TEXANS: LOSS TO BUCCANEERS WRAPS PRESEASON.
The Texans proved in three preseason games their defense can manhandle backup quarterbacks.
Unfortunately for the Texans, preseason is over, and they’re not expected to be playing against many backups.
The Texans lost 23-16 to Tampa Bay on Saturday night at NRG Stadium, completing their first preseason under coach David Culley with a 2-1 record.
The next time fans see the Texans at NRG Stadium will be Sept. 12, when they begin the regular season against Jacksonville.
It was a strange game against the Buccaneers, who are coming off a Super Bowl LV victory over Kansas City. Because kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn didn’t play because of a slight muscle pull in his leg, safety Justin Reid kicked off, and the Texans went for it on every fourth-down situation, converting 2 of 6 and costing them some field goals that could have made a difference in the outcome.
Rather than have Reid attempt extra points, the Texans went for two points after both touchdowns, succeeding on the first and failing on the other.
Once Tom Brady called it a night in the second quarter after engineering touchdown drives of 91 and 93 yards and building a 13-0 lead, the defense went to work on the Bucs’ backup quarterbacks, veteran Blaine Gabbert and rookie Kyle Trask.
The defense recorded four sacks and produced three takeaways. They ended preseason with 11 sacks and 10 takeaways.
Rookie Davis Mills threw two touchdown passes and three interceptions. The Texans committed five turnovers.
“I don’t care how many turnovers you get on defense, if you turn the ball over on offense, you don’t have much of a chance to win,” Culley said.
The run defense was exceptional again, allowing only 52 yards rushing — a third consecutive game in which the opponent failed to reach triple digits. After Brady departed the game, the defense registered a safety and set up two touchdown drives with turnovers, both ending in Mills scoring passes.
The special teams finished an outstanding preseason. Defensive tackle Vincent Taylor blocked an extra point, and cornerback Tavierre Thomas blocked a field goal.
This game started well for Lovie Smith’s defense. On Tampa Bay’s first possession, Brady looked like a 44-year-old quarterback playing in his 22nd season, throwing two incompletions before the Bucs punted. That was the last time the Texans’ defense did anything impressive against Brady.
There’s a reason Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He won six Super Bowl rings with New England and another one last season with Tampa Bay. When he returned to the field in the second quarter, he played as if he’d emerged from a fountain of youth under the NRG Stadium stands.
Brady went through the Texans’ defense like it was soup on the two touchdown drives. He made it look easy against a defense that was going against a starting quarterback for the first time in preseason.
The Texans beat Green Bay and Dallas without Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott, so they needed to go against a starter.
And they went against the best. Brady finished with 11 of 14 for 154 yards, one touchdown and a 136.3 rating.
After Brady’s second touchdown drive, coach Bruce Arians showed some mercy by pulling him. Arians may have regretted his decision instantly because Brady’s replacement, Gabbert, got off to an awful start.
On his first series, Gabbert was sacked by end Charles Omenihu for a 10-yard loss. It was Omenihu’s third sack in two games. On the Bucs’ next play, Gabbert was intercepted by safety Terrence Brooks. The Texans failed to capitalize on Brooks’ interception.
While the Texans’ passing game was mostly feeble against the Bucs’ defense — and it didn’t matter if it was Tyrod Taylor or Mills at quarterback — the Texans’ defense excelled against a backup quarterback for a third consecutive game.
When Tampa Bay got the ball again with Gabbert at quarterback, the Bucs had another awful possession. Cam Johnston’s 41-yard punt backed up the Bucs at their 4.
An aborted snap that Gabbert couldn’t handle forced him to fall on the ball in the end zone, just inside the goal line. Tackle DeMarcus Walker touched him down for a safety, leaving the Texans with a 13-2 deficit.
Trailing 16-2 in the third quarter, the defense was responsible for another turnover that gave a short field for the offense. Trask, the Houston native drafted in the second round by the Bucs, replaced Gabbert. But like Gabbert, he had an aborted snap, and this time, linebacker Kamu GrugierHill pounced on the loose ball at the Tampa Bay 11.
Mills’ touchdown pass to rookie Nico Collins and his perfectly thrown twopoint conversion pass to Keke Coutee pulled the Texans within 16-10 with 8:44 left in the third quarter.
On his next series,
Trask threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Codey McElroy to elevate the lead to 23-10. Mills’ second touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordan Veasy made it interesting, but it was a case of too little, too late.