HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans rue their mistakes and missed opportunities after a last-second loss to the previously winless Carolina Panthers.
Houston (3-4) had a one-point lead midway through the fourth quarter before a third-down delay-of-game penalty put them out of field goal range and forced a punt. The Panthers took control and Bryce Young led them on a 15-play drive, capped by a 23-yard field goal as time expired for a 15-13 victory.
“When you have penalties, you make mistakes that hurt you, you are playing against yourself. So it’s tough,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “When you put yourself in the hole, you have to find a way to mitigate those penalties, those negative plays, and help ourselves. If we continue to do that, we will play well and win games.”
Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud thought he made that critical play in time, but he knows he can’t let mistakes like that happen.
“I could have sworn I saw him go down to two,” he said. “At one o’clock I broke it and they called me. I am a player. I can’t go back and try to combat that. … It happens, but we have to get better at getting in and out of the meeting. I have to divide the players better and throw the ball.”
Of course, that penalty was far from Houston’s only problem on Sunday. Stroud had a season-low 140 passing yards after entering the game averaging over 276 yards per game.
The Texans had shown a knack for making big offensive plays, but they had none against Carolina. Houston had just one play of more than 20 yards against a defense that had allowed 84 points and 12 touchdowns in its last two games combined.
The Panthers intercepted four of Stroud’s passes at the line of scrimmage on a day in which he managed just 5.8 yards per throw. Houston also struggled on third down, converting 5 of 12 opportunities.
“We have the talent to be explosive, and I think we’ve shown that … we can do it,” Stroud said. “We just have to go out there, call it, execute it and execute it. I feel like that’s why we haven’t been consistent. “Too many taking the ball short and not enough explosives.”
WHAT IS WORKING?
Houston’s pass rush had its best performance in years, racking up six sacks after combining for nine in the first six games. It was the first time the Texans had six or more sacks since Week 12 of the 2018 season.
Jonathan Greenard had 2 1/2 and Maliek Collins had two, giving Houston two players with two or more sacks in the same game for the first time since JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney did so on September 30, 2018.
“Our guys had pressure from the beginning,” Ryans said. “The front four were able to apply pressure. Still, we have to be better in all areas.”
WHO NEEDS HELP
Houston’s offense needs to generate big plays and convert third down attempts.
SUPPLY
WR Noah Brown. After missing the first four games with a calf injury, Brown has been improving each week and had his best game of the season on Sunday. He had three receptions for 57 yards, highlighted by a 31-yard reception in the third quarter.
LOW STOCK
CB Tavierre Thomas. He had multiple penalties late in the game when the Panthers attempted to kick the game-winning field goal. The first came when he ran into the backfield before the ball was snapped and collided with the starter after Eddy Piñeiro kicked the ball between the uprights.
Thomas received penalties for unnecessary roughness and offside and Carolina went 10 yards closer. Piñeiro took the shot again, but it was disallowed after Thomas was again offside. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for intentionally delaying play and the Panthers got 5 yards closer.
Piñeiro then hit the chip shot for the win.
“We’re trying to get a stop there, a makeable field goal,” Ryans said. “So, we’re trying to stop there, trying to block the kick.”
INJURIES
Ryans said rookie C Jarrett Patterson will be “out for some time” after suffering a lower leg injury on Sunday.
KEY NUMBER
9 – Houston had nine tackles for losses on Sunday to tie for third in franchise history. It was the 10th time the Texans had nine or more tackles for loss.
NEXT STEPS
The Texans are looking for more consistency Sunday against Tampa Bay after losing two of three games since beating Jacksonville and Pittsburgh in consecutive weeks.
“We played really well one week and then we played poorly the next,” Stroud said. “We can’t do that if we want to be consistent and be a playoff contender and win the division. We have to come and bring it every week.”
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