The Houston Texans entered Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos at 6-5 on the season and very much alive in the AFC Playoff race.
Most of the talk surrounding Houston has been about record-setting rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
While Stroud did his thing (16-of-27 passing, 274 yards, 1 TD), it was all about Houston’s other youngsters as the team pulled off a thrilling 22-17 win over what was a red-hot Broncos team.
The No. 3 overall pick of Houston in the 2022 NFL Draft, Derek Stingley Jr. put up his first signature performnace as a member of the team. The stud young cornerback picked off Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson twice.
The first one came late in the third quarter with Houston up 16-10. It led directly to a touchdown for the Texans’ offense a few plays later.
With Houston up just 22-17 and after its offense went three-and-out, Stingley Jr. once again picked off Wilson. This time, it was on a pass intended for Courtland Sutton after the Broncos’ star wide receiver had scored earlier in the game.
With Denver driving inside Houston’s 10-yard line late in the fourth quarter in an attempt to pull off a sixth consecutive win, veteran defensive back Jimmie Ward picked off Wilson in the end zone. That represented game.
The infusion of young talent coupled with some savvy veterans helped the Texans pull off a big time win Sunday afternoon at home.
It wasn’t only about Stingley Jr., either. Rookie No. 3 pick Will Anderson continued to dominate out on the edge, getting to Wilson for four quarterback hits and two sacks.
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We will have to see how the remainder of Week 13 plays out around the NFL world. But what we do know is that Houston is 7-5 on the season and has won seven of its past 10 games.
As of publication of this article, Houston is the seventh seed in the AFC. It would take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
It’s insane to look at. Remember, the Texans had won a combined seven games over the past two seasons with head coaches David Culley and Lovie Smith going one-and-done.
The process of rebuilding this long-downtrodden organization started with hiring Ryans away from the San Francisco 49ers after his stellar performance as their defensive coordinator over the previous two seasons.
“I can’t wait to get started with you guys. Man, I’m fired up. This is a young team. We’re on the cusp. We have to add some pieces to what we’re doing here, but I’m so excited to get started and get to work with you young guys, and to build a winning program here with the Texans. I’m fired up. The excitement is real, and I can’t wait to get to work, to get to coaching.”
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans during intro press conference
About that? The culture change has been real under Ryans in Houston.
Sure, it helps that the Texans have a quarterback in Stroud who is playing at a higher level than any rookie signal caller in modern NFL history. But the Texans’ success is about much more than one player. Young players buying in. Veterans doing their thing.
Moving forward, Houston has games coming up against the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans (twice), Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts to close up shop on the season.
It would not be a surprise if the team went 4-1 to end the regular season. That would pretty much guarantee the Texans their first playoff spot since 2019. Talk about a tremendous turnaround for this ascending organization.