Houston Texans' Offensive Line Depth Unsung Hero of Win vs. Jaguars
The excuses were written for the Houston Texans all week.
A banged-up secondary had to find a way to contain a potentially explosive Jacksonville Jaguars offense. An offensive line with one starter was supposed to limit the hits of the conference’s most-sacked quarterback. All while on the road against a presumably superior team.
Houston could’ve lost by two scores and no one would have thought to hit the panic button. Instead, the Texans went into Jacksonville and blew the doors off the building, winning 37-17.
For head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, it will go down as their first career win. They’ll draw the headlines, maybe an AFC Player of the Week nomination, deservedly so.
What should garner attention, though, is the performance of Houston’s battered offensive line.
After learning late in the week that star left tackle Laremy Tunsil would not be playing, Houston was forced to scramble its plans for the trenches one more time. Both starting tackles, the top two centers, and left guard Kenyon Green would all miss the contest.
They turned in their best performance of the season.
Stroud was not sacked, a stark turn from the 11 he had taken through two weeks. He had been producing while kept clean, but pressure helped accelerate Houston’s unraveling. Sunday was his first game in which the confidence he’s placed in his offensive line paid off. In return, he went 20-of-30 for 280 yards and three scores.
The newfound time in the pocket allowed Stroud to test the deep ball, fruitfully landing two downfield shots to rookie receiver Tank Dell.
“For C.J. we want to be an explosive offense, making plays down the field,” Ryans said. “It all starts with the protection, He has to have the time to make those throws.”
Right guard Shaq Mason, the lone starter left standing after two weeks, spoke about the line’s success.
“We knew we weren’t far off,” Mason said. “We knew we had the pieces. I’m glad we put it all together today.”
The run game is still a work in progress, but the signs of life were not surprising given the line’s improvement. Running back Dameon Pierce scored his first touchdown of the young season, and veteran Devin Singletary put together his highest rushing total of the season with 41 yards. Both were able to rip off a run of 10+ yards.
The game script certainly helped, but Jacksonville is an athletic front with the potential to make life difficult, especially against a band of backups. The Texans’ front five have only added optimism to this team’s future, and there are a number of starters set to return soon.
It’s hard not to feel good about Houston’s direction after the win. Now, it’s on to a much more daunting task: the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pass rush.
