Houston Texans Star Fires Major Shot at Former NFL Coach

A Houston Texans star fired a major shot back at a former NFL head coach after beating the Chargers.

Jan 5, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) smiles as he leaves the field against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans were viewed as a major underdog entering their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. No one expected them to pull off the win to advance.

However, that is exactly what the Texans were able to do.

Not only did they beat the Chargers, but they dominated them by a final score of 32-12. Behind an impressive performance from the Houston defense and C.J. Stroud putting some solid stretches together, the Texans were the far superior team.

Rex Ryan was one of the most boisterous critics of Houston entering the playoffs. He loudly proclaimed that Los Angeles had been given a "bye week" due to facing the Texans.

Following the big win for Houston, star running back Joe Mixon did not hesitate to fire back at Ryan and the rest of the critics.

While smoking his post-game celebration cigar, Mixon said that he was " smoking on that Rex Ryan pack."

“We smoking on that Rex Ryan pack”

Rex Ryan said the Chargers had a “bye week” and the Texans took it personally
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— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 12, 2025

Mixon and company handled their business the right way. They didn't engage in the vocal games ahead of their Wild Card game. Instead, they let their play do the talking.

No one is going to take the Texans lightly again during this playoff run.

Throughout the course of the game, C.J. Stroud completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts for 282 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also ran for 42 yards on the ground.

As for Mixon, he carried the football 25 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. NIco Collins recorded seven receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown.

While the offense played well, the real story about this game was the Houston defense.

Justin Herbert was sacked four times, but was pressured on many more occasions. As a team, the Chargers were only able to muster up 18 carries for 50 yards on the ground. The Texans also intercepted Herbert four times during the game, with one of them being returned for a touchdown.

If the Houston defense continues playing at that level, they are going to be a tough out.

All of that being said, the Texans got the last laugh on everyone who doubted them. They're in the playoffs to win and they proved that with an incredibly strong performance yesterday.