Houston Texans grades: Even when they win, they lose

Here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Texans’ 32-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, as well as offensive and defensive grades from the season finale.

The good

We’ll get to the negative NFL draft ramifications of the Texans’ sudden willingness to play winning football in just a bit. But first, let’s start with the positives from a rare victory.

Despite the high final point total, the defense had some impressive moments on Sunday. The Texans recorded three takeaways in the first half, including a pick-six that Jonathan Greenard took 39 yards to the house to give Houston a 10-point lead in the second quarter. Christian Kirksey also had an interception in the red zone that prevented the Colts from cutting into the gap before halftime, while M.J. Stewart recovered a fumble on a kickoff that led to a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal in the opening minutes of the game.

As you’ll see below, the Texans winning on Sunday might not have been the best thing for the franchise in the long run. That said, the victory was a positive on-field moment for a team that didn’t have much to celebrate amid a 3-13-1 season.

Houston Texans CEO Cal McNair shakes hands with M.J. Stewart #29 of the Houston Texans after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Despite holding three separate 10-point leads, Houston found itself trailing by seven with the game on the line following 17 straight points by the Colts. The Texans proceeded to put together a 14-play, 83-yard scoring drive, capped by an improbable 28-yard touchdown pass from Davis Mills to Jordan Akins on fourth-and-20 with less than a minute remaining. Mills found Akins again on the two-point try, lifting Houston to a 32-31 victory.

The bad

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses on the field for the Texans on Sunday, as they seemed poised for a trademark collapse midway through the fourth quarter.

Second-year quarterback Davis Mills played a key part in this with a couple of interceptions late in the third quarter—one of which was returned for a score, while the other set up a go-ahead touchdown. Mills made up for this with three touchdown passes and some late heroics, but it’s unlikely his overall decision-making did much to inspire the front office to believe he is the quarterback of the future.

Davis Mills #10 of the Houston Texans looks to throw the ball during the second half of the game /ai at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

The running game also exposed the Texans on both sides of the ball. Houston compiled just 59 rushing yards on 23 attempts, while Indianapolis rushed for 196 yards with an average of 5.9 per carry.

The ugly

All the Texans had to do to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft was do what they had done better than any team all season: find a way to lose.

They couldn’t do that, and with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears catapulted into the top spot. Houston will now hold the No. 2 selection, in addition to another top-15 pick from the Cleveland Browns.

Report card

Offense: B-

Mills’ interceptions were ugly and the rushing attack was a non-factor, but for an offense that entered Sunday averaging an abysmal 278.75 yards per game, the overall production was relatively impressive. The Texans finished with 360 total yards, while Mills’ three passing touchdowns and 298 yards through the air ranked first and third, respectively, among his single-game totals this season. It’s also worth noting that Houston went at least 75 yards on its three touchdown drives.

Defense: C-

The early takeaways helped the Texans survive the offensive futility that plagued much of their second-half performance, and 14 of the points surrendered after halftime were largely a result of Mills’ turnovers. Nonetheless, the fact that Houston gave up 398 yards—nearly half of which came on the ground—is troubling, considering the Colts were missing their starting quarterback and All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor.