need at QB

Nobody seems to want to commit to the Houston Texans the past few seasons. @JohnHCrumpler wonders if Alabama QB Bryce Young offers a new path.

The past two years have been difficult for the Houston Texans.

They won four games in both 2020 and 2021 and currently sit at 1-12-1 for the 2022 campaign. The winless season has prompted many players to question their relation to the organization and lead many more to choose to move on.

In addition to the gaping void at quarterback, the Texans also waved goodbye to cornerstones such as defensive end J.J. Watt and inside linebacker Zach Cunningham. Additionally, general manager Nick Caserio’s own players such as Brandin Cooks, Kamu Grugier-Hill and even Mark Ingram have either been traded or publicly fought with the franchise.

Watt was regarded by many as the best player in the team’s brief history. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year thought it best to pursue a ring in his final years rather than toil in a potential rebuild.

Cunningham, signed by the inexperienced front office Cerberus of Jack Easterby and Bill O’Brien, was so disinterested during coach David Culley’s tenure the team thought it best to cut him. The former 2017 second-round pick from Vanderbilt is now a meaningful contributor for the Tennessee Titans.

Houston signed Cooks to a contract extension in the 2022 offseason, and Grugier-Hill was re-signed to start at weakside linebacker.

Lovie Smith preached both Cooks and Grugier-Hill were culture-setters for the organization. Just a few months later, Grugier-Hill ultimately requested and was granted his release while Cooks remains with the team, albeit disgruntled given his escape pod to jettison from the organization wasn’t fired.

The Texans are seemingly in a place where they not only need talent, but they need talent that is willing to buy-in to what they’re doing and where they’re trying to go.

Chairman and CEO Cal McNair along with Caserio got a public viewing of immense commitment from a possible No. 1 overall prospect when quarterback Bryce Young chose to play in the Sugar Bowl along with Alabama teammate Will Anderson.

This decision was extremely controversial with Alabama being eliminated from the college football playoff and Young guaranteed the generational wealth that comes with being a top-5 NFL draft pick if he’s just able to stay healthy for the next four months. The former Heisman-winner seemingly has little to gain from playing the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State.

The NFL’s scouting consensus on Young diverges not over his caliber of play but rather over his height and his frame. No number of touchdowns or any throws put on film against the Wildcats next week will make Young any taller or contribute to a heavier weigh-in during the upcoming NFL combine. For a prospect with “concerns” over durability in the league, it was unexpected decision to open himself up for another game of free hits from fellow college students.

Rather than chop it up about the NFL or the upcoming draft, Young spoke to things bigger than himself and bigger than football while at the podium on Dec. 19.

With Davis Mills unable to build off his surprising rookie campaign and no team more thoroughly incompetent than Houston this past year, expect the team to be hyper-focused on the quarterback prospects available in the class and upgrading at football’s most important decision.

As the Texans’ organization desperately searches for their next face of the franchise, Young’s appearances like this and his expert navigation of the public eye as the first NIL-era Heismann winner will certainly carry gravity.

Caserio will have a tough decision to make between Young, his teammate Anderson, and George defensive tackle Jalen Carter. A team once muddied with controversy will also need a slam-dunk on the field if anyone is to care about their behavior off the field.

Expect plenty of Houston representatives in New Orleans for the game.