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2018 Houston Texans season

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(Redirected from 2018 Houston Texans) 17th season in franchise history

2018 Houston Texans season
OwnerBob McNair until his death on November 23, 2018
Janice and D. Cal McNair from November 24, 2018
General managerBrian Gaine
Head coachBill O'Brien
Defensive coordinatorRomeo Crennel
Home fieldNRG Stadium
Results
Record11–5
Division place1st AFC South
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Colts) 7–21
Pro Bowlers 6
All-Pros 2
Uniform

The 2018 season was the Houston Texans' 17th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Bill O'Brien. This marked the first season since 2005 that Rick Smith would not be the general manager as he took a leave of absence for family reasons. Despite an 0–3 start, their first in a decade, the Texans surpassed their win total from the previous season with a Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins. They had a franchise record 9 consecutive wins that also broke the NFL record for most consecutive wins after starting 0–3. The streak ended with a Week 14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. With a Week 15 win over the New York Jets, the Texans clinched their first 10-win season under head coach Bill O’Brien, their first 10-win season since 2012 and their third 10-win season in franchise history.

On November 23, 2018, Bob McNair, the founding owner of the Texans, died aged 81.

Despite losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, the Texans clinched a playoff berth after the New Orleans Saints defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers later that day.

With a Week 17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans clinched the AFC South division, winning their fifth division title.

The Texans lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, 21–7 to their AFC South rival, the Indianapolis Colts.

Draft

Main article: 2018 NFL draft
2018 Houston Texans draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
3 68 Justin Reid  S Stanford
3 80 Martinas Rankin  OT Mississippi State from Seattle
3 98 Jordan Akins  TE UCF Compensatory pick
4 103 Keke Coutee  WR Texas Tech
6 177 Duke Ejiofor  DE Wake Forest
6 211 Jordan Thomas  TE Mississippi State Compensatory pick
6 214 Peter Kalambayi  LB Stanford Compensatory pick
7 222 Jermaine Kelly  CB San Jose State
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Draft trades

  • The Texans traded their first-round selection (4th overall), as well as their 2017 first-round selection (25th overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Cleveland's first-round selection in 2017 (12th overall).
  • The Texans traded their second-round selection (35th overall), their sixth-round selection in 2017 (188th overall) and quarterback Brock Osweiler to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth-round selection in 2017 (142nd overall).
  • The Texans traded their fifth-round selection (141st overall) and offensive tackle Duane Brown in exchange for Seattle's third-round selection (80th overall) and a second-round selection in 2019.
  • The Texans were awarded one third-round and two sixth-round compensatory picks (98th, 211th and 214th overall).

Staff

2018 Houston Texans staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning


Final roster

2018 Houston Texans roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 reserve, 10 practice squad

NFL Top 100

Main article: NFL Top 100 Players of 2018
Rank Player Position Change
13 DeAndre Hopkins WR NR
32 Jadeveon Clowney OLB Increase 17
50 Deshaun Watson QB NR
84 J. J. Watt DE Decrease 49

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 9 at Kansas City Chiefs W 17–10 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
2 August 18 San Francisco 49ers W 16–13 2–0 NRG Stadium Recap
3 August 25 at Los Angeles Rams L 20–21 2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
4 August 30 Dallas Cowboys W 14–6 3–1 NRG Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 9 at New England Patriots L 20–27 0–1 Gillette Stadium Recap
2 September 16 at Tennessee Titans L 17–20 0–2 Nissan Stadium Recap
3 September 23 New York Giants L 22–27 0–3 NRG Stadium Recap
4 September 30 at Indianapolis Colts W 37–34 (OT) 1–3 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
5 October 7 Dallas Cowboys W 19–16 (OT) 2–3 NRG Stadium Recap
6 October 14 Buffalo Bills W 20–13 3–3 NRG Stadium Recap
7 October 21 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 20–7 4–3 TIAA Bank Field Recap
8 October 25 Miami Dolphins W 42–23 5–3 NRG Stadium Recap
9 November 4 at Denver Broncos W 19–17 6–3 Broncos Stadium at Mile High Recap
10 Bye
11 November 18 at Washington Redskins W 23–21 7–3 FedEx Field Recap
12 November 26 Tennessee Titans W 34–17 8–3 NRG Stadium Recap
13 December 2 Cleveland Browns W 29–13 9–3 NRG Stadium Recap
14 December 9 Indianapolis Colts L 21–24 9–4 NRG Stadium Recap
15 December 15 at New York Jets W 29–22 10–4 MetLife Stadium Recap
16 December 23 at Philadelphia Eagles L 30–32 10–5 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
17 December 30 Jacksonville Jaguars W 20–3 11–5 NRG Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at New England Patriots

Week One: Houston Texans at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 3 3 7720
Patriots 7 14 3327

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • NE – James White 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:38. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:55.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 9:01. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:37.
  • NE – Phillip Dorsett 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:14. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 1:14.

Third quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 6:02. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 3:50.
  • HOU – Alfred Blue 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:52. Patriots 24–13. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:10.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 9:48. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:04.
  • HOU – Bruce Ellington 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:08. Patriots 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:24.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Safety Tyrann Mathieu, who signed with the Texans in the offseason, intercepted a Tom Brady pass that was tipped by Angelo Blackson in the 1st quarter.

Week 2: at Tennessee Titans

Week Two: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 7 3717
Titans 14 0 0620

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 34-yard field goal, 2:44. Titans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 4:00.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Will Fuller 39-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:25. Texans 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:43.
  • TEN – Ryan Succop 42-yard field goal, 9:48. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:37.
  • TEN – Ryan Succop 31-yard field goal, 1:05. Titans 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:41.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 3: vs. New York Giants

Week Three: New York Giants at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Giants 7 13 0727
Texans 3 3 31322

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • NYG – Aldrick Rosas 44-yard field goal, 11:53. Giants 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:14.
  • NYG – Aldrick Rosas 30-yard field goal, 4:38. Giants 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:59.
  • NYG – Rhett Ellison 16-yard pass from Eli Manning (Aldrick Rosas kick), 1:20. Giants 20–3. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 1:56.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 0:04. Giants 20–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 1:20.

Third quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 54-yard field goal, 8:46. Giants 20–9. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:13.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Will Fuller 6-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (two-point conversion failed), 7:43. Giants 20–15. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:32.
  • NYG – Sterling Shepard 7-yard pass from Eli Manning (Aldrick Rosas kick), 2:08. Giants 27–15. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 5:29.
  • HOU – Lamar Miller 4-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:01. Giants 27–22. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:07.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • NYG – Saquon Barkley – 17 carries, 82 yards, TD
  • HOU – Deshaun Watson – 5 carries, 36 yards

Top receivers

With the loss, the Texans fell to 0–3 for the first time since 2008, and suffered their ninth consecutive loss dating back to Week 12 of last season. They then went on to win their next nine games.

Week 4: at Indianapolis Colts

Week Four: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Texans 14 7 73637
Colts 7 3 714334

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:08. Texans 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:39.
  • IND – Adam Vinatieri 42-yard field goal, 0:02. Texans 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:06.

Third quarter

  • HOU – Deshaun Watson 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:39. Texans 28–10. Drive: 15 plays, 79 yards, 8:21.
  • IND – Nyheim Hines 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:21. Texans 28–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:25.

Fourth quarter

  • IND – Eric Ebron 5-yard pass from Andrew Luck (two-point conversion failed), 7:41. Texans 28–23. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:22.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 40-yard field goal, 3:02. Texans 31–23. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:39.
  • IND – Nyheim Hines 9-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Luck pass to Rogers), 0:45. Tied 31–31. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 2:13.

Overtime

  • IND – Adam Vinatieri 44-yard field goal, 6:00. Colts 34–31. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 4:00.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 29-yard field goal, 1:50. Tied 34–34. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 4:10.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 37–34. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:21.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Win the win, the Texans improved to 1–3 and snapped a 9–game losing streak. Rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee made his NFL debut, finishing with 11 receptions for 109 yards. Coutee's 11 receptions are the most by a rookie receiver since the AFL–NFL merger.

Week 5: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Five: Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Cowboys 6 0 73016
Texans 0 10 33319

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

  • DAL – Brett Maher 27-yard field goal, 10:06. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:54.
  • DAL – Brett Maher 43-yard field goal, 3:13. Cowboys 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:35.

Second quarter

  • HOU – Keke Coutee 1-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:40. Texans 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:30.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 20-yard field goal, 6:03. Texans 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 5:54.

Third quarter

  • DAL – Allen Hurns 3-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brett Maher kick), 11:57. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:59.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 21-yard field goal, 5:05. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 2:50.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 19-yard field goal, 8:34. Texans 16–13. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:55.
  • DAL – Bret Maher 48-yard field goal, 5:43. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:48.

Overtime

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 1:55. Texans 19–16. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:38.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills

Battle Red Day

Week Six: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 0 6713
Texans 7 3 01020

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 8:37. Texans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:40.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Stephen Hauschka 22-yard field goal, 10:15. Texans 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:08.
  • BUF – Stephen Hauschka 52-yard field goal, 2:18. Texans 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 1:13.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Zay Jones 16-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Stephen Hauschka kick), 13:00. Bills 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:44.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 27-yard field goal, 1:37. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 2:18.
  • HOU – Johnathan Joseph 28-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:30. Texans 20–13.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

In a low-scoring defensive battle, the Texans claimed the victory in final minutes when cornerback Johnathan Joseph intercepted a pass from Bills backup quarterback Nathan Peterman and returned it for the game-winning touchdown.

Week 7: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Seven: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 6 7 7020
Jaguars 0 0 707

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: October 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,534
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 44-yard field goal, 10:22. Texans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:15.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 48-yard field goal, 2:39. Texans 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:46.

Second quarter

  • HOU – Lamar Miller 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 5:31. Texans 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:55.

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Lamar Miller had his first 100-yard rushing game since December 11, 2016 and also had his first rushing touchdown of the season on a 5-yard run during the third quarter. Safety Tyrann Mathieu sacked Jacksonville quarterback Cody Kessler in the fourth quarter for his first sack as a Texan and also had an interception. With the win, Houston improved to 4–3, took sole possession of 1st place in the AFC South, and had their first four-game winning streak since the 2015 season.

Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Eight: Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 7 3 10323
Texans 7 7 141442

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – Jordan Thomas 13-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:14. Texans 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:36.
  • MIA – Jason Sanders 37-yard field goal, 3:01. Texans 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:32.

Third quarter

  • HOU – Jordan Thomas 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 11:34. Texans 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:26.
  • MIA – Kenyan Drake 28-yard pass from Danny Amendola (Jason Sanders kick), 4:55. Texans 21–17. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:46.
  • HOU – Will Fuller 73-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:21. Texans 28–17. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:34.
  • MIA – Jason Sanders 41-yard field goal, 0:39. Texans 28–20. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:42.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 49-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:49. Texans 35–20. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:47.
  • MIA – Jason Sanders 46-yard field goal, 11:30. Texans 35–23. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:19.
  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:34. Texans 42–23. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 3:52.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Quarterback Deshaun Watson threw five touchdowns (tying a career high) while only having four incompletions with no interceptions. Lamar Miller had another 100-yard rushing game for the second week in a row, running for 133 yards with a touchdown. With the win, the Texans improved to 5–3 and surpassed their win total from the previous season. Receiver Will Fuller tore his right ACL during the game and is expected to be out for 6 to 9 months.

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Week Nine: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 7 9 0319
Broncos 3 7 7017

at Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (PAT failed), 11:05. Texans 13–3. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:19.
  • DEN – Devontae Booker 14-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 5:33. Texans 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 2:30.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 16–10. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:18.

Third quarter

  • DEN – Jeff Heuerman 12-yard pass from Case Keenum (Brandon McManus kick), 5:57. Broncos 17–16. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:56.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 37-yard field goal, 14:06. Texans 19–17. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:51.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the close win, the Texans improved to 6–3. They are the first team since the 1970 Giants to win 6 in a row after starting 0–3.

Week 11: at Washington Redskins

Week Eleven: Houston Texans at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 10 7 3323
Redskins 0 7 7721

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

Game information

First quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 9:34. Texans 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:36.
  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:15. Texans 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:13.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • HOU – Justin Reid 101-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:23. Texans 17–7.
  • WAS – Jordan Reed 9-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:52. Texans 17–14. Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 0:46.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 1:22. Texans 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:28.

Fourth quarter

  • WAS – Adrian Peterson 7-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 11:57. Redskins 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:22.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 54-yard field goal, 7:30. Texans 23–21. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:27.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With another close win, the Texans improved to 7–3, their best start since 2012. They also tied their longest win streak in franchise history at 7 straight, which they previously accomplished in 2011. This is the second straight game that the Texans have won thanks to a missed last second field goal.

Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Twelve: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Titans 10 0 7017
Texans 7 17 3734

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – Deshaun Watson 15-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbarin kick), 14:53. Texans 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:58.
  • HOU – Lamar Miller 97-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:22. Texans 21–10. Drive: 1 play, 97 yards, 0:14.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 0:01. Texans 24–10. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:45.

Third quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 47-yard field goal, 8:53. Texans 27–10. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 6:07.
  • TEN – Corey Davis 48-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 0:13. Texans 27–17. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:47.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Demaryius Thomas 10-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:15. Texans 34–17. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:24.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • TEN – Corey Davis – 4 receptions, 96 yards, TD
  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 74 yards

The Texans successfully avenged their Week 2 loss to their division rival Titans. With their 8th straight win, they improved to 8–3 and eclipsed their previous franchise record for most consecutive wins. Coupled with a Steelers loss to the Denver Broncos the day before, the Texans' victory allowed them to leapfrog the Steelers for the No. 3 seed in the AFC.

This game was the first game following the death of the owner and founder Bob McNair and the team has dedicated the victory to him.

Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Thirteen: Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 0 7613
Texans 10 13 3329

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 35-yard field goal, 8:12. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:48.
  • HOU – Jordan Thomas 11-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:38. Texans 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:38.

Second quarter

  • HOU – Zach Cunningham 38-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:36. Texans 17–0.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 3:24. Texans 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:13.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 48-yard field goal, 0:05. Texans 23–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 1:39.

Third quarter

  • CLE – Nick Chubb 2-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 9:42. Texans 23–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:21.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 5:31. Texans 26–7. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:13.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 5:50. Texans 29–7. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:59.
  • CLE – Rashard Higgins 17-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (pass failed), 2:58. Texans 29–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:48.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

The Houston Texans were going for their ninth win in a row against Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns who the week before defeated the Bengals. The Texans were able to outplay the Browns en route to their ninth straight win and forced the Browns to turn the ball over four times including three interceptions by Baker Mayfield.

Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Fourteen: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 17 7024
Texans 7 0 7721

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • IND – Marlon Mack 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 64 yards, 0:46.
  • IND – Eric Ebron 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:57. Colts 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:16.
  • IND – Adam Vinatieri 54-yard field goal, 0:04. Colts 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 1:14.

Third quarter

  • HOU – Lamar Miller 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:38. Colts 17–14. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:22.
  • IND – Zach Pascal 12-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:51. Colts 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:47.

Fourth quarter

Top passers

  • IND – Andrew Luck – 27/41, 399 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
  • HOU – Deshaun Watson – 27/38, 267 yards, 1 TD

Top rushers

  • IND – Marlon Mack – 14 carries, 33 yards, 1 TD
  • HOU – Deshaun Watson – 5 carries, 35 yards

Top receivers

With the loss, the Texans 9-game winning streak was snapped. They also squandered an opportunity to move ahead of the Patriots for the No. 2 seed as the Patriots suffered a loss of their own to the Miami Dolphins.

Week 15: at New York Jets

Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at New York Jets – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 3 13 01329
Jets 3 6 6722

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

First quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 41-yard field goal, 9:23. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:31.
  • NYJ – Jason Myers 26-yard field goal, 2:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:22.

Second quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 32-yard field goal, 12:51. Texans 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:10.
  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 45-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:14. Texans 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:40.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 4:35. Texans 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:05.
  • NYJ – Robby Anderson 5-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers PAT failed), 0:30. Texans 16–9. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:05.

Third quarter

  • NYJ – Andre Roberts 13-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers PAT failed), 8:39. Texans 16–15. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:10.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 49-yard field goal, 12:33. Texans 19–15. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:55.
  • NYJ – Elijah McGuire 2-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 5:00. Jets 22–19. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 7:33.
  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 14-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:15. Texans 26–22. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:45.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 40-yard field goal, 0:54. Texans 29–22. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 0:58.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • HOU – Deshaun Watson – 4 carries, 26 yards
  • NYJ – Elijah McGuire – 18 carries, 42 yards, TD

Top receivers

With the win, the Texans improved to 10–4 and reached 10 wins for the first time since 2012, and for the first time in the Bill O'Brien era. With the Patriots loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers the next day, the Texans obtained sole possession of the No. 2 seed and now control their destiny for a first-round bye if they win their last 2 games.

Week 16: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 16 01430
Eagles 7 6 10932

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 30-yard field goal, 14:55. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:40.
  • HOU – Deshaun Watson 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn PAT failed), 10:23. Texans 9–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:04.
  • PHI – Zach Ertz 1-yard pass from Nick Foles (two-point conversion failed), 3:11. Eagles 13–9. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:15.
  • HOU – Deshaun Watson 6-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:17. Texans 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:51.

Third quarter

  • PHI – Jake Elliott 47-yard field goal, 5:35. Tied 16–16. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:55.
  • PHI – Nelson Agholor 83-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 2:31. Eagles 23–16. Drive: 1 play, 83 yards, 0:14.

Fourth quarter

  • PHI – Zach Ertz 23-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 10:30. Eagles 29–16. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 3:22.
  • HOU – D'Onta Foreman 20-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:41. Eagles 29–23. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 0:39.
  • HOU – Vyncint Smith 35-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:04. Texans 30–29. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:02.
  • PHI – Jake Elliott 35-yard field goal, 0:03. Eagles 32–30. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 2:01.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • HOU – Deshaun Watson – 8 carries, 49 yards, 2 TD
  • PHI – Darren Sproles – 9 carries, 32 yards

Top receivers

The Texans traveled to Philadelphia seeking to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in franchise history. Houston rallied from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to take a one-point lead on a 35-yard touchdown reception by Vyncint Smith with 2:04 remaining in the game. However, the defense could not stop Philadelphia on the ensuing drive, and the Eagles prevailed 32-30 on a 35-yard field goal by Jake Elliott as time expired. With the loss, the Texans fell to 10-5 on the season and 0-5 all-time against the Eagles. Houston also failed to clinch the AFC South due to victories by the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts and slipped back to No. 3 with the New England Patriots victory over the Buffalo Bills. However, the Texans would clinch a playoff berth when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New Orleans Saints later that day.

Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Seventeen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 0 003
Texans 3 14 0320

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,848
  • Referee: Pete Morelli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • JAX – Kai Forbath 25-yard field goal, 10:08. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:00.
  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 5:20. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:48.

Second quarter

  • HOU – Deshaun Watson 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:56. Texans 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:37.
  • HOU – Lamar Miller 7-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:01. Texans 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:27.

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 24-yard field goal, 10:52. Texans 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:29.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • JAX – Blake Bortles – 4 carries, 15 yards
  • HOU – Deshaun Watson – 13 carries, 66 yards, TD

Top receivers

Standings

Division

AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Houston Texans 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 402 316 W1
Indianapolis Colts 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 433 344 W4
Tennessee Titans 9 7 0 .563 3–3 5–7 310 303 L1
Jacksonville Jaguars 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 245 316 L1

Conference

AFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West 12 4 0 .750 5–1 10–2 .480 .401 W1
2 New England Patriots East 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .482 .494 W2
3 Houston Texans South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 .471 .435 W1
4 Baltimore Ravens North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 8–4 .496 .450 W3
Wild Cards
5 Los Angeles Chargers West 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .477 .422 W1
6 Indianapolis Colts South 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 .465 .456 W4
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Pittsburgh Steelers North 9 6 1 .594 4–1–1 6–5–1 .504 .448 W1
8 Tennessee Titans South 9 7 0 .563 3–3 5–7 .520 .465 L1
9 Cleveland Browns North 7 8 1 .469 3–2–1 5–6–1 .516 .411 L1
10 Miami Dolphins East 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .469 .446 L3
11 Denver Broncos West 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .523 .464 L4
12 Cincinnati Bengals North 6 10 0 .375 1–5 4–8 .535 .448 L2
13 Buffalo Bills East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .523 .411 W1
14 Jacksonville Jaguars South 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .549 .463 L1
15 New York Jets East 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .506 .438 L3
16 Oakland Raiders West 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .547 .406 L1
Tiebreakers
  1. ^ Kansas City finished ahead of LA Chargers in the AFC West based on division record, claiming the No. 1 seed.
  2. ^ New England claimed the No. 2 seed over Houston based on head-to-head victory.
  3. ^ Denver finished ahead of Cincinnati and Buffalo based on strength of victory. Cincinnati finished ahead of Buffalo based on record vs. common opponents. Cincinnati's cumulative record against Baltimore, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami was 3–2, compared to Buffalo's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  4. ^ NY Jets finished ahead of Oakland based on strength of victory.
  5. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

See also: 2018–19 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 5, 2019 Indianapolis Colts (6) L 7–21 0–1 NRG Stadium Recap

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Indianapolis Colts

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Indianapolis Colts at (3) Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 14 7 0021
Texans 0 0 077

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • IND – Dontrelle Inman 18-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:29. Colts 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:23.

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

This was the first time in Houston Texans history where they played against a division opponent in the postseason. With the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys hosting the Seattle Seahawks Saturday evening, it was also the first time in league history that two NFL playoff games were played in Texas on the same day.

Statistics

Team

Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense 3,781 236.3 17th
Rushing offense 2,021 126.3 8th
Total offense 5,802 362.6 15th
Passing defense 4,167 260.4 27th
Rushing defense 1,323 82.7 3rd
Total defense 5,490 343.1 12th

Individual

Category Player Total
Offense
Passing yards Deshaun Watson 4,165
Passing touchdowns Deshaun Watson 26
Rushing yards Lamar Miller 973
Rushing touchdowns Lamar Miller
Deshaun Watson		 5
Receiving yards DeAndre Hopkins 1,572
Receiving touchdowns DeAndre Hopkins 11
Defense
Tackles (Solo) Zach Cunningham 73
Sacks J. J. Watt 16
Interceptions Andre Hal 3

Source:

References

  1. "Houston Texans Founder, Senior Chairman & CEO Robert C. McNair Passes Away". Houston Texans. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  2. Dougherty, Drew (September 9, 2018). "Tyrann Mathieu makes big impact at New England". Houston Texans. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  3. Dougherty, Drew (September 30, 2018). "Keke Coutee makes history in NFL debut". Houston Texans. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  4. Wilson, Aaron (October 14, 2018). "Johnathan Joseph called his key interception to beat Bills". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  5. "Texans' Lamar Miller: Hits century mark in tough matchup". CBS Sports. October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  6. "Texans' Tyrann Mathieu: Grabs interception in win". CBS Sports. October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  7. Newport, Kyle (October 25, 2018). "Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins Dominate in Texans' Win over Dolphins". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  8. Zucker, Joseph (October 25, 2018). "Lamar Miller, Jordan Thomas, More Fantasy Outlook After Will Fuller V Injury". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  9. "Texans' Lamar Miller: Second consecutive 100-yard effort". CBS Sports. October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  10. "Will Fuller expected to be ready by training camp after ACL surgery". ESPN. October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  11. Barshop, Sarah (November 27, 2018). "DE J.J. Watt dedicates win to late Texans owner Bob McNair". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  12. "2018 NFL Team Total Offense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  13. "2018 NFL Team Total Defense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  14. "2018 Texans Statistics". Houston Texans. Retrieved October 14, 2022.

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