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NFL

Mixon, Texans' defense too much for Cowboys on MNF

  • DJ Bien-Aime

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    ESPN
      DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He’s a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show, “Talkin’ Texans.”

  • Todd Archer

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    ESPN Staff Writer
      Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.

Nov 18, 2024, 11:49 PM ET

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Houston Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 at AT&T Stadium for the first time in franchise history Monday and snapped a two-game losing streak.

The Texans were fueled by running back Joe Mixon’s three rushing touchdowns and 109 rushing yards.

They jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and their defense carried them for the rest of the game. Houston sacked Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush five times, intercepted him once and scored a touchdown on a strip sack.

The win puts the Texans two games ahead of the Indianapolis Colts, whom they have already beaten twice, in the AFC South, and their next two games are against the two-win Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

Pivotal play: The defense put the game away in an unusual way early in the fourth quarter. Defensive end

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

Seven weeks of misery remain in the Cowboys’ season, but their losing streak continues.

Despite the Cowboys dropping their fifth straight, the season isn’t over mathematically. But what gives you hope that things can turn around? Quarterback

NFL

'I am very excited to have my guy back': Nico Collins set to run return

  • DJ Bien-Aime, ESPNNov 18, 2024, 06:00 AM ET

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      DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He’s a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show, “Talkin’ Texans.”

HOUSTON — Nico Collins knows what’s at stake as he’s set to make his much-anticipated return to the football field after missing five games with a right hamstring injury.

Playing on prime time also gives him a “great opportunity” to remind the world what type of receiver he was before the injury.

“[I] got to go out there and take advantage of my opportunities,” Collins said. “In order to pick back up, I got to ball out when the ball touches my hands. When the ball is in the air, I have to do something with it.”

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Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins will return after missing five games with a hamstring injury. Troy Taormina/Imagn Images

THE TEXANS’ OFFENSE ranked sixth in total offense (376.6 yards per game) with Collins, but that dipped to 299 yards (24th) without the fourth-year receiver — and that’s with running back

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The Texans also lost their second-leading receiver, Stefon Diggs, to a torn ACL in his right knee in Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts. But even with Diggs, following Collins’ injury, Stroud averaged 187 passing yards from Weeks 6-8 and had a career-low 86 yards in the Texans’ 24-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7.

“I am very excited to have my guy back,” Stroud said. “I am just happy for him to be back with the team, be a part of the locker room again. They are in solitude, when players are injured, they are on their own. So I am glad he is just able to be around the guys again and be able to do the sport that he loves to play.”

Wide receiver Tank Dell became the top target when Diggs and Collins were out, and Dell had 11 catches for 165 yards in the past two games. With Collins returning, Dell can slide into the No. 2 role, which could make life easier for him because Collins “opens up the offense.”

“Nico brings a lot to the table,” Dell told ESPN. “Defenses have to account for him. You got to have eyes on him at all times. That just opens up things not only for the receivers but the run game.”

MISSING COLLINS ISN’T the only reason for the offensive woes. The Texans’ pass block win rate during his absence of 54.8 ranks 23rd, which is why Stroud has been under pressure on 46.8% of his dropbacks, second-most among starters.

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MNF Trailer: Texans vs. Cowboys

Get ready for an electric Week 11 Monday Night Football clash when the Texans take on the Cowboys.

Coming into Week 11, quarterbacks against the Cowboys are averaging the second-highest passer rating (105.1) in the NFL, and they are allowing 210 passing yards per game (17th). They also allow 362.9 total yards per game (26th) and 28.8 points per game (second most).

But as much as Collins’ return to the field will be appreciated by his teammates, his absence taught him to appreciate his opportunities.

“You don’t know when it’s going to be your last game, you don’t know what it is,” Collins told ESPN. “I came out there strong the first four weeks, then boom [injured], out of nowhere. Now I’m missing time, just realizing this s— is not for long. You have to do whatever you can to give it your all.”

NFL

The Bills' offensive stars called these plays for themselves — here's how they worked out

  • Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNNov 14, 2024, 06:00 AM ET

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      Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer who covers the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her via Twitter @agetzenberg.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s feet are up as he begins the meeting.

He starts with going over the running game and then moves on to the passing plays, asking the position groups and individual players what plays they would like — and not like — to see called in the game ahead. Allen records notes from the meeting and passes along the plays discussed to offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

The same meeting takes place every Friday after practice. Allen has led it since Brady instituted the meeting when he took over as interim offensive coordinator in Week 11 of the 2023 season. The offense-only meetings, which are not typically lengthy and described by players as “super chill,” take place about 15 minutes after practice comes to a close.

The meeting helps create open dialogue for players to express what plays they like and don’t like, and facilitates conversation between position groups.

“It’s nice, because other things like, say the tight ends don’t like something like, ‘Hey, why don’t you like it? Oh, didn’t think about it that way. That makes sense. Let’s throw it out,'” center Connor McGovern said.

That approach from Brady and Allen encourages buy-in on the offense, across the board, and allows input from players on what’s called during games.

Rookie running back Ray Davis compared the meetings to a band getting together and figuring which songs they like to play.

Players have also progressed to texting Brady if there are specific things they like, or will note them to him during practices.

“I think a lot of it’s ownership, guys taking accountability,” Allen said. “If I told Joe that I want this play and he calls it, I got to go and make it work because we’re putting ourselves on the line there in terms of him trusting us. And as long as we keep executing some of the plays that we like, he’s going to keep calling them. … Joe always talks about the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.”

“If I told Joe [Brady] that I want this play and he calls it, I got to go and make it work because we’re putting ourselves on the line there in terms of him trusting us,” says Bills QB Josh Allen. AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes

And this offense is certainly doing more. The Bills are off to an 8-2 start, the team’s best since 1993, while Allen has put together a commanding performance behind a consistent offensive line. He’s also getting help in ways he hasn’t before with the highest yards after catch per reception through 10 games (6.7) of his career and Allen is unusually not the team’s leader in rushing touchdowns (

TE Dawson Knox play choice

Week 8, Bills at Seahawks: 13:58 | First quarter | First-and-10 | BUF 10 | 0-0

Play result: Allen to Knox for 23-yard gain

“The play we opened with was one that I wanted to advocate for, which was a 100% Joe Brady’s scheme,” TE Dawson Knox said. “He wanted it called the first play. Josh did a great job alerting it, but I wanted it called because I thought it was a great look, great scheme by [Brady] and thankful we got the call.”

Knox said that when he’s deciding to advocate for a certain play, he looks for: if it worked in practice; if he thinks they’ll get the right look from the defense and; if it features the tight ends.

This was the first offensive play called for the Bills against the Seahawks in Week 8.

McGovern said that as soon as Allen sits down in the weekly meeting, he says, “‘Alright, Connor, Dave [left guard David Edwards], I know you want goalie to start with.'” The play is a mid-zone to the left. McGovern also said that Brady approached him on the plane to Seattle to ask about what he wanted to see run, but before he could even answer, the coordinator already knew.

“It’s a good way to see the defense, how they’re going to be playing it, and then if we could get that going, then that gets the play-action game going,” McGovern said. “So, earlier we get that started, other things get opened up.”

They did run it early in Seattle, and McGovern said it went perfectly in the midst of what ended up as a 14-play opening scoring drive.

QB Josh Allen play choice

Week 8, Bills at Seahawks: 1:08 | Second quarter | Third-and-3 | SEA 36 | 7-3 Buffalo lead

Play result: Allen rush for nine yards. Drive result was a touchdown pass to TE Dalton Kincaid.

“Third down, third and short. There was a timeout. Go over to the sideline. I told them a play that I wanted, and he called it, and it worked out, and it’s fulfilling for me that it worked. But for [Brady], too, it’s like ‘All right, I trust this guy in what he’s seeing.’ And to have a healthy relationship like that with your OC and he trusts you like that, it’s a dang good feeling.”

In some cases, Allen will communicate on the sideline plays that he thinks are good to run during the game. Sometimes that happens during timeouts with quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry often a go-between on the sideline, while Brady is in the booth.

“There’s a lot of times as I’m communicating down to [Curry], … ‘Josh, any thoughts from Josh,’ or ‘Hey, what’s he thinking?”’ Brady said. “And there might be a timeout, and he goes to the sideline, and he tells RC, ‘Hey, give me this. Hey, bring this up to Joe.'”

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— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) November 13, 2024

Cook scored three touchdowns in the team’s first win over Miami this season.

“The play is going to me first, and then how, the way the line was blocking it,” Cook said on why he pointed out this play.

After Allen handed the ball off to Cook, he navigated a tight opening between McGovern and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence before finding space and then exploding to the sideline and ultimately down the field before a flip into the end zone.

The third-year running back has gotten off to a career-best start as a rusher including a personal high of nine touchdowns for the season. He values the ability to offer input.

Players like wide receiver Khalil Shakir and Davis expressed that while they appreciate the open communication with Brady, expressing a desire for a certain play to be called isn’t necessarily in their wheelhouse.

“I believe in whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen,” Shakir said. “Whatever play that I may want to get called, if it’s meant to be called, it’s going to get called. I’m a go with the flow type of guy.”

Meanwhile, Cook described Brady’s openness to calling plays the players want as “the greatest thing ever.”

NFL

Lions minus LaPorta vs. Jaguars due to shoulder

  • Eric Woodyard, ESPNNov 15, 2024, 04:13 PM ET

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      Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter dedicated to the Midwest region before switching to his current role in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has authored/co-authored three books: “Wasted, Ethan’s Talent Search” and “All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story”. He is a proud parent of one son, Ethan. You can follow him on Twitter: @E_Woodyard

DETROIT — The Lions will be missing one of their top offensive weapons when they return home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Detroit ruled out Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta on Friday because of a shoulder injury. He hasn’t practiced all week.

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Lions coach Dan Campbell described the injury as a sprained AC joint. LaPorta suffered it during the second half of last weekend’s 26-23 road win against the Houston Texans and was considered day-to-day.

“We don’t feel like this is something like, ‘Oh, man, this going to be a long, nagging injury.’ I think we’ll get through it,” Campbell said Monday.

LaPorta has the Lions’ third-most receiving yards (366) to go with 25 receptions and three touchdowns in his second NFL season. He has 111 career receptions with an opportunity to surpass Keith Jackson (144) for the most by a tight end in his first two seasons.

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