Texans win in final seconds, but must improve to beat Bills

The Texans (5-5) made a 35-yard field goal in the final seconds to lift them to a 16-13 win over the 1-9 Titans this weekend.

But they were shut out in the first half as they struggled to move the ball for most of the game playing a second straight game with backup quarterback Davis Mills.

Houston had a first down at the 6-yard line on the first possession and came away empty after Mills was sacked for an 11-yard loss on fourth-and-1. They punted on their next three drives in the half before finally getting in the end zone with a 3-yard touchdown reception by Nico Collins with about seven minutes left in the third quarter.

They added field goals on their next two drives to take a 13-6 lead before the Titans tied it late.

The Texans faced third-and-16 from the 42-yard line after that and Mills connected with Collins for a 17-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Houston gained another first down thanks to two runs by Woody Marks to set up the game-winning field goal.

Mills threw for 274 yards without a turnover filling in for C.J. Stroud, who sustained a concussion on Nov. 2. Coach DeMeco Ryans was impressed with the poise Mills showed Sunday in leading the team to a victory for a second consecutive week.

The Texans trailed Jacksonville by 19 points entering the fourth quarter two weeks ago before Mills accounted for three touchdowns in the final period to lift them to a 36-29 win.

“No play bigger (play) than him connecting with Nico there when we needed him most, two-minute drive, that was such a huge play for us,” Ryans said. “Nico and Davis, that connection really took off in the second half, which we needed. We needed a spark. We start getting the ball to Nico, and we saw he made play after play after play. So did an outstanding job putting us in position there to make that field goal a lot easier.”

Mills could have to start again Thursday with Ryans saying Monday that Stroud remains in the concussion protocol. Safety Jalen Pitre, who has also missed the past two games with a concussion, is also still in the protocol.

“With C.J. and Jalen, we’ve got to see how the week goes,” Ryans said. “During their concussion protocols, there are steps they have to pass to be available. We’ll see how it goes.”

What’s working

Mills and Collins have paired for two big games to help the Texans to consecutive wins. Collins had a season-high 136 yards against Jacksonville before grabbing a season-best nine receptions with 92 yards and a score in Sunday’s win.

“It’s incredible having him on your team,” Mills said. “Extremely reliable, Nico’s going to make a big play if there needs to be one to be made.”

What needs help

The Texans lead the NFL in yards (258.1) and points (16.8) allowed but continue to struggle with giving up big plays late in games. On Sunday they allowed an 11-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that included a 39-yard pass by Cam Ward to allow the Titans to tie it with less than two minutes to go. That play came after they gave up similar long drives in the fourth quarter of close losses to Tampa Bay and Denver earlier this season.

Stock up

DE Will Anderson’s stock has been high since he was taken with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, but he continues to elevate his play. On Sunday he had a sack to become the fifth player in franchise history with a sack in five straight games. He also had two tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and forced a fumble that he recovered early in the fourth quarter against the Titans.

Anderson is tied for seventh in the NFL with eight sacks this season and his 12 tackles for loss are tied for fourth.

“He’s doing a fantastic job of not only disrupting the quarterback, but being in position to get the quarterback down, to take the football, making game-changing plays,” Ryans said. "That’s who Will Anderson is. We hope that streak continues.”

Stock down

Houston struggled to run the ball Sunday and finished with just 75 yards rushing, the second-lowest total of the season. Marks had 18 carries for 44 yards and Nick Chubb added three carries for 17 yards.

Injuries

Ryans said Monday that it’s “looking good” for K Ka’imi Fairbairn to return after missing two games with a quadriceps injury.

Key number

8 — Sunday was the eighth straight game where the Texans have forced a turnover and gotten at least one sack, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Next steps

The Texans host the Bills on Thursday night to start a tough stretch with visits to the Colts and the Chiefs to follow.

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