Week 4 – Texans V.s. Seahawks: Game Breakdown

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Frustrating. Annoying. Irritating. Crushed. Week-ruiner. Devastating. All these (and more) could describe what happened less than 24 hours ago. How could a team play so damn well yet play so poorly ALL IN THE SAME GAME?!? How?!? Why?!? What did we, as Texans fans, do to deserve watching such a heartbreaking loss? Well Texans fans, it’s not all over yet. There were several bright spots in the game even though some people may believe the Texans season is over. Let’s take a look at the good and the bad from the Texans 23-20 overtime loss to the Seahawks.

What Went Right

• J.J. Watt – The leader of this section again. Though the sack and deflection numbers aren’t quite there yet, he’s dominated the opposing team’s offensive lines this year. Got to love the blood as well right?!? He’s a warrior and gives 110% every play. Read his post game quotes as well. What a player!
• The First Half – Anyone that watched the game knows the Texans dominated the first half. The Texans offense gained 324 total yards and the defense held the Seahawks to just 88 yards in the first half. Texans looked like a Super Bowl contender in the first half.
• Arian Foster – Looked a lot better on cuts and just overall running. 100 yard game was his first one this season. Would love to see more of those.
• Brian Cushing – Arguably the one player the Texans can’t afford to lose. His gameplay against the Seahawks was outstanding as he wouldn’t let Russell Wilson break free. When Cushing left with a concussion, the Seahawks and Wilson were able to do all sorts of things against the Texans.
• Whitney Mercilus – Getting much better as a pass rusher. 2.5 sacks is a great accomplishment and something this Texans pass rush was lacking.
• Andre Johnson – 9 catches and 110 yards against one of the best cornerbacks in the game. He’s a beast.
• Owen Daniels – 6 catches and 72 yards and some nice catches. Very reliable tight end.
• The Stats – 14 more first downs than the Seahawks. Outgained the Seahawks 476-270 in total yards. Eight more minutes in the time-of-possesion battle. But they lost in the one category that counts. Points.

What Didn’t Go Right

• Matt Schaub – I have defended him for many games but I just can’t do it anymore. Three straight games with a pick-6 and they were all terrible throws a quarterback shouldn’t make. Great in first half but let the Seahawks back in the game with a terrible second half.
• Gary Kubiak – He doesn’t keep his foot on the pedal. Up 20-3 at the half and he chose to hope his defense could hold up. Terrible play call on the pick-6 as well. Gary Conserviak isn’t well liked right now.
• Ben Tate – Big fumble which could arguably have swung the game’s momentum. Didn’t see a single snap after the fumble.
• Darryl Sharpton – Dumb horse collar in overtime which lead to a game-winning field goal. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
• Wade Smith – He had a poor performance as did the rest of the offensive line in the second half. Need to give more time for a quarterback without the capability of escaping a pass rush.
• Michael Bennett Injury – Sucks to see any player go down, but especially a player whose father was in the stands. A terrifying situation to watch live but it seems like Bennett is doing fine. I Hope to not see that again.
• Special Teams Coverage – Getting killed on punt returns when the returner decides to return it. They’re playing very poorly right now.
• Second Half – Everything possible went wrong. Fumbles, pick-6’s, penalties, and injuries. Texans had several chances to close it out but they couldn’t. Pathetic zero-point performance in the second half.

The Turning Point 

The Ben Tate fumble in Texans territory was inexcusable. However, I don’t believe it was the turning point. Sure the Texans defense stopped the Seahawks right then and just allowed the field goal, a field goal that was a big difference maker, but the turning point was the Schaub pick-6. It’s 3rd-and-4 from the Seattle 40-yard line with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Texans ran the ball two straight plays and should have run the ball again. Texans were up seven at the time and if they get the first down the game is likely over. Instead, Kubiak calls for a classic Texans play. Schaub floats one up to Daniels and Richard Sherman was all over it for six points. He knew it was coming. It was classic Kubiak. Terrible play call and terrible throw. The Texans still had a chance to win several other times, but that pick-6 felt like the knockout punch.

My Final Thoughts

The Texans lost. It sucks. It was a home game against one of the premiere teams in the NFL and they had the game locked up. Instead of being third in the division the Texans should have been atop the AFC South. Well, a fumble, key injury, and pick-6 later and the Texans and their fans are upset and rightfully so. However, I try to look at the bright side of things. The Texans looked really good in the first half. They were able to move the ball at will against one of the best defenses in the game. It’s tough to see the light in such a bad loss but they proved that they could be one of the best in the game from time to time.