Davis Mills Speaks on Texans' Improbable Comeback Win vs. Jaguars

As far as legendary comebacks go, even the fans who didn't show up or left early will always remember where they were when the Houston Texans rose from the ashes to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 36-29 on Sunday.

When you factor in just how close DeMeco Ryans’ team was to seeing their entire season go up in smoke, backup quarterback Davis Mills’ 292 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and a gutsy late scoring run was heaven-sent.

Prior to facing the Jaguars, Mills had declared that he was super excited about getting the opportunity to take first-team reps and also have offensive coordinator Nick Caley design stuff around him.

So after orchestrating a comeback which looked incredibly improbable, it says a lot about the ever humble Mills that he gave a lot of credit to his embattled play caller post game.

"I think our team had a really great week of practice," Mills declared after the unlikely win. "[OC Nick] Caley put together a great offensive game plan, along with the other offensive coaches, and we were able to go out there today and execute."

Davis Mills Dishes on Texans' Aggressive Play Style vs. Jaguars

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) runs with the ball and scores a touchdown as Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II (6) defends during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Storied comebacks are always a potent brew of different intangibles blending together, but the never-say-die factor is always present, so Mills insisted everyone just kept on swinging and executing in the face of adversity.

"I think anytime you kind of start off a little slow, the mentality of our team is to attack every play with aggression, and just going out there to try to execute every play at a high level," Mills said. "So, we were able to do that. Coaches stayed aggressive. I have always had the mentality to stay confident regardless of what happened on the play before. It's kind of like the old basketball mentality, 'shooters shoot.' If you stop, you're not going to see shots go in."

For all the missteps and setbacks the Texans have suffered during this pretty fractured campaign; it's been omnipresent that the locker room has always believed in themselves.

Maintaining that stoic faith was certainly under serious challenge, but feisty backup quarterbacks are hardwired to believe that the glass is always half-full, and that served Mills well at the darkest moment.

"I think with my current circumstance, being back up to C.J., I come in with the mentality every day that I'm gonna bring my best self to the facility every morning," Mills said.

"I'm going to push everyone around me to become the best football player they can be, and I'm going to push myself to become the best football player I can be. I've had that mentality; kind of cool, calm, and collected at all times. I'm here to work and do my job."

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) reacts after scoring Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The truth is, Mills will most likely return to clipboard-holding duties next week if starting signal caller C.J. Stroud passes the concussion protocol, but it didn't preclude him from having fun this week when opportunity came about.

"It was fun. The guys had faith in me that I could go out there and get the job done," Mills enthused. "But we've done that every single day when we come to work. Continuing to just execute the little things and go out there and find a way to get a win. It was fun."

Alas, such is the topsy-turvy life of a backup passer that Mills’ memorable performance in relief just maybe saved the Texans’ entire season, and a few coaching jobs in the process. Just how this 4-5 team now reacts to squirming off the hook and climbing back into things remains to be seen.

However, the undisputed benefits of converting in the red zone to help out the phenomenally talented Texans’ defense is probably the biggest lesson they just learned.

Be sure to bookmark Houston Texans On SI and follow @TexansOnSI on X for daily Houston Texans news, interviews, breakdowns and more!