Texans reach midway point of season with just 3 wins and face uncertainty after concussion to Stroud

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans are far from where they hoped to be at the midpoint of the season.

And things might get worse before they get better with the availability of quarterback C.J. Stroud in question this week.

The Texans managed just five field goals in an 18-15 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday to fall to 3-5. Stroud sustained a concussion early in the second quarter when the back of his head bounced violently off the ground following a hard hit as he was sliding.

Now the Texans must to prepare for the possibility that Stroud could miss a game and they’ll have to rely on backup Davis Mills, who struggled mightily in Sunday’s loss.

Houston’s offense has had trouble moving the ball often this season, but never more than it did against the Broncos. The Texans punted on their final six possessions after taking a 15-7 lead early in the third quarter.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Stroud was in the concussion protocol, but that he spoke to him Sunday night and he was “doing a little bit better.”

The offense has taken a step back this season under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley and with a revamped offensive line. Stroud often doesn’t have enough time to throw and the run blocking hasn’t been good either.

Stroud’s passing numbers have fallen each year since he averaged 273.9 yards passing a game and won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Last season he averaged 219.2 yards a game and this year he’s down to 212.8.

Though there’s plenty of things the Texans can do better offensively, the No. 1 priority for Ryans, regardless of who is at quarterback, is to take advantage of scoring opportunities.

“For us offensively, again, it always goes back to it’s in the red zone,” Ryans said. “We’ve got to do a better job of finding a way to get in the end zone. If we can’t get it the end zone and score points, it’s going to be hard.”

Houston went 0 for 3 in the red zone Sunday and didn't score a TD for just the second time this season. They failed to get in the end zone when Stroud was playing after getting a first down at the 1. After Mills took over, they had a first down at the 2 and couldn’t score a touchdown again.

They are 8 for 22 in the red zone this season and have had four games where they’ve converted none of their opportunities.

Houston’s defense has been the strength of the team all season. The Texans lead the NFL in yards allowed (267.4) and points (15.1). They are fourth in yards passing allowed (177.5) and sixth in yards rushing (89.9). The group also has a knack for forcing turnovers and ranks fourth in the NFL with 13 takeaways.

“For us as coaches we put a game plan together to let our guys go perform and those guys are making it shine when they’re out there,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “I don’t know that there’s a lot of magic formulas. I’ve said this, we’ve got good players, and we try to let those guys go be good players.”

As noted previously, the Texans must be more consistent offensively and do a better job of scoring in the red zone. The Texans are averaging just 21 points a game, which is tied with the Jets for 24th in the NFL.

The entire defense has done such a good job that it’s difficult to single one player out — so we’ll do two. Safety Jalen Pitre is tied for fourth in the NFL with three interceptions this season and he ranks third on the team with 46 tackles. DE Will Anderson Jr.’s nine tackles for loss are tied for sixth in the league and his six sacks are ranked tied for 10th.

Ryans has raved about both players for their work ethic and leadership. He called Anderson one of the hardest workers he’s ever been around and said Pitre is a “true spark plug” for the entire team.

When training camp began, most expected running back Joe Mixon to have recovered from an offseason foot injury before the season started. But the timetable for his return keeps getting pushed back, with no details on his condition and now it seems unlikely that he’ll play at all this season.

His absence has been a big blow to the running game after he led the team with 1,016 yards rushing last season in the first season of a three-year, $27 million contract after being traded from the Bengals.

LB Christian Harris missed the second half with a shin injury. … OL Tytus Howard left in the first half to be evaluated for a concussion. … DE Darrell Taylor injured his ankle in the third quarter.

6 — Calen Bullock’s interception Sunday gave the Texans at least one interception in six consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.

The Texans must wait to see if Stroud is out of the concussion protocol and can return Sunday when they return to division play against the Jaguars. Jacksonville earned a 17-10 win over Houston in Week 3.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl