The Houston Texans, once again, found a way to win in the game’s final moments. The cardiac kids from East Texas won their fifth game in the final moments, only adding to the excitement of a team that has exceeded even optimistic expectations.
On Sunday, the Texans beat the Denver Broncos 22-17 with the help of a last-moment interception from veteran safety Jimmie Ward. Houston’s veteran contributors have been the glue holding together an otherwise young roster and helped keep the team afloat amidst its stretches of adversity.
Despite the Week 13 win, it wasn’t all good news for Houston. Standout rookie receiver Tank Dell suffered a fractured fibula while pushing the pile on a touchdown run for running back Dameon Pierce. The loss takes an explosive, quarterback-friendly target off of the field for the rest of the season.
Right guard Shaq Mason, one of those aforementioned veterans, reacted to the injury.
“We’ll definitely miss him. Absolutely, that’s tough,” Mason said. “Little moments like that, things we take for granted. Any play we can go down. It’s very unfortunate and those plays trigger you to think, ‘Man, what we do is pretty hard.’ He’s so upbeat, makes a lot of plays like that.”
Dell was hurt while blocking, a part of the game other receivers are happy to ignore. He was playing with head coach DeMeco Ryans’ winning mindset, and it cost him.
However, he leaves a team that is now 7-5 and well-positioned to make the playoffs. The Texans don’t currently have a spot, but beating a (now) 6-6 Broncos team was an important step forward. With the Pittsburgh Steelers surviving without competent quarterback play and the Indianapolis Colts holding a significant talent disadvantage on paper (especially at quarterback), Houston can feel pretty good about its chances.
Mason felt strongly about the win and how it reflected on the Texans.
“Absolutely, games like this when it’s a playoff atmosphere, playoff implications, both teams are out there fighting,” Mason said. “They were on a five-game winning streak. We knew we had our work cut out for us and we knew it wasn’t an easy win. I’m glad we came out of it on the right side.”
Per Sumer Sports, the right side of things gives Houston roughly a 50 percent chance at the playoffs. If the defense continues to play like it did on Sunday, generating three sacks and three interceptions, those odds will rise in the coming weeks.
Knocking off one AFC Wild Card contender was promising. With the lowly New York Jets and the inconsistent Tennessee Titans coming up in the next two weeks, the Texans will have a couple of weeks to bolster their record before a three-game stretch against two teams currently ahead of them in the standings: the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.
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