C.J. Stroud and the Texans surprised many on their road to the AFC Divisional playoffs in 2023. They got even better this offseason, acquiring Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs in separate trades.
They also got immediate return on those moves Sunday, with critical contributions from each player in a 29-27 win at Indianapolis. Adding credence to the Super Bowl predictions of some analysts, Mixon and Diggs might also help their new team in the long term.
“The Houston Texans knew they had a window to win before C.J. Stroud eventually signs a contract that makes Dak Prescott look like a bargain,” wrote Yahoo! Sports insider Frank Schwab following Sunday’s game.
That window looks wide open after Sunday. Diggs caught a pair of touchdowns from Stroud, including a significant fourth-and-goal conversion that extended Houston’s fourth-quarter lead to 29-20. Mixon, meanwhile, had 30 carries for 159 yards, including a 9-yard run around right tackle to ice the win in the final two minutes.
“Starts with our offensive line,” said head coach DeMeco Ryans. “The way they controlled the line of scrimmage was awesome, right? Joe, he stepped up bigtime for us. We needed him to run the ball. He did. They knew it was run, we knew it was run and he still made the playAnd. just excited to have him on our side. And we’ve seen it all training camp and it was exciting to see him do it here, his first game.”
Houston averaged 5.33 yards per carry on Sunday (30 for 213). Last season, the Texans ranked 29th of 32 teams with only 3.71 yards per run. Right tackle Tytus Howard said the improvement was about Mixon and preparation. “Lot of toughness and grit,” Howard told beat writer Aaron Wilson of KPRC after the win. “The run game, everything ain’t gonna be pretty. Grown-man football, for sure.”