Pass Rush, Backup QBs, Lead Texans to 24-20 Win Over Rams

The Texans won their second consecutive preseason thriller on Friday

The Houston Texans headed west for the second game of their preseason on Friday night, looking to take down the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. 

And take down the champs they did, winning 24-20 on a late touchdown drive to move to 2-0 on the preseason. 

For the Texans, one of the biggest storylines of the game was their defensive performance, totaling five sacks in the first half alone, as well as six for the game. Houston also had seven tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. 

Texans fans also got their first look at rookie first-round pick Derek Stingley Jr., who made his preseason debut after missing Game 1 with an injury. 

While Stingley was far from perfect in his first NFL action, giving up a pair of catches for big gains but also getting a pass deflection to help stifle the Rams' drive.

Offensively, quarterback Davis Mills also made his preseason debut. And while he got off to a bit of a slow start, he also made the biggest play of the first half, hitting wide receiver Nico Collins for a circus catch in the end zone for the game's first touchdown. 

Mills finished the game completing 10 of 17 passes for 96 yards and the score, with a quarterback rating of 94.2. 

Kyle Allen was impressive in his own preseason debut, however, completing 9 of 12 passes for 71 and a touchdown. 

Jeff Driskel also did his part to keep the battle to backup Mills interesting, leading a late touchdown drive to take the lead with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter -- his second come-from-behind fourth-quarter drive of the preseason.

Meanwhile, in the running game, it was clear that the Texans missed rookie Dameon Pierce, who sat out Game 2 after exploding onto the scene in his preseason debut. In his place, Marlon Mack got the start, rushing for just 29 yards on eight carries. 

As a team, the Texans amassed 274 total yards of offense, with 159 coming through the air and 115 coming on the ground. 

Not exactly eye-popping numbers from Pep Hamilton's offense. That said, coupled with the impressive defensive effort on the other end, it was enough to get the job done.

Following the win the Texans will now head back to the friendly confines of NRG Stadium in Houston for their final preseason dress rehearsal, where they will take on Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers on Thursday at 7:15 PM.

After that, the gloves come off, and the regular season begins.

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