Heated Texans Coach Lovie Smith: 'We're Not A Good Football Team'
HOUSTON -- Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith, for perhaps the first time, sounded a bit exasperated after yet another bitter loss Sunday.
Thoroughly dominated by the Washington Commanders during a 23-10 defeat at NRG Stadium as quarterback Davis Mills was intercepted for a pick-six to start the game and the Texans finished with a season-low 148 yards of total offense, the first-year coach acknowledged the dismal state of the team.
The Texans are 1-8-1 after losing their fifth consecutive game.
"Guys, right now, it's a football team where there's not a lot of things we're doing well," Smith said after watching Mills be intercepted twice and be sacked five times. "We're building. We're not quite there. We're not a good football team right now. That's how most teams start off.
"You keep working on things and eventually you get a little bit better. We didn't play this way last week. It hasn't been like that always. Today, it was one of those games where we have to take it as the other team was a lot better than us."
The Texans had just five yards of total offense in the first half, their fewest net yards in a half in franchise history. They had eight yards in the first half of a 40-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills last season. This was the fewest net yards by an NFL team in a half since the Raiders' minus-12 yards in a win over the Denver Broncos in 2015.
Smith was involved in a heated post-game exchange with local reporters.
The Texans were booed several times by their own fans.
"Let me stop you, it hasn't been happening all year," Smith said. "We've been booed, yes. Every time something is bad, fans are going to boo. They have a right to do that. What is your question?"
How does this get better?
"By putting a better product on the football field," Smith said.
Why not change quarterbacks and replace Mills with backup Kyle Allen? "Because I didn't think I should do that today," Smith said.
Why not?
"I'm not going to tell you that," Smith said. "What do you expect me to say? We just got beat. If there was something we should have done right away, we would have done it right away. Where we're at with our football team, we're searching for answers is what we're doing. We'll keep working."
The Texans allowed a ton of pressure and rookie running back Dameon Pierce rushed for a season-low eight yards on 10 carries. The Texans were manhandled at the line of scrimmage. Rookie safety Jalen Pitre dropped two potential interceptions.
"Our fans deserved a lot better than that," Smith said. "We need to put a better product on the football field. Did you consider changes? We're trying to do what we think we needed to do to give us the best chance."
Mills has thrown 11 interceptions this season, struggling mightily in recent weeks. He has regressed since his rookie season.
"Are you asking me if I'm going to change the quarterback position right after the game?" Smith said. "Like I said, we consider all different things throughout the course of the game whether making a move at any position would give us a better chance to win the game. You say it starts with the quarterback. No, it starts up front. Today with that kind of pressure I don't know how many quarterbacks would have success."
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