FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans did what they were supposed to do on Sunday. In the process, the franchise exercised demons at its house of horrors.
The Texans earned a convincing 41-21 win over the New England Patriots, giving Houston its first-ever victory at Gillette Stadium. Entering Sunday’s Week 6 matchup, the Texans were 0-7 all-time in Foxborough, Mass., including in postseason games.
It was a predictable result, as the Patriots, one of the NFL‘s worst teams, were starting rookie quarterback Drake Maye behind a wretched offensive line. And while Maye authored some impressive moments, he and the Patriots were powerless against a Texans team that further established its ideal formula for victory.
C.J. Stroud Makes Patriots Pay for Sloppy Mistakes
By Stroud’s standards, Sunday’s performance wasn’t anything too special.
The second-year QB completed 20 of 31 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns to go along with a badly thrown interception. Stroud, who was sacked twice, added seven rushing yards.
However, Stroud likely would’ve posted gaudy numbers had the Patriots’ offense not given him so many short fields to work with. And he wasn’t even playing with star receiver Nico Collins, who’s on injured reserve with a hamstring issue.
In the second half, the Texans scored a touchdown after a Maye strip sack gave them the ball at New England’s 10-yard line, and they scored another TD after a Maye interception gave them the ball at the Patriots’ 26-yard line. An Austin Hooper fumble also gave Houston the ball at New England’s 31-yard line, with the drive resulting in a field goal.
HOW 🤯🤯🤯
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/xKzo1WqH2u
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2024
Between nine penalties and four turnovers, the Patriots put Stroud in too many advantageous situations — and the superstar signal-caller made them pay.
Stroud made multiple high-level plays, particularly on Houston’s first drive. His third-down pass to Stefon Diggs and touchdown throw to Tank Dell were things of beauty. Stroud also showed no fear when targeting Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez, whose struggles contributed to Diggs posting six catches for 77 yards.
3️⃣ WITH HIS FIRST TD OF THE YEAR 🚀
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— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2024
Maye did some good things in this game but also looked like a rookie at times — especially when pressured. The No. 3 overall pick was pressured on 33.3% of his dropbacks — a relatively manageable number — but managed just a 47.9 passer rating when pressured, per TruMedia.
On the other side, Stroud, who was pressured on 32.4% of his dropbacks, posted a 74.5 passer rating when pressured. The Patriots did everything they could to get Stroud off his game, and most of it didn’t work.
Again, Stroud’s Week 6 numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was excellent in this game.
With Joe Mixon Leading the Way, Running Game Makes Houston Dangerous
Joe Mixon returned Sunday after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury. And the veteran running back didn’t miss a beat.
Mixon ran 13 times for 102 yards (including a 59-yarder) and a touchdown while adding two catches for 30 yards and a score. Dameon Pierce also played well, finishing with eight rushes for 76 yards, including a 54-yard TD run that put the game away.
Overall, the Texans ran 28 times for 192 yards, good for a 6.9 average.
GO CRAZY DP ‼️
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— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2024
“Really nice job all the way across the board with our offense and how they ran the football,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said during a postgame news conference. “To run for over 190 yards versus a really stout defense, really impressive, starting with the offensive line.
“Give credit to our backs. Having Dameon, having Joe back was huge for us, a huge lift for our team. Very excited to see those guys continue to do more for us.”
Ryans was being kind when he called the Patriots’ defense “stout.”
While that was true early in the season, New England is now playing without defensive tackle Christian Barmore (blood clots), linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (torn pectoral), and safety Jabrill Peppers (commissioner’s exempt list). Those are three of the Patriots’ top run defenders.
As New England’s defense has put out more and more bad film, opposing offenses have learned that Jerod Mayo’s front seven can’t stop a nosebleed.
Here’s how opposing rushing attacks fared against the Patriots in the last four weeks:
Week 3 (Jets): 33 carries, 133 yards, 4.0 average, 1 TD
Week 4 (49ers): 32 carries, 148 yards, 4.6 average, 1 TD
Week 5 (Dolphins): 41 carries, 193 yards, 4.7 average, 1 TD
Week 6 (Texans): 28 carries, 192 yards, 6.9 average, 2 TDs
The book is out on New England’s defense. The Texans read the material and aced the exam.
That said, this is how the Texans should play going forward. They’re at their best when they’re balanced on offense and not putting too much on Stroud’s capable shoulders.
When healthy, Mixon makes a massive difference for Houston’s offense. He posted 159 yards on 30 carries in the season opener, giving him two 100-yard efforts in three games. With Pierece a dangerous back in his own right, the Texans have one of the better backfield tandems in the AFC.
When the Texans run the ball as they did on Sunday and set up play-action shots for one of the NFL’s top passing attacks, they’re as good as any team in football.