Taylor, Texans Flirt With Franchise Record in Upset Blowout
Lovie Smith's defense harassing Trevor Lawrence. Tyrod Taylor making us forget - if only for one glorious afternoon - about Deshaun Watson. And head coach David Cully's running-back-by-committee working to perfection.
Kicking off a season in which most experts predict they will be one of the NFL's worst teams, the Houston Texans kicked their skeptics and the Jacksonville Jaguars right in the teeth in an impressive 37-21 victory at NRG Stadium. Underdogs in their season opener against new Jags' coach Urban Meyer and No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, the Texans built and early lead and were never threatened in one of their most impressive openers in the franchise's 20-season history.
READ MORE: Taylor-to-Cooks Propels Texans to 20-point Halftime Lead
Smith, the Texans' new defensive coordinator with a resume of creating takeaways, saw his mostly anonymous and J.J. Watt-less unit intercept the heralded rookie Jags' quarterback three times (Justin Reid, Vernon Hargreaves III and Christian Kirksey). On offense, Taylor threw for 291 yards and two scores and rushed for 41 yards. The Texans' running backs - Mark Ingram, Phillip Lindsay and David Johnson - each scored a touchdown, the first time the Texans enjoyed that trifecta from their backfield in 10 years, when Arian Foster, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward all found the end zone in a win at Tampa Bay on Nov. 13, 2011.
READ MORE: Texans Starting DL Carted Off With Injury
Add it all up and it was a surprising success for Houston, which led 34-7 late in the third quarter. Only a late, meaningless touchdown by the Jags kept it from being the Texans' second-biggest, season-opening blowout win in franchise history:
2011 27pts 34-7 Colts
2012 20pts 30-10 Dolphins
2007 17pts 20-3 Chiefs
2021 16pts 37-21 Jaguars
