Sunday was a lesson in overcoming adversity for the Houston Texans. 

The game didn’t go how Houston wanted. There were muffed punts, lots of drive stalling penalties, different sides of the ball struggling in different halves and having to rely on just one thing with the team's offense.

But despite all of those things going wrong, the Texans (3-1) found a way. Down the stretch the team did what it had to do and the most important mission was accomplished, they came away with a win, topping the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) to stay in first place in the AFC South and bounce back from the previous week's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“I’m very proud of our guys, because this is never going to be easy,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. “We talked last night about whatever it takes, however long, however messy, we just have to find a way to win and finish out the first month of the season strong, so I’m proud of all the guys for finishing the right way.”

CJ Stroud and Nico Collins were exceptional once again. The second-year quarterback threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns on 27 of 40 passing while Collins had 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Collins is on pace to go over 2,000 yards this season and has been on fire through four games.

“I’m just finding ways to be available and trying to help the team any way in which my number is called,” Collins said. “I’m going to do whatever I can to make a lay for my team, I’m going out there with my brothers and fighting every week and there’s no better feeling. We just have to continue to build, continue to get better and push each other and that’s all of our mindsets right now.”

For the second straight week, the Texans shot themselves in the foot right at the beginning of the game. After forcing a punt from Jacksonville on its opening drive, Steven Sims muffed a punt at the Texans goal line which was recovered by the Jaguars at the Texans 2-yard line. Trevor Lawrence made Houston pay on the very next play, throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. that gave Jacksonville an early lead.

The Texans offense answered back with a strong first drive that was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown run from Stefon Diggs and after a Jacksonville field goal the Texans retook the lead early in the second half by putting together a 12-play 74 yard drive that was finished off by a 3-yard pass from Stroud to Nico Collins. 

The Texans defense limited Jacksonville to another field goal with just under four minutes remaining in the half and then the Houston offense drove the length of the field again before settling for a 30-yard field goal from Ka'Imi Fairbairnn right before time expired in the second quarter that put Houston up 17-13 at halftime.

Houston was unable to put points on the board in the third quarter and meanwhile the Jaguars moved the ball well and took the lead midway through the third when Lawrence through an eight yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk. The Jaguars drove the ball all the way down the field again late in the quarter, but on the first play of the fourth, Houston’s defense stepped up and stopped a fourth and two at the goal line that kept Houston within three points.

 The Texans defense continued to come up big while the Texans offense continued to falter all throughout the fourth quarter until the Texans final drive of the game, where they went 69-yards in nine plays and with just 22 seconds left found the game winning touchdown on a 1-yard pass from Stroud to Dare Ogunbowale, as the Texans escaped with an important win.

“We just started clicking on that last drive, I don’t know what was different but we just started to do the right things,” Stroud said. “We stopped moving backwards, we were efficient and moved the ball and we did a good job of taking what we were given. Our defense did such a god job and kept us in the game. They gave us a final shot and we needed that, I love those guys they really stepped up today. Any time we have a bad day on offense they always have our back and vice versa.”

Next week will be a big test for Houston as the undefeated Bills come to town. There will be things to continue to clean up and fix, especially with penalties, which the Texans had 12 of that cost the team 93 yards in total. That will be a big talking point as Houston tries to get ready for a challenging opponent.

“We have a lot of things to clean up, these penalties, it seems like were trying to break the record for the most penalties in the league, this is our third straight game with over 10 penalties and that isn’t nearly good enough,” Ryans said. “We have to find guys who will do the right thing all the time and play clean football. But I’m very proud of the effort from all of our guys and finding a way to win when we had to.”