Texans' Adversity Early in Season to Benefit Them Long Term

The Houston Texans have had to come away with a couple of straight gutty victories.

Oct 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While it hasn't been perfect, the Houston Texans are 4-1. On Sunday, the club hosted the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium, winning 23-20 with a game-winning field goal. It's the second straight game the Texans have had to deliver a game-winner to come away victorious.

The Texans defeated the Bills as kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a field goal with time expiring to win the game. A week ago, the team saw C.J. Stroud connect with his backup running back with less than 20 seconds left to determine the result of that game, too

For head coach DeMeco Ryans, the team has been able to define themselves by finding ways to win.

“These are the type of games you find out who you are as a team. Buffalo is an outstanding team. They're a well-coached team. All their players, the way they play, nothing but respect for them. Tough opponent," Ryans explained. "To beat a team like this, at the end of the day you want to score more points than the other team. It doesn't matter how you get it done. I'm proud of our guys for gutting it out. Again, it wasn't all pretty. That's how games go. It's about how you finish at the end, and I'm proud of the way our guys finished.”

The season hasn't been perfect for the Texans. For a team with Super Bowl expectations, they haven't been able to win games as handily as expected. However, they've won four of their five games and have built character along the way.

Later in the season, when the Texans are going toe-to-toe with a good team in a must-win game, they'll have had practice in closing out tight games -- which will ultimately be to their benefit.

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READ MORE: Texans Give Injury Update for WR Nico Collins

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