Texans vs. Giants Notebook: Lovie Smith Defends Dameon Pierce

Amid their loss to the Giants, the Houston Texans failed to execute at the most critical moments of the game Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Rookie running back Dameon Pierce says the odds of him winning Offensive Rookie of the Year are in his favor. But if the Houston Texans did not possess a 1-7-1 record, Pierce would be in the running for league MVP honors.

"He has done a really great job up to this point," coach Lovie Smith said. "He’s still got a lot of games ahead of him to go out and play and perform. Up to this point he has been playing really well and hopefully he can keep it going."

Pierce recorded 94 yards on 17 attempts en route to the Texans' 24-16 loss to the New York Giants Sunday night. Pierce's value to the Texans' offense was at its best during the first half when he accounted for 66 of Houston's 86 yards. 

Pierce set an early offensive tone to help the Texans gain momentum due to his ability to move the chains. But Pierce's play also resulted in the Texans starting a negative trend.

He committed his first fumble since the Texans' Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears on the Giants' nine-yard line. At another crucial moment, second-year quarterback Davis Mills committed another costly turnover by throwing an interception to New York's defensive back Dane Belton. Mills was trying to target veteran wide receiver Phillip Dorsett in the end zone.

Had the Texans ended those possessions in touchdowns instead of turnovers, Houston could have left MetLife Stadium with their second victory of the season instead of their seventh loss in nine tries.

"Stuff happens," Smith said. "I am not about to criticize Dameon Pierce knowing what he has been doing for our team. We gotta protect the football. You can't turn the ball over down in the red zone. We have to protect the ball better and make better decisions."

Davis Mills rattled

Outside of the Texans' first drive of the second half that ended with Nico Collins scoring his second touchdown of the season, Mills had another forgettable performance.

Mills finished the game throwing 319 yards by completing 59 percent of his pass attempts and one touchdown. But his play was not efficient.

He appeared to be overwhelmed when trying to handle the Giants' pressure. Mills rushed through his reads on several occasions, resulting in a variety of subpar attempts at his targets.

Mills' first pass attempt was an ill-advised throw to tight end O.J. Howard. A few plays later, Mills repeated his horrid pass attempt to Brandin Cooks.

"We game plan for this defense — we knew they were going to bring a lot of pressure," Mills said. "Give a lot of respect to their defense, there's a reason why they have one of the best records in the league. They have a lot of talented players on the front seven who were making plays."

Brandin Cooks makes return

After missing the previous game due to his frustration following the trade deadline, veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks returned to the lineup. He caught four balls for 37 yards. After expressing his displeasure on social media, Smith stripped Cooks of his captaincy in favor of Pro-Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. 

Quick Hits:

- Saquon Barkley became the fifth running back to eclipse over 100 yards on the ground. He finished the game rushing for 152 yards on a career-best 35 carries.

- Veteran tight end Jordan Akins led the Texans in receptions with a team-best 72-yards on three catches. Chris Moore led all wide receivers with 70 yards on three catches.

- The Texans' defensive line sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones three times in the loss. Maliek Collins and Christian Kirksey split a sack, while Blake Cashman and Jerry Hughes each finished with one apiece.

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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