Houston, a team that ranked third in forced turnovers last season, ended Week 1 with a big fat zero against the Bills, and man, that stings. It wasn’t just bad luck either, the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story. The Texans had at least three potential interceptions and two fumble recoveries slip right through their grasp.
Turnovers Just Vanished
You watch the game, you see the effort, but sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. Or, in this case, sometimes the ball gets dropped. Lassiter’s missed interception in the end zone was a killer. Then Jalen Pitre had a golden chance to shut down a Bills drive with a near goal-line pick, right after a DPI put Buffalo at the 1-yard line. Later, on another second quarter drive, Stingley somehow missed a “kitten it” throw from Josh Allen to Dalton Kincaid. Then, Blankenship was a quarter-second too slow on his jump for another potential INT. Even in the fourth quarter, after Houston took a 31-30 lead, Josh Allen fumbled a snap on the first play of the drive, but he managed to jump on it himself. Turnovers are supposed to be a Texans specialty, but in Week 1, they just disappeared.
The O-Line’s Final Act
For most of the game, the offense actually carried Houston, with Stroud regaining his composure after an early fumble and the offensive line holding their own. But when it mattered most, things fell apart. On the second-to-last drive, a curious play call saw a second down toss sweep to the right, even though the team had most of its success running to the offensive left. The line just couldn’t get the push for a first down. Then, on the final drive, they got Houston to the Buffalo 9-yard line. Guard Ed Ingram got badly beaten, forcing a crushing 9-yard sack. With only 20 seconds left, Houston was stuck needing to score from the 18. The next pass was incomplete, and then the right side of the line failed again. Tackle Trent Brown got beaten, allowing a strip-sack fumble of Stroud. While those final two sacks weren’t entirely on him, Stroud can’t shake the turnover narrative. The post-game comments were all the right things, but you have to wonder if the outside noise about that line and Stroud is about to get very real.
The Fumble That Got Away
Out of all the game-altering plays, one missed recovery just looms so large. In the fourth quarter, with 3:13 left, the Bills had the ball on their own 4-yard line after Kroeger and the coverage units pinned them deep. James Cook busted through the Texans defense for a 12-yard run to the Buffalo 16. Derek Stingley forced a fumble! It was right there! But Buffalo recovered it at their own 19. That’s a huge swing. Imagine if the Texans had recovered that one. It could have been the difference.
Week 1 is done, but the questions about Houston’s ability to force turnovers and protect their QB are just starting. Can the Texans clean up these glaring missed opportunities, especially with that offensive line needing to step up big-time? They’ve got to find that turnover magic again, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Battle Red Blog.
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