Tag: Kenny Stills

Texans score two touchdowns in less than two minutes to stun Chiefs

Early in the Texans-Chiefs divisional playoff game, it’s Houston who has all the edges.

Coming into their divisional round matchup against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, the Texans had never scored a first-quarter  touchdown in the postseason. Bill O’Brien’s team took care of that very quickly when Deshaun Watson found several holes in Kansas City’s coverage and hit Kenny Stills for a 54-yard touchdown with 12:07 left in the first quarter. The Chiefs were reading receiver Will Fuller too aggressively on a receiver screen, and that left opportunity open for Stills downfield.

The Chiefs went three-and-out on their subsequent drive, and with 10:13 left in the first quarter, Dustin Colquitt tried a punt, which was blocked by linebacker Barkevious Mingo and returned by cornerback Lonnie Johnson for a 10-yard touchdown.

In their 28-12 upset of the Ravens yesterday, the Titans went up 14-0 in a big hurry, while Baltimore’s receivers were dropping multiple passes. So far, this game seems to be playing to a very similar script.

Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”

WATCH: Texans’ Deshaun Watson, Kenny Stills go deep for opening TD

Watch Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Kenny Stills connect for a deep touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Houston Texans’ curse of not scoring on the first drives of games is over. After electing to receive to start out the divisional round bout with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Texans quickly scored.

On third-and-1, after starting right tackle Chris Clark suffered an injury, the Texans called up a fake bubble screen, with wide receiver Kenny Stills acting as the one sprinting down the field.

Deshaun Watson found a wide-open Stills streaking down the field, connecting for a 54-yard touchdown.

The Chiefs’ much-improved defense looked susceptible on the score. They left Stills wide-open in the middle of the field. Naturally, Watson took advantage of that, stunning those at Arrowhead Stadium in the process.

It took the Texans six plays and 3:01 minutes to drive 75 yards down the field to get a touchdown. Now, Houston is in the driver’s seat to get themselves to the AFC Championship against the Tennessee Titans.

How were the Texans’ trade acquisitions able to adapt so quickly?

The Houston Texans made a flurry of trades from August to October, and their new acquisitions were able to help the team right away.

The Houston Texans were bolstered by their trades in the 2019 preseason and until the regular season’s Oct. 29 deadline. The acquisitions of left tackle Laremy Tunsil, receiver Kenny Stills, and running back Carlos Hyde, dealt for on Aug. 31, helped propel the offense.

With a total of eight players acquired over the course of six trades between Aug. 8 and Oct. 21, the fascinating part is that these players were able to help out the Texans right away.

Coach Bill O’Brien admits that the coaching staff, scouting department, and personnel departments are putting in homework on prospective players, but the credit ultimately goes to the players.

“You give the players all the credit,” O’Brien told reporters Thursday. “The players get all the credit for coming in here and learning the system and understanding what we’re asking them to do, whether it’s Carlos Hyde to [cornerback] Keion Crossen to Laremy Tunsil to everybody else that was here right at the end of training camp, beginning of the season.”

Of the eight players, running back Duke Johnson had the most preseason time with the Texans as the club traded a conditional 2020 third-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for his services on Aug. 8.

Tunsil, Stills, Hyde, Crossen, who has been impactful on special teams, along with outside linebackers Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin were all acquired on Aug. 31, two days after the final preseason game and nine days before the season opener in New Orleans against the Saints on Monday Night Football. Cornerback Gareon Conely was added on Oct. 21 in a trade with the Oakland Raiders when the Texans were desperate for cornerback help.

“I think you give the players all credit for being able to come in here and be professional and get right to work and kind of learn our culture, learn our playbook and learn how we do things, and those guys have done that,” said O’Brien. “I think the players get all the credit.”

The Texans are hopeful their new pieces will be able to lift them past the Buffalo Bills Saturday in the AFC wild-card at NRG Stadium.

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The Texans had their eyes set on WR Kenny Stills long before trading with the Dolphins

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien says his team was watching wide receiver Kenny Stills for “a long time” before bringing him in via trade.

With wide receiver Will Fuller out with a groin injury, the Houston Texans will enter the postseason after Week 17’s bout with the Tennessee Titans with Kenny Stills as their No. 2 receiver.

Though perhaps not as dynamic as Fuller, Stills can fill-in adequately for him. He has similar speed (4.38-second 40-time compared to 4.33), veteran experience (107 career games) and, perhaps most importantly, the Texans are familiar with him.

Before acquiring Stills in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31, the Texans examined the 27-year-old receiver’s game tape. Coach Bill O’Brien says he’s been watching him for quite some time.

“I’ve been watching Kenny for a long time,” O’Brien said on Thursday. “Kenny’s got really good speed, he’s tough, really good route-runner. He’s a sharp route-runner. He’s smart. He was here last year, played against us when he was in Miami, we played out here on Thursday night last year. So, we studied him for that game.”

Initially a fifth-round pick from the Oklahoma Sooners (2013), Stills spent his first two years with the New Orleans Saints before the Dolphins acquired him in a trade. He played in South Beach for four seasons.

“We’ve been watching Kenny for a long time so we knew that he could add something to what we were looking for at that position,” O’Brien concluded.

In his first year as a Texan, Stills has 40 receptions for 561 yards and four touchdowns. He missed two games due to a hamstring injury early in the season but has stayed in good health since. According to Seth Walder of ESPN, he is fifth in the NFL in completed air yards over expectation, indicating his productivity as a deep threat.

The Texans know Stills. Now, heading into the postseason, he will need to back up O’Brien’s lauding of him to keep Houston’s pass offense productive.

WR Kenny Stills dealt with muscle cramps in Texans 23-20 win over Buccaneers

Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills said he dealt with muscle cramps in Saturday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Deshaun Watson dropped back, scanned and found his target. The Houston Texans quarterback targeted wide receiver Kenny Stills for a passing touchdown in the fourth quarter of an eventual 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stills was nowhere near the ball. It wasn’t Watson’s fault. The receiver couldn’t finish the route. He limped towards the end zone, going from full-speed to a hobble.

Surprisingly, Stills finished the game. The injury may not have been as bad as perceived. After the win, the former Oklahoma Sooner said that he suffered muscle cramps, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. He said he feels fine.

Despite so, Stills finished the win as the Texans’ leading receiver. He hauled in five receptions for 57 yards in Tampa Bay. Last week, in a win over the Tennessee Titans, he recorded two touchdown receptions out of five targets.

Stills has 40 receptions for 561 yards and four touchdowns on the year.

Texans are reaping the benefits for WR Kenny Stills’ work ethic

Wide receiver Kenny Stills has grown in the Houston Texans offense since coming on-board in August. He can thank a good work ethic.

When they acquired wide receiver Kenny Stills from the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31, the Houston Texans did not know they had. On the tape, he flashed consistency and speed, but, personally, he was more of an unknown; after all, he never called Houston home.

After a few months, the Texans know what they have — a hard worker.

“Very smart guy, very hard worker, really takes a lot of pride in what his job is, his role in the offense,” coach Bill O’Brien said of Stills on Tuesday. “Same guy every day. Not an up-and-down guy at all, very consistent person, very strong-willed person and a guy that brings a lot to the table every day.”

Stills has emerged as Houston’s third-head in a three-headed wide receiver attack, with DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller completing the unit. Though his stats aren’t gaudy, they are indicative of being one of Deshaun Watson’s favorite targets in a crowded offense.

In 12 games (four starts), the 27-year-old has 35 receptions for 504 yards and four touchdowns.

“I mean, he’s a guy that’s been working his tail off and whenever his plays come and his opportunities come, he makes sure that he takes advantage of them,” Watson said of Stills on Tuesday.

Last Sunday, Stills’ hard work paid off. Though only hauling in three receptions, he finished the 24-21 victory over the Tennessee Titans with two touchdowns catches. The two created a 14-0 lead that the Titans could not overcome.

“I just tried my best to find the open guy on those two plays,” Watson said. “He came open on exactly what we wanted the look to be.”

Stills has grown from an afterthought acquisition in the Laremy Tunsil trade to a key cog in the Texans’ passing game. Stills’ work ethic has benefited his new team, who is now a win away from clinching the division for the second straight year.

WR Will Fuller opened up the Texans’ offense in 24-21 win over the Titans

The Houston Texans saw Will Fuller play in a win over the Tennessee Titans. That helped DeAndre Hopkins and Kenny Stills put up big numbers.

The Houston Texans’ offense didn’t shred the Tennessee Titans’ defense in their 24-21 win at Nissan Stadium Sunday per se, but things did come easier after a slow start.

The Texans averaged 8.4 yards per attempt in the victory. They converted 50% of their third downs as compared to the Titans’ 40%, won the time of possession battle (31:20 to 29:40) and, as tends to happen in every win, outscored the opposition.

Part of Houston’s success can be attributed to who plays, specifically speed merchant wide receiver Will Fuller.

Fuller returned with a recovery hamstring following a one-game hiatus. His impact far outweighs his five receptions for 61 yards stat line. His fellow pass-catchers would be the first to tell you that.

“Having Will out there helps this whole offense,” receiver DeAndre Hopkins told reporters after the game. “He is a guy that you have to keep your eye on downfield making plays.”

While the Titans’ defense keyed-in on the deep-bomb potential that is Fuller, Hopkins, a two-time All-Pro, ripped apart single coverage, averaging 3.62 yards of separation, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He finished with six receptions for 119 yards.

Wide receiver Kenny Stills also found production with Fuller playing. Though his reception and yard numbers aren’t as gaudy as Hopkins’ (three catches for 33 yards), his touchdown total of two certainly is.

Stills wasn’t surprised by his production on Sunday. Fuller gives defenses headaches — Hopkins, Stills and Fuller is a tough trio to stop. Top that with a 1,000-yard rusher in Carlos Hyde and red zone threat tight end Darren Fells, and the Texans have an offense that can strike fear in any opponent.

“It’s not surprising at all,” said Stills. “We’re kind of like a three-headed monster, and then you have the backs and the tight ends. We put a lot of pressure on defenses and we know that. We just have to stop hurting ourselves, and execute, and stop turning the ball over.”

The Texans are now 7-2 in games that Fuller completes.

WR Kenny Stills shredded man coverage in Texans’ 24-21 win over Titans

The Houston Texans QB-WR duo of Deshaun Watson and Kenny Stills shredded the Tennessee Titans’ man coverage on Sunday.

DeAndre Hopkins played on Sunday, so did Will Fuller.

It was neither member of the “dreaded duo” to put up points in the Houston Texans’ 24-21 win over the Tennessee Titans.

It was Kenny Stills that lead the Texans’ vaunted wide receiver corps. He put up two second-quarter touchdowns to get Houston up 14-0 entering halftime in the eventual victory.

The newest member of Houston’s receiving corps got the Texans going with 10:04 left in the second quarter. Deshaun Watson pinpointed the ball in front of his chest; Stills did the rest of the work, hauling in a 12-yard score.

Both of the touchdowns were in man coverage. On the first, Stills beat cornerback Logan Ryan on a cross-field corner route.

“The first one was just man coverage and it was a foot race to the back of the endzone,” Stills told reporters after the 24-21 win. “And Deshaun threw a perfect ball.”

On the second, DeAndre Hopkins from the middle-slot pulled the lurking free safety across the field to get Stills naked against man coverage. From the inside slot, No. 12 ran a corner route. This time, he cleanly beat cornerback Tye Smith.

Again, Watson found him in the end zone and threw a perfect pass. It was also the quarterback to draw-up the play. He recognized man coverage, checked to a go-to play that has schemed to beat it — also known as a man-beater — and reaffirmed the good call with a better pass.

“The second one, he checked to a man-beater,” said Stills. “They were playing man and I beat my man. He threw another perfect ball.”

It wasn’t Stills who would lead the Texans in receiving yards — that went to Hopkins (119 yards). Nor did he lead the receptions — also went to Hopkins (six). However, without his touchdowns and the man coverage played on it, next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have been far more important.

WATCH: Texans WR Kenny Stills catches 2nd touchdown pass versus the Titans

Houston Texans receiver Kenny Stills caught his second touchdown pass versus the Tennessee Titans Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium in Week 15.

Hosuton Texans receiver Kenny Stills proved against the Tennessee Titans why he was a necessary part of the Aug. 31 trade with the Miami Dolphins that brought LT Laremy Tunsil to the AFC South.

Tunsil protects quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside. Watson with the extra time can find Stills in the end zone for big scoring plays.

Stills caught his second touchdown pass of the game when he hauled in a 16-yarder with 3:20 to go in the second quarter.

The Texans took a 14-0 lead. The touchdown catch made the game the fourth in Stills’ career with at least two touchdown catches. Incidentally, the last one was on Sept. 9, 2018, versus the Tennessee Titans.

WATCH: Deshaun Watson hits Kenny Stills for Texans’ 1st touchdown against the Titans

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and receiver Kenny Stills helped take the first lead against the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans took the lead 7-0 over the Tennessee Titans with 9:59 to go in the second quarter Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson dropped back on a second-and-10 from the Titans’ 12-yard line and tossed a touchdown pass to receiver Kenny Stills to give the Texans’ first blood.

The touchdown drive was setup thanks to an 86-yard interception return from outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who caught an errant ball tipped away by safety Justin Reid on a first-and-goal play from the Texans’ 5-yard line. The big shift in momentum is what the Texans needed to try to steal a win in the Music City.