The Houston Texans escaped with a narrow win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at NRG Stadium, claiming a 22-17 win thanks to an interception by defensive back Jimmie Ward in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos entered Sunday's game as winners of five straight, but it was the Texans who were able to get the last laugh and rebound from a heartbreaking loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars a week ago.
Here are some key observations from the Texans' performance on Sunday.
1. Houston's defense forces three interceptions from Russell Wilson.
Sunday was not a banner day for the Broncos quarterback, and, as mentioned above, it was an interception late that sealed the win for the Texans when the Broncos were knocking on the door of claiming the lead. Alongside Ward's pick in the end zone, Derek Stingley Jr. was responsible for the other two interceptions on the day, and winning the turnover battle helped Houston come out on top.
2. Nico Collins was simply incredible.
The Texans wideout hauled in nine receptions for 191 yards and a score, and his longest reception of the day was a 59-yarder. Collins was by far the favorite target for quarterback C.J. Stroud on the day, and even when he wasn't in the end zone, he was making catches that set up important drives for the Texans.
3. C.J. Stroud quietly had another solid day.
Stroud only tossed one touchdown pass, but he did throw for 274 yards on 16 completions. What's more important, however, is that he took care of the football with no interceptions, something that came back to bite his opposing QB on the day.
4. Tank Dell's injury looms large in the weeks ahead.
It's a good thing that Nico Collins had such a big day at receiver. Houston likely lost one of its key playmakers for the rest of the season to an injury in the first half, and Dell's production will certainly be missed in this offense during his solid rookie campaign.
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