Houston Texans Fall in Heartbreaker to Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers gave the Houston Texans everything they could handle and more on Sunday

The Houston Texans entered Sunday afternoon's matchup with the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, looking to build off of a win over the New Orleans Saints a week prior.

Not only were the Texans trying to get their second-straight win in three tries against the NFC South, but they were also looking to creep back about .500 for the first time since the Deshaun Watson era.

And after a tough defensive struggle against the winless Panthers, it wasn't to be, with the Panthers winning 15-13 on a last-second field goal to get their first win of the season and send the Texans to 3-4, and 1-3 on the road.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns (0) reacts after a sack in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans, who took a 7-6 lead into the locker room at halftime, had their chance to win, close things out vs. the Panthers and take the lead.

However, turnovers, mistakes, and a missed two-point conversion attempt were too much to overcome, as Houston was unable to hold off the Panthers' offense on the final drive of the game. 

Offensively, the struggles began at the top for Houston, with rookie sensation C.J. Stroud having the worst game of his young career, throwing for just 140 yards on 16 of 25 passing. 

The running game was also inconsistent for Houston, with the Texans amassing just 110 yards on 30 carries as a team. 

Defensively, Carolina was able to take advantage of the Texans secondary when it mattered, with rookie Bryce Young throwing for 235 yards and a score with no interceptions on 22 of 31 passing.

Following the slugfest vs. Carolina, the Texans will now turn their attention toward their fourth-straight and final NFC South opponent of the season next Sunday, when they return home to take on Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at noon on CBS.