2016 Houston Texans season

15th season in franchise history August 2023 March 2026 Houston Texans 2016 9–7 1st AFC South Bill O'Brien George Godsey Romeo Crennel Bob McNair Rick Smith NRG Stadium Won Wild Card Playoffs(vs. Raiders) 27–14Lost Divisional Playoffs(at Patriots) 16–34 DE Jadeveon Clowney 3 EDGE Jadeveon Clowney (1st team) LB Whitney Mercilus (2nd team) LB Benardrick McKinney (2nd team) File:Houston texans unif.png Texans seasons The 2016 season was the Houston Texans' 15th in the NFL and their third under head coach Bill O'Brien. The Texans' attempt to make history as the first team to play the Super Bowl on their home field, NRG Stadium, was thwarted in the second round of the 2016–17 NFL playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots. The Texans finished 9–7 for the third season in a row and clinched the AFC South for the second season in a row, winning their fourth overall division title; the Texans finished tied with the Tennessee Titans, but won the tiebreaker based on record against division opponents. The 2016 season marked the first time in franchise history that the Texans swept the Indianapolis Colts.Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-grind-out-key-road-victory-over-Colts-10789272.php Texans grind out key road victory over Colts January 1, 2017 This marks the second time in team history that the Texans made the playoffs in back to back years, and the first since 2011–12. This was also the first time in their franchise history where their defense ranked number one in the league, despite losing their injured star defensive end J. J. Watt for most of the season, only allowing 20.5 points per game and only 301.3 yards per game. The Texans defeated the Oakland Raiders 27–14 in the wild-card round and advanced to the divisional round for the first time since the 2012 season, but they lost to the New England Patriots 34–16. 3 Draft 2016 NFL draft 2016 Houston Texans 1 21 Will Fuller WR Notre Dame from Washington yes 2 50 Nick Martin C Notre Dame from Atlanta yes 3 85 Braxton Miller WR Ohio State yes 4 119 Tyler Ervin RB San Jose State yes 5 159 K. J. Dillon S West Virginia yes 5 166 D. J. Reader DT Clemson from New England yes Notes The Texans traded their sixth-round selection and wide receiver Keshawn Martin to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' fifth-round selection. The Texans made multiple trades within the seventh round: Acquiring a conditional seventh-round selection in a trade that sent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets; this selection was upgraded to a sixth-rounder after Fitzpatrick played more than 70% of the Jets snaps in 2015;Jets must send sixth-rounder based on Ryan Fitzpatrick's time played https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14387654/new-york-jets-send-sixth-round-pick-houston-texans-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick ESPN.com March 12, 2016 March 12, 2016 Acquiring an additional seventh-round selection in a trade that sent quarterback Case Keenum to the St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams); Trading a seventh-round selection to the Denver Broncos in exchange for offensive tackle Chris Clark; Trading a seventh-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for quarterback Ryan Mallett. Exact numbers of the selections from rounds 4–7 were determined when compensatory selections were awarded on March 11.NFL awards 33 compensatory picks to 13 teams for 2016 draft https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-awards-33-compensatory-picks-to-13-teams-for-2016-draft-0ap3000000643671 NFL.com March 12, 2016 March 12, 2016 Staff 2016 Houston Texans Founder/chairman/CEO – Bob McNair Vice chairman – D. Cal McNair Executive vice president/general manager – Rick Smith President – Jamey Rootes Vice president of football administration – Chris Olsen Vice president of football operations – Doug West Director of player personnel – Brian Gaine Director of college scouting – Jon Carr Director of football research – Jim Bernhardt Assistant director of pro personnel – Larry Wright Head coach – Bill O'Brien Offensive coordinator – George Godsey Running backs – Charles London Wide receivers – Sean Ryan Tight ends – John Perry Offensive line – Mike Devlin Offensive assistant – Pat O'Hara Offensive quality control/assistant offensive line – Tim Kelly Defensive coordinator – Romeo Crennel Defensive line – Anthony Weaver Linebackers – Mike Vrabel Secondary – John Butler Assistant secondary – Anthony Midget Defensive assistant – Shane Bowen Defensive quality control – Will Lawing Special teams coordinator – Larry Izzo Assistant special teams – Doug Colman Head strength and conditioning – Craig Fitzgerald Assistant strength and conditioning – Sean Hayes Assistant strength and conditioning – Brian Bell Assistant strength and conditioning – Ian Jones Final roster 2016 Houston Texans 53 15 10  3 Tom Savage American football 17 Brock Osweiler  5 Brandon Weeden 28 Alfred Blue 34 Tyler Ervin y RS 41 Jonathan Grimes 33 Akeem Hunt 26 Lamar Miller 45 Jay Prosch FB 15 Will Fuller y 10 DeAndre Hopkins 12 Keith Mumphery 82 Wendall Williams y 89 Stephen Anderson American football y 87 C. J. Fiedorowicz 84 Ryan Griffin tight end 78 Oday Aboushi G 79 Jeff Allen offensive lineman G 68 Tony Bergstrom C 76 Duane Brown T 74 Chris Clark American football T 63 Kendall Lamm T 65 Greg Mancz C 71 Xavier Suʻa-Filo G 73 Josh Walker American football G 95 Christian Covington DE 90 Jadeveon Clowney DE 93 Joel Heath DE y 97 Ufomba Kamalu DE y 98 D. J. Reader NT y 94 Antonio Smith defensive end DE 75 Vince Wilfork NT 53 Max Bullough ILB 56 Brian Cushing ILB 50 Akeem Dent OLB 55 Benardrick McKinney ILB 59 Whitney Mercilus OLB 52 Brian Peters gridiron football ILB 57 Brennan Scarlett OLB y 51 John Simon linebacker OLB 21 A. J. Bouye CB 27 Quintin Demps SS 29 Andre Hal FS 25 Kareem Jackson CB 20 Don Jones safety FS 24 Johnathan Joseph CB 43 Corey Moore safety FS/SS 32 Robert Nelson defensive back CB 35 Eddie Pleasant SS 22 Denzel Rice CB  8 Nick Novak K  9 Shane Lechler P 46 Jon Weeks LS 39 Lonnie Ballentine FS IR 36 K. J. Dillon SS y IR 23 Kurtis Drummond SS IR  7 Kaʻimi Fairbairn K y IR 30 Kevin Johnson cornerback CB IR 66 Nick Martin center y C IR 13 Braxton Miller y WR IR 72 Derek Newton T IR 77 David Quessenberry T NF-Ill. 48 Gerald Rivers OLB IR 91 Devon Still DE IR 11 Jaelen Strong WR IR 49 Tony Washington linebacker OLB IR 99 J. J. Watt DE IR 70 Jeff Adams American football T 88 RaShaun Allen TE 14 Quenton Bundrage WR y IR 92 Brandon Dunn NT 64 Laurence Gibson T 38 Kenny Hilliard RB 85 Tevin Jones WR y 47 Eric Lee American football OLB y 96 Dan Pettinato DE 42 Shakeel Rashad ILB y 62 Chad Slade American football G Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 14 at San Francisco 49ers W 24–13 1–0 Levi's Stadium Recap 2 August 20, 2016 New Orleans Saints W 16–9 2–0 NRG Stadium Recap 3 August 28 Arizona Cardinals W 34–24 3–0 NRG Stadium Recap 4 September 1, 2016 at Dallas Cowboys W 28–17 4–0 AT&T Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 11 Chicago Bears W 23–14 1–0 NRG Stadium Recap 2 September 18 Kansas City Chiefs W 19–12 2–0 NRG Stadium Recap 3 September 22, 2016 at New England Patriots L 0–27 2–1 Gillette Stadium Recap 4 October 2 Tennessee Titans W 27–20 3–1 NRG Stadium Recap 5 October 9 at Minnesota Vikings L 13–31 3–2 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 6 October 16 Indianapolis Colts W 26–23 (OT) 4–2 NRG Stadium Recap 7 October 24, 2016 at Denver Broncos L 9–27 4–3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 8 October 30 Detroit Lions W 20–13 5–3 NRG Stadium Recap 9Bye 10 November 13 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 24–21 6–3 EverBank Field Recap 11 November 21 at Oakland Raiders L 20–27 6–4 Mexico Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) Recap 12 November 27 San Diego Chargers L 13–21 6–5 NRG Stadium Recap 13 December 4 at Green Bay Packers L 13–21 6–6 Lambeau Field Recap 14 December 11 at Indianapolis Colts W 22–17 7–6 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 15 December 18 Jacksonville Jaguars W 21–20 8–6 NRG Stadium Recap 16 December 24, 2016 Cincinnati Bengals W 12–10 9–6 NRG Stadium Recap 17 January 1 at Tennessee Titans L 17–24 9–7 Nissan Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Postseason 2016–17 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild Card January 7, 2017 F j, Y Oakland Raiders (5) W 27–14 1–0 NRG Stadium Recap Divisional January 14, 2017 F j, Y at New England Patriots (1) L 16–34 1–1 Gillette Stadium Recap Game summaries Regular season Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Chicago Bears at Houston Texans – Game summary September 11 12:00 p.m. CDT Bears 7 7 0 0 Texans 0 10 3 10 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,933 Played indoors (retractable roof stadium, roof closed) Pete Morelli Fox Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook First quarter CHI – Jeremy Langford 1-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 6:58. Bears 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:31. Second quarter HOU – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 11:25. Bears 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 6:19. HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 23-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 3:14. Texans 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:49. CHI – Eddie Royal 19-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Connor Barth kick), 0:07. Bears 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:31. Third quarter HOU – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 12:17. Bears 14–13. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 1:50. Fourth quarter HOU – Will Fuller 18-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 12:44. Texans 20–14. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:52. HOU – Nick Novak 38-yard field goal, 6:10. Texans 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:51. Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 16/29, 216 yards, TD, INT HOU – Brock Osweiler – 22/35, 231 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CHI – Jeremy Langford – 17 rushes, 57 yards, TD HOU – Lamar Miller – 28 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 4 receptions, 105 yards HOU – Will Fuller – 5 receptions, 107 yards, TD Brock Osweiler started his first regular season game for the Texans at home against the Chicago Bears. Houston received the ball first and made it all the way to the Chicago 34 before an Osweiler pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter. The Bears capitalized on the turnover with a 1-yard run from Jeremy Langford. In the 2nd quarter, Jay Cutler fumbled the ball on 4th and 1 at the Houston 31. Cutler recovered the fumble but the drive was turned over on downs. Houston scored on the following drive with a 28-yard field goal from Nick Novak. Following a slow offensive start in the first half, Houston trailed Chicago 10–14 at halftime. Momentum shifted in the 2nd half in favor of the Texans, outscoring the Bears 13–0. With the win, Houston improved to 4–0 all time against Chicago. Week 2: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary September 18 12:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 0 3 0 9 Texans 7 6 0 6 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,890 Played indoors (retractable roof stadium, roof closed) Tony Corrente CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 27-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 8:01. Texans 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:07. Second quarter KC – Cairo Santos 53-yard field goal, 14:55. Texans 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 1:17. HOU – Nick Novak 32-yard field goal, 4:16. Texans 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 6:43. HOU – Nick Novak 24-yard field goal, 1:21. Texans 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:19. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter KC – Cairo Santos 43-yard field goal, 14:56. Texans 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:50. HOU – Nick Novak 31-yard field goal, 9:34. Texans 16–6. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:22. KC – Cairo Santos 35-yard field goal, 7:34. Texans 16–9. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 2:00. HOU – Nick Novak 43-yard field goal, 2:56. Texans 19–9. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 4:38. KC – Cairo Santos 30-yard field goal, 0:49. Texans 19–12. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 2:07. Top passers KC – Alex Smith – 20/37, 186 yards HOU – Brock Osweiler – 19/33, 268 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Charcandrick West – 6 rushes, 61 yards HOU – Lamar Miller – 25 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers KC – Jeremy Maclin – 6 receptions, 68 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 7 receptions, 113 yards, TD The Texans stayed at home for week 2 where they hosted the Kansas City Chiefs, going 0–2 against the Chiefs the previous season, including a 30–0 shutout loss in the wild-card round. Houston's defense managed Kansas City's offense, holding the Chiefs to only 4 Cairo Santos field goals. The only touchdown of the game came on a 27-yard pass from Brock Osweiler to DeAndre Hopkins in the 1st quarter. Week 3: at New England Patriots Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Houston Texans at New England Patriots – Game summary September 22 Thursday 8:25 p.m. EDT/7:25 p.m. CDT Texans 0 0 0 0 Patriots 10 0 10 7 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 66,829 68 F C, clear Walt Coleman CBS/NFLN/Twitter Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 2:07. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:52. NE – Jacoby Brissett 27-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:54. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 22 yards, 0:07. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 8:19. Patriots 13–0. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 6:41. NE – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:41. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:31. Fourth quarter NE – LeGarrette Blount 41-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:00. Patriots 27–0. Drive: 2 plays, 47 yards, 0:40. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 24/41, 196 yards, INT NE – Jacoby Brissett – 11/19, 103 yards Top rushers HOU – Lamar Miller – 21 rushes, 80 yards NE – LeGarrette Blount – 24 rushes, 105 yards, 2 TD Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 4 receptions, 56 yards NE – Julian Edelman – 4 receptions, 38 yards The Houston Texans fell to the New England Patriots 27–0, dropping to 2–1 for the season. Problems started early for the Texans as Charles James fumbled a kick return that was recovered by Duron Harmon at the Houston 22. The fumble lead to a Jacoby Brissett 27-yard run to extended New England's lead to 10–0 following Stephen Gostkowski's kick late in the first quarter. On the Texans' next possession, a Brock Osweiler pass was intercepted by Jamie Collins. The Patriots gained the ball to start the second half and settled for a 25-yard Gostkowski field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Tyler Ervin fumbled the ball with Jordan Richards recovering it. Like before, the fumble resulted in a New England touchdown with a 1-yard LeGarrette Blount run. The loss was Houston's first shutout loss since December 7, 2003, where the Texans fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars also by a score of 27–0. It was also head coach Bill O'Brien's first return to New England in 5 years, where he served as an offensive assistant in their undefeated regular season of 2007, as wide receivers coach in 2008, quarterbacks coach from 2009–10, and as offensive coordinator in 2011. O'Brien was also part of two AFC-winning Patriots teams in 2007 and 2011, losing the Super Bowl to the Eli Manning-led New York Giants on both occasions. Days after the game, defensive end J. J. Watt underwent back surgery to repair a herniated disk. Watt missed the remainder of the 2016 season due to the surgery.Houston Chronicle McClain John http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-J-J-Watt-has-back-surgery-will-miss-9471995.php Texans' J. J. Watt has back surgery, will miss remainder of season September 30, 2016 October 1, 2016 Former Texan Antonio Smith was signed to the team to replace Watt for the season.Houston Business Journal Witthaus Jack http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2016/09/29/antonio-smith-returns-to-the-texans-to-fill-j-j.html Houston Texans sign Antonio Smith to help defensive line after J. J. Watt's back injury September 29, 2016 October 1, 2016 Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary October 2 12:00 p.m. CDT Titans 3 14 3 0 Texans 14 6 7 0 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,054 Played indoors (retractable roof stadium, roof closed) Clete Blakeman CBS Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz 14-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 10:31. Texans 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:29. HOU – Will Fuller 5-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 5:38. Texans 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:47. TEN – Ryan Succop 48-yard field goal, 2:40. Texans 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 2:58. Second quarter HOU – Nick Novak 53-yard field goal, 13:47. Texans 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:54. TEN – DeMarco Murray 2-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 11:26. Texans 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 2:21. TEN – DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 2:28. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:16. HOU – Nick Novak 45-yard field goal, 0:11. Texans 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 0:39. Third quarter TEN – Ryan Succop 26-yard field goal, 7:04. Tied 20–20. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 7:56. HOU – Will Fuller 67-yard punt return (Nick Novak kick), 0:56. Texans 27–20. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers TEN – Marcus Mariota – 13/29, 192 yards, INT HOU – Brock Osweiler – 25/37, 254 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers TEN – DeMarco Murray – 25 rushes, 95 yards, 2 TD HOU – Lamar Miller – 19 rushes, 82 yards Top receivers TEN – Rishard Matthews – 2 receptions, 82 yards HOU – Will Fuller – 7 receptions, 81 yards, TD Will Fuller's 67-yard punt return TD late in the third quarter helped the Texans defeat the Titans 27–20. With the victory, the Texans improved to 3–1. Houston also defeated Tennessee for the fifth straight time. The victory is the Texans' 100th overall win in franchise history. Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary October 9 12:00 p.m. CDT Texans 0 6 0 7 Vikings 14 10 0 7 U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota 66,683 Played indoors (dome stadium) Jeff Triplette CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter MIN – Adam Thielen 36-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Blair Walsh kick), 11:23. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:37. MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 6:28. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:52. Second quarter MIN – Blair Walsh 19-yard field goal, 9:58. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 6:19. MIN – Marcus Sherels 79-yard punt return (Blair Walsh kick), 8:46. Vikings 24–0. HOU – Nick Novak 38-yard field goal, 5:42. Vikings 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:04. HOU – Nick Novak 30-yard field goal, 1:37. Vikings 24–6. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 2:04. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 9-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Blair Walsh kick), 14:09. Vikings 31–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:42. HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 1-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 3:46. Vikings 31–13. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:29. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 19/42, 184 yards, TD, INT MIN – Sam Bradford – 22/30, 271 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – Alfred Blue – 6 rushes, 39 yards MIN – Matt Asiata – 14 rushes, 55 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz – 4 receptions, 61 yards MIN – Adam Thielen – 7 receptions, 127 yards, TD With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–2 and have yet to defeat the Vikings in franchise history. Week 6: vs. Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary October 16 7:30 p.m. CDT Colts 3 10 0 10 0 Texans 0 3 6 14 3 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,891 Played indoors (retractable roof stadium; roof closed) Bill Vinovich NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 41-yard field goal, 5:56. Colts 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 4:16. Second quarter IND – Jack Doyle 22-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:55. Colts 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:33. IND – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 6:55. Colts 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:12. HOU – Nick Novak 27-yard field goal, 1:57. Colts 13–3. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:58. Third quarter HOU – Lamar Miller 1-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 7:06. Colts 13–9. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:13. Fourth quarter IND – Andrew Luck 14-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:53. Colts 20–9. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:25. IND – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 7:04. Colts 23–9. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:17. HOU – Lamar Miller 10-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 2:37. Colts 23–16. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:27. HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz 26-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 0:49. Tied 23–23. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:01. Overtime HOU – Nick Novak 33-yard field goal, 8:10. Texans 26–23. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:20. Top passers IND – Andrew Luck – 21/32, 252 yards, TD, INT HOU – Brock Osweiler – 25/39, 269 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers IND – Frank Gore – 22 rushes, 106 yards HOU – Lamar Miller – 24 rushes, 149 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Chester Rogers – 4 receptions, 63 yards HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz – 6 receptions, 85 yards, TD The Texans hosted their divisional rivals, the Colts, in a prime time match up. Houston's offense got off to a slow start during the first half with the crowd booing quarterback Brock Osweiler numerous times. While the offense was struggling, Houston's defense kept them in the game to only trail 3–13 at halftime. The Texans' offense scored their first touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter with a 1-yard run from Lamar Miller. Miller's rushing touchdown was his first of the season and Houston's first rushing touchdown of the season. After Miller's touchdown run, Nick Novak missed the extra point, going wide right, to trail 9–13. The Texans' offense faltered again while the Colts started to pull away in the fourth quarter to lead 23–9 with 7:04 left in regulation. Down by 14, the Texans refused to give up and started a comeback against the Colts. Houston tied the game with 0:47 left in regulation on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Osweiler to tight end C. J. Fiedorowicz. With Novak making the extra point, the game was tied at 23–23. Indianapolis tried to win the game in regulation, but were forced to punt with 0:23 left in the game. Houston took the knee to close out the fourth. The Colts received the ball to begin overtime, but failed to make it out of their own territory. On 3rd and 3 Andrew Luck was sacked by Benardrick McKinney for a 9-yard loss and Indianapolis was forced to punt the ball away. Houston made it into field goal territory after Osweiler found Jaelen Strong for a 36-yard pass at the Indianapolis 12-yard line. On the next play, Osweiler intentionally ran for a 3-yard loss to help set up a Novak field goal. After Osweiler's set up, Novak made the 33-yard field goal to win the game for the Texans, 26–23. With the win, Houston went to 4–2 on the season, 4–0 at home, and extended their win streak over Indianapolis to a franchise best 2 games. Week 7: at Denver Broncos Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary October 24 Monday 7:30 p.m. CDT/6:30 p.m. MDT Texans 6 0 3 0 Broncos 0 14 7 6 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,865 71 F C, partly cloudy Carl Cheffers ESPN Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU – Nick Novak 43-yard field goal, 7:11. Texans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 2:16. HOU – Nick Novak 43-yard field goal, 0:21. Texans 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 5:05. Second quarter DEN – C. J. Anderson 7-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 9:10. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:11. DEN – Demaryius Thomas 4-yard pass from Trevor Siemian (Brandon McManus kick), 4:04. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:25. Third quarter HOU – Nick Novak 29-yard field goal, 9:09. Broncos 14–9. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:50. DEN – Devontae Booker 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 0:40. Broncos 21–9. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:57. Fourth quarter DEN – Brandon McManus 22-yard field goal, 11:36. Broncos 24–9. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:20. DEN – Brandon McManus 32-yard field goal, 1:57. Broncos 27–9. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:43. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 22/41, 131 yards DEN – Trevor Siemian – 14/25, 157 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Alfred Blue – 11 rushes, 63 yards DEN – C. J. Anderson – 16 rushes, 107 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 36 yards DEN – Emmanuel Sanders – 4 receptions, 86 yards In a MNF matchup, the Texans also faced their former head coach in Gary Kubiak. Their quarterback Brock Osweiler returned to Denver for the first time after leaving the Broncos in the offseason. But his success last week wasn't enough this week as the Broncos held the Texans to three field goals for the win. With the loss, the Texans fell to 4–3. Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Houston Texans – Game summary October 30 12:00 p.m. CDT Lions 0 3 0 10 Texans 0 14 3 3 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,882 Played indoors (retractable roof stadium, roof closed) Brad Allen Fox Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz 6-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 12:56. Texans 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 5:54. HOU – Lamar Miller 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 7:04. Texans 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:34. DET – Matt Prater 47-yard field goal, 0:06. Texans 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 0:30. Third quarter HOU – Nick Novak 33-yard field goal, 5:51. Texans 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:30. Fourth quarter DET – Theo Riddick 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 14:50. Texans 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:01. HOU – Nick Novak 36-yard field goal, 4:09. Texans 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 6:05. DET – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 2:53. Texans 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 1:16. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/41, 240 yards, TD HOU – Brock Osweiler – 20/29, 186 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DET – Theo Riddick – 11 rushes, 56 yards HOU – Lamar Miller – 17 rushes, 56 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Eric Ebron – 7 receptions, 79 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 4 receptions, 44 yards The Texans rebounded from their dismal Monday Night performance and never trailed in their first matchup against the Detroit Lions since Houston's Thanksgiving 2012 win in OT. With the win, the Texans entered the Week 9 bye at 5–3. Week 10: at Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary November 13 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Texans 14 0 7 3 Jaguars 7 3 0 11 EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida 62,091 69 F C, sunny Ronald Torbert CBS Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU – Kareem Jackson 42-yard interception return (Nick Novak kick), 11:57. Texans 7–0. JAX – Julius Thomas 5-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), 5:14. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:43. HOU – Ryan Griffin 1-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 0:19. Texans 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:55. Second quarter JAX – Jason Myers 54-yard field goal, 5:17. Texans 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 3:43. Third quarter HOU – Stephen Anderson 7-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 4:07. Texans 21–10. Drive: 1 play, 7 yards, 0:05. Fourth quarter JAX – Jason Myers 44-yard field goal, 14:56. Texans 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:11. HOU – Nick Novak 51-yard field goal, 8:32. Texans 24–13. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 6:24. JAX – Allen Robinson 14-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Blake Bortles–Allen Robinson pass), 2:17. Texans 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 1:25. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 14/27, 99 yards, 2 TD JAX – Blake Bortles – 32/49, 265 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers HOU – Lamar Miller – 15 rushes, 83 yards JAX – T. J. Yeldon – 9 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 48 yards JAX – Allen Robinson – 9 receptions, 107 yards, TD The Texans got their first road win of the season and their first winning streak since Weeks 1–2, improving to 6–3. Week 11: at Oakland Raiders NFL International Series Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders – Game summary November 21 Monday 7:30 p.m. CST Texans 3 7 7 3 Raiders 0 10 3 14 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico 76,473 63 F C, clear Tony Corrente ESPN Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU – Nick Novak 32-yard field goal, 8:34. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 6:26. Second quarter OAK – Jalen Richard 17-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 14:54. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 4:35. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 19-yard field goal, 12:48. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:06. HOU – Braxton Miller 12-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 7:59. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:49. Third quarter HOU – Lamar Miller 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 8:32. Texans 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:19. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 20-yard field goal, 2:39. Texans 17–13. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:53. Fourth quarter HOU – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 10:57. Texans 20–13. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 6:42. OAK – Jamize Olawale 75-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 10:44. Tied 20–20. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:13. OAK – Amari Cooper 35-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:43. Raiders 27–20. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:32. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 26/39, 243 yards, TD, INT OAK – Derek Carr – 21/31, 295 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers HOU – Lamar Miller – 24 rushes, 104 yards, TD OAK – Latavius Murray – 12 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz – 6 receptions, 82 yards OAK – Jamize Olawale – 3 receptions, 90 yards, TD Following their first road win of the season the previous week, the Texans traveled to Mexico City to face the Oakland Raiders in what would be a controversial game. Houston received the opening kickoff and Brock Osweiler found DeAndre Hopkins for a 60-yard touchdown pass and run, but Hopkins was ruled out of bounds after gaining 24 yards. The instant replay showed that Hopkins stayed in bounds, but the play could not be challenged due to an NFL rule that says a play where a player is ruled out of bounds cannot be challenged.Weatherly Kaleel SB Nation https://www.sbnation.com/2016/11/22/13710136/texans-vs-raiders-referees-blown-calls Texans lost to the Raiders after referees blew two critical calls November 22, 2016 November 28, 2016 After the officiating error, the Texans' opening drive ended in a 32-yard field goal from Nick Novak. In the 4th quarter, with the game tied 20–20, the Texans made it to the Raiders' 16-yard line. On 3rd and 2, Lamar Miller ran the ball and appeared to have gained the 1st down, but was ruled just short. On 4th and inches, Houston decided to go for it and handed the ball off to Akeem Hunt. Hunt also appeared to have gained the 1st down, but was ruled short. The play was challenged, but the call was upheld. The spot of the ball on both plays was heavily criticized as both Miller and Hunt appeared to have gained enough yards for a 1st down.Wagner-McGough Sean CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/refs-job-texans-in-mexico-raiders-steal-a-win-final-score-8-things-to-know/ Refs job Texans in Mexico, Raiders steal a win: Final score, 8 things to know November 22, 2016 November 28, 2016 On the ensuing drive, Oakland would score the game-winning touchdown with a 35-yard pass from Derek Carr to Amari Cooper. Along the controversial officiating, a fan in the stands shined a laser pointer in the eyes of Osweiler and Miller throughout the game.Lyles, Jr. Harry SB Nation https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/11/21/13710752/monday-night-football-texans-raiders-laser-pointer Brock Osweiler did not enjoy having a green laser pointer shined in his face during 'Monday Night Football' November 22, 2016 November 28, 2016 Week 12: vs. San Diego Chargers Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans – Game summary November 27 12:00 p.m. CST Chargers 0 14 0 7 Texans 0 7 0 6 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,897 Played indoors (retractable roof stadium, roof closed) Jeff Triplette CBS Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU – Brock Osweiler 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 11:11. Texans 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:16. SD – Dontrelle Inman 52-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 6:44. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 4:27. SD – Tyrell Williams 21-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 1:54. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:53. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HOU – Nick Novak 19-yard field goal, 14:09. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 5:28. SD – Hunter Henry 12-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 9:52. Chargers 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:17. HOU – Nick Novak 45-yard field goal, 0:14. Chargers 21–13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 2:03. Top passers SD – Philip Rivers – 22/30, 242 yards, 3 TD, INT HOU – Brock Osweiler – 22/37, 246 yards, 3 INT Top rushers SD – Melvin Gordon – 17 rushes, 70 yards HOU – Lamar Miller – 19 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers SD – Dontrelle Inman – 6 receptions, 119 yards, TD HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 70 yards The Texans fell to the Chargers 21–13, losing their first and only home game of the season and dropping to 6–5. Week 13: at Green Bay Packers Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers – Game summary December 4 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 0 0 7 6 Packers 0 7 0 14 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 77,867 32 F C, snow Gene Steratore CBS Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter GB – Randall Cobb 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 8:10. Packers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:58. Third quarter HOU – Ryan Griffin 6-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 7:32. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yars, 4:57. Fourth quarter GB – Jordy Nelson 32-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 12:42. Packers 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 98 yards, 5:20. GB – Aaron Ripkowski 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 4:11. Packers 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 4:41. HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 44-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (kick failed, wide right), 1:51. Packers 21–13. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:20. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 21/34, 213 yards, 2 TD GB – Aaron Rodgers – 20/30, 209 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – Jonathan Grimes – 5 rushes, 43 yards GB – Ty Montgomery – 6 rushes, 40 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 2 receptions, 55 yards, TD GB – Jordy Nelson – 8 receptions, 118 yards, TD Houston lost for the first time in Green Bay, falling to .500 and 6–6. Week 14: at Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary December 11 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Texans 3 10 3 6 Colts 3 0 7 7 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 65,250 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Brad Allen CBS Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook First quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 8:35. Colts 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 3:50. HOU – Nick Novak 21-yard field goal, 4:04. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:01. Second quarter HOU – Lamar Miller 2-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 2:26. Texans 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:19. HOU – Nick Novak 52-yard field goal, 0:12. Texans 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 0:29. Third quarter HOU – Nick Novak 24-yard field goal, 12:46. Texans 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 1:08. IND – Frank Gore 18-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:53. Texans 16–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:53. Fourth quarter HOU – Nick Novak 41-yard field goal, 11:53. Texans 19–10. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 4:51. IND – T. Y. Hilton 35-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:06. Texans 19–17. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 2:47. HOU – Nick Novak 34-yard field goal, 2:51. Texans 22–17. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 6:15. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 14/24, 147 yards, INT IND – Andrew Luck – 24/45, 276 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers HOU – Lamar Miller – 21 rushes, 107 yards, TD IND – Frank Gore – 10 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 2 receptions, 33 yards IND – T. Y. Hilton – 9 receptions, 115 yards, TD With the win, the Texans moved up to 7–6 and swept the Colts for the first time in franchise history. They also snapped their three-game losing streak. Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary December 18 12:00 p.m. CST Jaguars 0 13 7 0 Texans 0 5 6 10 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,803 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ed Hochuli CBS Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter JAX – Jason Myers 26–yard field goal, 14:10. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:36. JAX – Jason Myers 50–yard field goal, 11:12. Jaguars 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, −7 yards, 1:38. JAX – Blake Bortles 1–yard rush (Jason Myers kick), 8:39. Jaguars 13–0. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:30. HOU – Penalty on Neal Sterling enforced in the end zone for a safety, 1:49. Jaguars 13–2. Drive: 3 plays, −1 yard, 1:01. HOU – Nick Novak 39–yard field goal, 0:53. Jaguars 13–5. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 0:46. Third quarter HOU – Nick Novak 45–yard field goal, 7:07. Jaguars 13–8. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 5:14. JAX – Marqise Lee 100–yard kick return (Jason Myers kick), 7:02. Jaguars 20–8. HOU – Nick Novak 43–yard field goal, 0:15. Jaguars 20–11. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:15. Fourth quarter HOU – Nick Novak 27–yard field goal, 7:57. Jaguars 20–14. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:05. HOU – Lamar Miller 1–yard run (Nick Novak kick), 2:52. Texans 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 2:56. Top passers JAX – Blake Bortles – 12/28, 92 yards, INT HOU – Tom Savage – 23/36, 260 yards Top rushers JAX – Chris Ivory – 10 rushes, 44 yards HOU – Lamar Miller – 22 rushes, 63 yards, TD Top receivers JAX – T. J. Yeldon – 5 receptions, 34 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 8 receptions, 87 yards The Texans were down 13–5 at halftime and had a deficit as large as 20–8, but ultimately rallied to win 21–20. With the comeback win, the Texans improved to 8–6 and extended their divisional winning streak to 10 games, and six straight against Jacksonville. Notes Quarterback Brock Osweiler was pulled from the game and benched in favor of Tom Savage during the second quarter.Business Insider Knowlton Emmett http://www.businessinsider.com/texans-bench-brock-osweiler-2016-12 Houston Texans bench Brock Osweieler in first half against Jaguars December 18, 2016 December 18, 2016 Osweiler went 6/11 for 48 yards and threw two back-to-back interceptions before being pulled from the game in the middle of the second quarter.Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/12/18/texans-quarterback-brock-osweiler-benched-tom-savage Brock Osweiler: Texans quarterback benched for Tom Savage December 18, 2016 December 18, 2016 Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – Game summary December 24 Saturday 7:25 p.m. CST Bengals 0 3 0 7 Texans 0 0 3 9 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,836 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Carl Cheffers NFLN Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Stacey Dales Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter CIN – Randy Bullock 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 4:58. Third quarter HOU – Nick Novak 25-yard field goal, 9:05. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:55. Fourth quarter HOU – Nick Novak 22-yard field goal, 13:31. Texans 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 6:34. CIN – Brandon LaFell 86–yard pass from Andy Dalton (Randy Bullock kick), 10:45. Bengals 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 91 yards, 0:55. HOU – Alfred Blue 24-yard run (kick blocked), 8:41. Texans 12–10. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:04. Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton – 28/41, 268 yards, TD, INT HOU – Tom Savage – 18/29, 176 yards Top rushers CIN – Rex Burkhead – 12 rushes, 42 yards HOU – Alfred Blue – 21 rushes, 73 yards, TD Top receivers CIN – Brandon LaFell – 6 receptions, 130 yards, TD HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 3 receptions, 43 yards Quarterback Tom Savage got his first career NFL start against the Cincinnati Bengals. Savage struggled in the first half against the Bengals' stout defense, being sacked on two back-to-back plays in the first quarter for a huge loss. The first score of the game came on a last second 43-yard field goal from Randy Bullock to put Cincinnati up 3–0 going into halftime. The Texans responded on their first possession in the second half with a 25-yard field goal from Nick Novak to tie the game at 3–3. The Bengals punted the ball on their next possession. Receiving the ball back, another drive stalled for the Texans as they had to settle for a 22-yard field goal from Novak to take a 6–3 lead. Cincinnati tried to respond to the Houston field goal, but a tipped pass from Andy Dalton was intercepted by Quentin Demps. The Texans came up short on the interception and were forced to punt the ball back. After receiving the kick, the Bengals quickly struck with Dalton finding Brandon LaFell for an 86-yard touchdown pass. With Bullock making the extra point the Bengals took a 10–6 lead with 10:45 left to play. Houston responded on their next drive with a 24-yard touchdown run from Alfred Blue, but Novak's extra point was blocked. After both teams traded punts, the Bengals marched down to the Houston 25-yard line to try the game-winning field goal. Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock, who had been released by the Texans the previous season, tried for the game-winning field goal, but it went wide right. With the win and the Tennessee Titans losing earlier in the day, the Texans won their second straight AFC South title. Week 17: at Tennessee Titans Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary January 1, 2017 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 0 0 10 7 Titans 7 7 7 3 Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee 65,205 52 F C, cloudy Bill Vinovich CBS Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta Recap, Gamebook First quarter TEN – DaQuan Jones fumble recovery in the end zone (Ryan Succop kick), 9:57. Titans 7–0. Second quarter TEN – Rishard Matthews 2-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 0:23. Titans 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:08. Third quarter HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz 4-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 10:31. Titans 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 4:29. TEN – Derrick Henry 2-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 4:44. Titans 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:47. HOU – Nick Novak 26-yard field goal, 1:15. Titans 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:33. Fourth quarter TEN – Ryan Succop 35-yard field goal, 8:34. Titans 24–10. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 7:41. HOU – Brock Osweiler 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 3:11. Titans 24–17. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:19. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 21/40, 253 yards, TD TEN – Matt Cassel – 16/26, 150 yards, TD, INT Top rushers HOU – Alfred Blue – 11 rushes, 28 yards TEN – Derrick Henry – 15 rushes, 65 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 7 receptions, 123 yards TEN – Rishard Matthews – 9 receptions, 114 yards, TD Tom Savage started at quarterback for the Texans, but was pulled from the game in the 1st quarter due to a possible concussion. After Savage was pulled, Brock Osweiler, who had been benched 2 weeks prior, came in as quarterback. With the loss, the Texans finished the regular season at 9–7 for the third straight year. Their ten-game winning streak against divisional opponents was snapped, as well as their five-game winning streak against the Titans. Postseason 2016–17 NFL playoffs AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Oakland Raiders Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Oakland Raiders at (4) Houston Texans – Game summary January 7, 2017 Saturday 3:35 p.m. CST Raiders 7 0 0 7 Texans 10 10 0 7 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,790 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ronald Torbert ESPN/ABC Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters and Adam Schefter Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU – Nick Novak 50-yard field goal, 8:04. Texans 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:45. HOU – Lamar Miller 5-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 6:16. Texans 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:02. OAK – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:01. Texans 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 1:55. Second quarter HOU – Nick Novak 38-yard field goal, 8:48. Texans 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:17. HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 2-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Nick Novak kick), 1:20. Texans 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 1:05. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HOU – Brock Osweiler 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 12:28. Texans 27–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:49. OAK – Andre Holmes 8-yard pass from Connor Cook (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 8:10. Texans 27–14. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:18. Top passers OAK – Connor Cook – 18/45, 161 yards, TD, 3 INT HOU – Brock Osweiler – 14/25, 168 yards, TD Top rushers OAK – Latavius Murray – 12 rushes, 39 yards, TD HOU – Lamar Miller – 31 rushes, 73 yards, TD Top receivers OAK – Andre Holmes – 4 receptions, 50 yards, TD HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD In a rematch of a controversial game from week 11, the Houston Texans hosted the Oakland Raiders for the first playoff game of the 2016 season. Brock Osweiler started as the Texans' quarterback with Tom Savage still out due to concussion protocol. On the other side of the field, Oakland Raiders quarterback Connor Cook started his first-ever NFL game, which also happened to be in the postseason, becoming the first rookie in NFL history since the inception of the Super Bowl to do so. With eight minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Texans drew first blood with a 50-yard Nick Novak field goal, and a handoff from Texans QB Brock Osweiler to Lamar Miller touchdown and Novak PAT soon made the game 10–0. A 37-yard punt return on a 51-yard punt from Shane Lechler by Jalen Richard gave the Raiders good field position for a Latavius Murray rushing touchdown to bring the Raiders back into the game at 10–7 after a Sebastian Janikowski PAT. The Texans and then the Raiders exchanged three-and-outs, setting the scene for a coffin corner punt by Marquette King that pinned the Texans at their own five-yard line. However, the Texans recovered and scored again on a narrowly good Novak 38-yard field goal. A subsequent DeAndre Hopkins touchdown reception further widened their lead to 20–7 at the half. Neither team was able to put anything on the scoreboard in the third quarter. However, with 12:28 left to go in the fourth quarter, Brock Osweiler went untouched for a 1-yard rushing touchdown, making the score 27–7. The Raiders rallied back with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Cook to Andre Holmes, but that would be the last score of the game as Connor Cook's next drive was abruptly halted after a tipped-ball interception by Texans cornerback A. J. Bouye sealed the Raiders' fate. The final score was 27–14 to the Texans. AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) New England Patriots Houston Texans 2016 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Houston Texans at (1) New England Patriots – Game summary January 14, 2017 Saturday 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST Texans 3 10 0 3 Patriots 14 3 7 10 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 66,829 28 F C, cloudy and cold Pete Morelli CBS Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter NE – Dion Lewis 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:27. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:43. HOU – Nick Novak 33-yard field goal, 1:15. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 8:12. NE – Dion Lewis 98-yard kick return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:00. Patriots 14–3. Second quarter HOU – Nick Novak 27-yard field goal, 11:39. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:45. HOU – C. J. Fiedorowicz 10-yard pass from Brock Osweiler, 10:49. Patriots 14–13. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:40. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 19-yard field goal, 0:07. Patriots 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:47. Third quarter NE – James White 19-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:09. Patriots 24–13. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 3:21. Fourth quarter HOU – Nick Novak 44-yard field goal, 14:51. Patriots 24–16. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:50. NE – Dion Lewis 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:16. Patriots 31–16. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:28. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 42-yard field goal, 6:37. Patriots 34–16. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 3:45. Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler – 23/40, 198 yards, TD, 3 INT NE – Tom Brady – 18/38, 287 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers HOU – Lamar Miller – 19 rushes, 73 yards NE – Dion Lewis – 13 rushes, 41 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 6 receptions, 65 yards NE – Julian Edelman – 8 receptions, 137 yards With this loss, the Texans become the latest victim of the Super Bowl home field curse, as no host team had ever played the championship game on its own home field (with the previous week's victory, they had already become only the third Super Bowl host team - and the first other than the Miami Dolphins - to win a playoff game). They finish with an overall record of 10–8. Standings Division HOU Conference HOU Statistics Team CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL rank(out of 32) Passing offense 3,176 198.5 29th Rushing offense 1,859 116.2 8th Total offenseESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/season/2016/seasontype/2 2016 NFL Team Total Offense Stats October 14, 2022 5,035 314.7 29th Passing defense 3,226 201.6 2nd Rushing defense 1,595 99.7 12th Total defenseESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/defense/season/2016/seasontype/2 2016 NFL Team Total Defense Stats October 14, 2022 4,821 301.3 1st Individual CategoryPlayerTotal Offense Passing yards Brock Osweiler 2,957 Passing touchdowns Brock Osweiler 15 Rushing yards Lamar Miller 1,073 Rushing touchdowns Lamar Miller 6 Receiving yards DeAndre Hopkins 954 Receiving touchdowns DeAndre HopkinsC. J. Fiedorowicz 4 Defense Tackles (Solo) Benardrick McKinney 79 Sacks Whitney Mercilus 7.5 Interceptions Quintin Demps 6 Source:Houston Texans https://www.houstontexans.com/team/stats/2016/REG 2016 Texans Statistics October 14, 2022 References External links http://www.houstontexans.com Houston Category:Houston Texans seasons Houston Texans Category:AFC South championship seasons