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Texans-Giants Final Score: Texans Get Bulldozed By Rashad Jennings; Ryan Fitzpatrick Throws Three Picks In 30-17 Loss

The Houston Texans have suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the New York Football Giants. Catch the recap here on Battle Red Blog.

By David Corzo

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Al Bello

Houston Texans 17, New York Giants 30

...and it wasn't even that close.

It appears the proverbial shoe has proverbially dropped with Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Houston Texans. After posting two solid outings against the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders, Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions against the New York Giants, stimying an offense that was already struggling to move the ball.

In the first half, the Texans went 0/7 on third downs behind Fitzpatrick's 39 yards and two interceptions on 4/13 passing, heaping extra pressure on the Texans' defense. Fitzpatrick would finish with 289 yards on 20/34 passing and two scores (one rushing) with the aforementioned three interceptions.

The Texans finished with just two third downs converted on 12 chances, effectively killing any chance of a second half comeback.

It wasn't all on Fitzpatrick, however. Without Alfred Blue's longest run of 46 yards, the rookie out of LSU only managed 32 yards on 12 carries behind an offensive line that seldom got any push against a stout Giants defensive line.

After trading several punts with the Texans, the Giants eventually found the cracks in Romeo Crennel's zone scheme and began picking it apart, particularly on the ground. Rashad Jennings and his offensive line mauled the Texans' front seven for 176 yards and a score on 34 carries. Jennings broke his previous overall rushing total of 150 yards set last November (...against the Texans).

The strong rushing attack allowed Eli Manning to enjoy a leisurely day with 234 yards and two touchdowns on 21/28 passing. Manning, who's been beleaguered by turnovers since 2013, kept a clean sheet against a Texans defense that was +5 in the turnover category entering the game.

Bill O'Brien's first loss as an NFL head coach confirms many of the fears we here at BRB had about the current makeup of the team. Put simply: Ryan Fitzpatrick cannot be trusted in a shootout, or any game in which the rushing attack is ineffective. Ask him to be any more than a game manager and you're playing with fire...and nothing smells worse than burnt beard.

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