The Houston Texans clinched a dramatic victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the game's intensity sustained until the final moments. Quarterback C.J. Stroud delivered a stunning performance, throwing his fifth touchdown just six seconds before the end, securing the win. However, the game took an unexpected turn earlier on when the Texans' regular kicker, Ka’imi Fairbairn, was sidelined with a quad injury in the first half. This left the team without their primary kicker for the rest of the match. Stepping into this unusual scenario, a backup running back was unexpectedly called to attempt a field goal – a challenge he was prepared to meet. In the wake of Fairbairn's injury, Head Coach DeMeco Ryans adjusted the team's strategy, turning to Stroud for two-point conversion attempts following their touchdowns.

"I have confidence in myself. I don't think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart. I don't got nothing to prove to nobody, man. If you don't believe in me, all I can say is 'watch this." -CJ Stroud

"Just on yesterday's performance, we understand that once again it wasn't a very acceptable performance. It's not acceptable at all. Nobody is more frustrated than we are in this building, coaches and players alike. I really do believe that there are many things we have to coach better. The players know that they have to play better. We're going to work very hard to put together a better game plan for the Tennessee game, and we're counting on our fans. We're back home here, divisional opponent. We have great fans here in Houston and we're looking forward to playing in front of those fans on Sunday. As I talked about yesterday after the game, we're dealing with Ryan Mallett and that situation internally, (Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager) Rick Smith and I. So I won't have any comments regarding that at this point. Arian Foster will undergo an MRI I believe today, might be at it right now. I know he's hurt. He worked hard to come back for the season, had the groin injury, and now this injury. He's a guy that's proven he can come back from injury and I'm sure once he's able to rehab it, he'll rehab it very diligently and try to come back. We're all supportive of him in that rehab. With that, I'll open it to questions.

"You think about it every day," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety said Wednesday. "You think about the team giving up on you. Whatever the case came down to being, the team still gave up on you after you've been there for a couple years."

"I believe everything happens for a reason. There's a reason that I came here. There's a reason that they let me [go]. You've got to make the most out of it. And that's what I'm doing."

Any time you have a quarterback competition between Hoyer and Mallett, your roster has at least one major hole -- and unfortunately it is at the most important position. The offense has significant depth concerns across the board.

While his 69 receptions is tied for only 24th in this era where catching passes is easier than ever, he’s averaging an impressive 16.9 yards per reception.

No player with more than 50 receptions has a higher yards per catch average, which is why Hopkins ranks 9th in receiving yards despite ranking 24th in receptions.

But 9th is still just 9th, which is a long cry from 1st. But consider that the Texans are just 31st in pass attempts this year: in that light, ranking 9th looks a lot more impressive. And then consider the state of the Houston quarterback play.

The Texans actually rank above average in yards per attempt, but there’s a reason that statistic is misleading: that reason is DeAndre Hopkins.

Buck-Buck-Brawkkkkkk (Vengeance of the Football Gods Edition):

Down 17-0 in the third quarter at Jersey/A, Houston took a field goal on fourth-and-inches from the Giants' 9. Sure, a fourth down try by the Texans failed on the previous possession, but that was then, this is now! That a coin has come up tails 10 straight times tells nothing about what will happen on the 11th flip.

Now it's 17-3. Facing third-and-2 on the Moo Cows' 44, the Giants throw incomplete and are called for offensive pass interference. Bill O'Brien declines the penalty, confident Tom Coughlin will punt on fourth-and-2 in Houston territory, which Coughlin proceeds to do. Both coaches were in buck-buck-buck mode.

Now it's Jersey/A 20, Houston 10 in the fourth quarter. Facing fourth-and-1 on his own 36, O'Brien sends in the punt unit. You're down two scores in the fourth quarter and you need one yard -- why are you punting? At this point, the football gods had had enough and commanded the punt be blocked -- the decisive down of the host's victory.

"He is Houston. I remember when I had my little run where I had like two back-to-back great seasons. I felt like this city loves me, they love me here. Everywhere I go, this is still Dre’s city. I don’t care if James Harden is walking around, Dwight Howard, whatever. This is Andre Johnson’s city. He is Houston. That’s what it means more than anything. He’s been a staple here for so long."

"What’s being said in the media is not necessarily being said in draft rooms by people who are being paid to be in the know and who need to do their due diligence and homework," says Texas assistant Shawn Watson, who served as Bridgewater’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Louisville. "I just know in the end, he has all the traits for a can’t-miss player.
"I’ve seen his accuracy. I’ve seen his competitiveness, his decision making. I’ve seen how he’s been such a great student, learning how to enhance his game, to use his eyes as a weapon, develop his feet, develop his pocket awareness, learn to be a full-field read guy, take us to the line of scrimmage and put us in the right play or spin our protection to pick up the blitz."

"I have thought about different scenarios. Me personally, if I had it, I would probably trade it, but that's just my opinion. That doesn't make it right. Doesn't mean they should listen to me, because I am not the GM. I have never had to sit in the draft room like that."