After losing their first three games, the Houston Texans were comforted by the fact that they turned things around to make the playoffs last season after an identical start.
asserted
they → lose → start
For the third time in four games, the Texans had a lead late in the fourth quarter only for the defense to give up a score after that to send Houston to yet another loss.
asserted
defense → have → loss
On Sunday, the Texans led by 3 after a 6-yard touchdown run by Woody Marks with about 2 1/2 minutes to play.
asserted
Texans → lead → minutes
The Texans were facing third-and-14 when a hook-and-ladder play with a 2-yard catch by Dalton Schultz and a 19-yard run by David Montgomery set up that score.
asserted
play → face → score
Dak Prescott then led an 11-play, 74-yard drive that included a fourth down conversion and capped it with a TD throw to CeeDee Lamb with 40 seconds left to give the Cowboys the victory.
asserted
seconds → lead → victory
“You’ve just got to finish, lock in, do your job,” defensive end Will Anderson said.
asserted
Anderson → get → job
“It starts with all of us.
asserted
It → start → us
All of us have got to look at ourselves in the mirror and you’ve got to bow up at the end and it’s just as simple as that, man.
asserted
it → get → that
Though there were many problems on Sunday, Houston’s most glaring issue was breakdowns in the secondary, especially in the second half.
asserted
issue → be → half
The Texans allowed Lamb to finish with a career-high 17 catches for 189 yards on a day Prescott threw for 248 of his 335 yards in the second half and receivers were often left wide open.
asserted
receivers → allow → half
Last season, Houston’s secondary was one of the team’s biggest strengths, ranking sixth in the NFL by allowing just 183.5 yards a game.
asserted
secondary → rank → yards
This year the Texans are giving up 260 yards passing a game, which is 28th in the NFL.
asserted
which → give → NFL
“On a couple of plays there you see CeeDee is just wide open, that’s definitely not our plan,” coach DeMeco Ryans said.
asserted
Ryans → see → plays
“We have to look at it to see what happened, what were the communication miscues that happened, but that’s not how we play coverage.”
asserted
we → have → coverage
While the Texans work to fix their defensive problems, the leaders of the team are working to make sure the guys don’t dwell on the awful start but instead look ahead.
asserted
guys → work → start
“We have to be able to get ourselves out of this hole and we’re the only ones who can do it,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said.
asserted
Stroud → have → it
“We’re all we got.
asserted
we → ’re → ?
Nobody is coming to save us, so we have to make sure we’re looking ourselves in the eye, being accountable and honest and going to work.
asserted
we → come → work
What’s working
Stroud continues to play well and ranks fifth in the NFL with 1,141 yards passing this season.
asserted
Stroud → work → yards
He threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns for a 126.7 passer rating Sunday in his 50th career start.
asserted
He → throw → start
He has thrown five touchdown passes with no interceptions.
asserted
He → throw → interceptions
What needs help
asserted
needs → need → help
There’s plenty to choose from here, but along with shoring up the secondary, the Texans must cut down on penalties.
asserted
Texans → ’ → penalties
They had a whopping 13 for 90 yards against Dallas.
asserted
They → have → Dallas
Houston is averaging 73.3 yards of penalties per game this season, which is the seventh most in the NFL.
asserted
which → average → NFL
Anderson said the penalties are just one of many ways in which they’re not playing up to their standard.
asserted
they → say → standard
“We’re in our own way right now,” he said.
asserted
he → ’re → way
“We’re making silly mistakes that we shouldn’t be making.
asserted
we → make → that
We have to get out of our own way for us to be the team that we want to be.”
asserted
we → have → that
WR Nico Collins had seven receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, giving the offense a huge boost in his return after missing two games with a hamstring injury.
asserted
Collins → have → injury
He’s had at least 50 yards receiving in 11 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
asserted
which → have → NFL
Stock down
CB Kamari Lassiter, a Pro Bowler last season, had a terrible game against the Cowboys.
asserted
Lassiter → have → Cowboys
He allowed eight catches for 136 yards on 11 targets, according to NexGenStats.
uncertain
He → allow → NexGenStats
The Texans led by 10 points midway through the third when George Pickens caught a 53-yard pass over him.
asserted
Pickens → lead → him
Lassiter was flagged for pass interference on Pickens on third down on that drive to give Dallas a first down at the 1.
asserted
Lassiter → flag → 1
The Cowboys couldn’t move the ball after that to bring up fourth down.
asserted
Cowboys → move → down
Dallas went for it and a holding penalty by Lassiter gave the Cowboys another first down at the 1 and they scored on the next play to cut the lead to 23-20.
asserted
they → go → 23
Injuries
LB Azeez Al-Shaair sat out Sunday with a groin injury and it’s unclear if he’ll return this week.
uncertain
he → sit → injury
… CB Jaylin Smith left in the second quarter Sunday with a hamstring injury.
asserted
Smith → leave → injury
… DT Jaden Crumedy injured his shoulder in the third quarter.
asserted
Crumedy → injure → quarter
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
