In the home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Houston Texans prevailed, winning with a score of 13-12. While week 2 wasn’t as thrilling a game to watch as week 1, a win is simply a win. Quarterback Deshaun Watson scored the sole touchdown on a two-yard rush. The scoring was as limited as the pass protection. Once again, Watson suffered multiple hits and endured a total of four sacks. Watson, who turned 24 the night before, also made a bit of history. That single touchdown during Sunday afternoon’s game solidified his place in Texans franchise history with the most QB career rushing touchdowns with a grand total of nine.
Watson expressed post-game, “I played decent,” Watson said. “There were some throws that I missed. I had to kind of rush it up, but every game is different. You’ve got to give them credit for disrupting us. At the end of the day, we got the ‘W.’ There’s always plays out there that I could have made and continued to get better. That’s what it’s about, especially for this long season. It’s a journey.”
There were a number of major stops that occurred during the game but no stop was bigger than safety Justin Reid’s.
“The whole game came down to this one play,” Reid explained. “We all went into the huddle like the game is on the line right here. Everybody just do your job. Just pay attention. I was actually responsible for the back on that play. The front line, the D line did a great job pushing the pile, opening it up to where it was basically just me and him. Just had to show up and make a play.”
After the Jaguars went 14 plays to score a touchdown they decided to go for 2 points to steal the lead versus tying the game. Leonard Fournette of the Jaguars was met just shy of the in-zone by a wall of Reid.
DeAndre Hopkins praised Reid’s read of the situation.
“Justin is a student of the game, he understands football very well,” Hopkins said. “He knew that he was trying to make that reach out, and he was right there to stop it. So it was a great play.”
Two rookies made their debut in the home opener. The Texans 2019 1st round draft pick Tytus Howard and 2nd round draft pick Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Howard spoke on his performance saying, “I felt like I went out against a good defensive line and competed and let them know that even though I’m like a rookie, that I can go out and compete at a high level with my guys. I had some great teammates who stayed in my ear the whole game and kept me level.”
Head Coach Bill O’Brien had some thoughts on Johnson’s performance.
“Lonnie played a decent game,” O’Brien said. “There were a couple of things – like I said, we all have to work hard, and Lonnie will work hard to improve on certain things. For his first real action out there on defense, I thought he did some good things.”
The Texans are now 1-1 and head to Los Angeles for a week 3 game against the Chargers.
Prairie View A&M University’s marching band better known as the “Marching Storm” gave a great halftime performance.
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