5 Instant Takeaways From Texans' Heartbreaking Loss vs. Buccaneers

The Texans needed to prevent the Buccaneers from reaching the endzone with just two minutes left in the contest following a vintage Nick Chubb 25-yard run and touchdown that would give Houston a late lead, 19-14.

However, that stop from the Texans' defense never came to form. After limiting the Tampa Bay offense to just 14 points, the Buccaneers would put together an 11-play, 80-yard drive down the field spearheaded by big runs from Bucky Irving and Baker Mayfield, and capped off by the veteran backup in the backfield, Rashaad White.

Despite a relatively productive night leading into the final minutes, this Texans defense will be defined by how they finished this one.

2. Nick Chubb Nearly Saves the Day

Before the Texans' defensive calamity transpired in the final two minutes of the game, it was almost Nick Chubb who would be touted as the hero had Houston ended with a win.

On the Texans' final offensive drive, Chubb popped off for a clutch 25-yard touchdown run that also made his averages look better for what was a pretty quiet day beforehand. Chubb finished with 12 carries for 43 yards (3.6 yards/carry), also catching two passes for 29 yards.

The run game certainly needs to be better from start to finish, but for Chubb, he finished the night strong similarly to how he did in Week 1, and made a nearly game-saving play when it mattered most.

3. Offensive Line Still Faces Inconsistencies

The Texans' offensive line, while slightly more consistent than their season opener in Los Angeles, still showcased a few flaws in front of Stroud.

The ground game was never quite as consistent as it needed to be throughout the night, and Stroud was taken down for three sacks for 25 yards. It was Houston's first time rolling out that specific starting lineup combination (Ersery, Tomlinson, Patterson, Ingram, Howard), so those lapses may just be a product of building that chemistry.

But, as frequently mentioned for this Texans offensive line, they'll need to be better moving forward in the trenches to best maximize the abilities of C.J. Stroud and this scoring unit.

4. Nico Collins Gets More Targets, But Few Connect

Compared to the limitations Collins faced during last week's season opener, the Texans' star receiver took a step forward on Monday night vs. the Bucs. Collins would haul in three catches for 52 yards, paired with a highlight touchdown pass as Houston's first touchdown score of the new year.

However, that would also be on nine total targets (three of those coming from a questionable set of red zone plays in the third quarter), and for the Texans' star receiver to only get three targets is still a few notches below what an ideal usage looks like for a talented playmaker like Collins.

The targets were coming his way, but Stroud and the Texans will have to get the ball in Collins' hands more heading into Week 3 to get the best version of this offense.

5. Texans' Pass Rush Still Among League's Best

Sure, it might've been against a matchup against a Buccaneers' offensive line without two of their starting tackles, but it's hard to ignore the standout performance from this Texans pass rush.

Not only would Danielle Hunter log his 100th and 101st career sack, along with Will Anderson's second-straight game with a sack this season, but Sheldon Rankins would also get his first of the year. For those counting at home, that makes for an impressive four-sack performance on Bucs' quarterback Baker Mayfield to make his night a little bit tougher in the pocket.

Of course, it wouldn't be enough to push the Texans over the edge for a win, but a night like this shows the potential Houston has in their front seven to be among the NFL's best collective units once again.

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