2015 Houston Texans season

14th season in franchise history August 2023 March 2026 Houston Texans 2015 9–7 1st AFC South Bill O'Brien George Godsey Romeo Crennel Bob McNair Rick Smith NRG Stadium Lost Wild Card Playoffs(vs. Chiefs) 0–30 3 WR DeAndre Hopkins DE J. J. Watt LS Jon Weeks 2 WR DeAndre Hopkins DE J. J. Watt File:Houston texans unif.png Texans seasons The 2015 season was the Houston Texans' 14th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Bill O'Brien. This season was the first since 2002 that Andre Johnson was not on the team's opening day roster. Houston started the season going into their bye week at 3–5, including blowout losses to the Atlanta Falcons (48–21) and against the Miami Dolphins (44–26). However, the Texans had a surge in the second half of the season, going 6–2 after the bye. The 2015 season marked the first time the Texans beat the Colts in Indianapolis, helped in part by third–string quarterback Brandon Weeden.Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/game/2015/12/20/texans-colts-sunday-december-20th-2015 Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans December 20, 2015 December 20, 2015 December 21, 2015 The Texans matched their win total from the 2014 season, finishing 9–7, and gained their first division title and postseason trip since 2012, but were shutout, 30–0, at home by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round. The 2015 Houston Texans were featured on the HBO documentary series Hard Knocks.NFL https://www.nfl.com/news/eight-things-to-watch-on-this-season-s-hard-knocks-0ap3000000493939 Eight things to watch on this season's 'Hard Knocks' December 26, 2015 3 2015 draft class 2015 NFL draft 2015 Houston Texans 1 16 Kevin Johnson CB Wake Forest yes 2 43 Benardrick McKinney ILB Mississippi State from Cleveland yes yes 3 70 Jaelen Strong WR Arizona State from New York Jets yes 5 175 Keith Mumphery WR Michigan State Compensatory pick yes 6 211 Reshard Cliett OLB South Florida Compensatory pick yes 6 216 Christian Covington DT Rice Compensatory pick yes 7 235 Kenny Hilliard RB LSU Staff 2015 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 Senior personnel advisor – Bobby Grier 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 – Stan Hixon Tight ends – John Perry Offensive line – Mike Devlin Offensive assistant – Pat O'Hara Offensive quality control – Tim Kelly Defensive coordinator – Romeo Crennel Defensive line – Paul Pasqualoni Linebackers – Mike Vrabel Secondary – John Butler Assistant secondary – Anthony Midget Defensive assistant – Anthony Pleasant Defensive quality control – Will Lawing Special teams coordinator – Bob Ligashesky Assistant special teams – Doug Colman Head strength and conditioning – Craig Fitzgerald Assistant strength and conditioning – Sean Hayes Assistant strength and conditioning – Brian Bell Final roster 2015 Houston Texans 53 13 10  5 Brandon Weeden  7 Brian Hoyer  15 Ryan Mallett 28 Alfred Blue 41 Jonathan Grimes 33 Akeem Hunt y 22 Chris Polk 45 Jay Prosch FB 10 DeAndre Hopkins 12 Keith Mumphery y 18 Cecil Shorts 11 Jaelen Strong y 85 Nate Washington 87 C. J. Fiedorowicz 88 Garrett Graham 84 Ryan Griffin tight end 78 Oday Aboushi G 79 Brandon Brooks G 76 Duane Brown T 74 Chris Clark American football T 60 Ben Jones offensive lineman C 72 Derek Newton T 63 Kendall Lamm T y 71 Xavier Suʻa-Filo G 95 Christian Covington DE y 93 Jared Crick DE 92 Brandon Dunn NT 97 Jeoffrey Pagan DE 99 J. J. Watt DE 75 Vince Wilfork NT 53 Max Bullough ILB 90 Jadeveon Clowney OLB 56 Brian Cushing ILB 50 Akeem Dent ILB 55 Benardrick McKinney ILB y 59 Whitney Mercilus OLB 52 Brian Peters gridiron football OLB 51 John Simon linebacker OLB 57 Justin Tuggle ILB 34 A. J. Bouye CB 27 Quintin Demps SS 40 Kurtis Drummond SS y 29 Andre Hal FS 25 Kareem Jackson CB 30 Kevin Johnson cornerback CB/S y 24 Johnathan Joseph CB 43 Corey Moore safety FS y 26 Rahim Moore FS 21 Darryl Morris American football CB 35 Eddie Pleasant SS  8 Nick Novak K  9 Shane Lechler P 46 Jon Weeks LS 70 Jeff Adams American football G IR 39 Lonnie Ballentine FS IR 58 Reshard Cliett OLB y IR 81 Anthony Denham TE IR 23 Arian Foster RB IR 31 Charles James American football CB IR 65 Greg Mancz C y IR 77 David Quessenberry T NF-Ill.  3 Tom Savage American football QB IR 62 Chad Slade American football y G IR 44 Carlos Thompson OLB American football y IR  6 T. J. Yates QB IR 73 Karim Barton G 47 Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo OLB y 64 Dalton Freeman C 38 Kenny Hilliard RB y 19 Josh Lenz WR 32 Robert Nelson defensive back CB 96 Dan Pettinato DE y 48 Gerald Rivers OLB 83 Eric Tomlinson y TE 49 Tony Washington linebacker OLB y IR 13 Chandler Worthy y WR Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 15, 2015 San Francisco 49ers W 23–10 1–0 NRG Stadium Recap 2 August 22, 2015 Denver Broncos L 10–14 1–1 NRG Stadium Recap 3 August 30 at New Orleans Saints W 27–13 2–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 4 September 3, 2015 at Dallas Cowboys L 14–21 2–2 AT&T Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 13 Kansas City Chiefs L 20–27 0–1 NRG Stadium Recap 2 September 20 at Carolina Panthers L 17–24 0–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 3 September 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 19–9 1–2 NRG Stadium Recap 4 October 4 at Atlanta Falcons L 21–48 1–3 Georgia Dome Recap 5 October 8, 2015 Indianapolis Colts L 20–27 1–4 NRG Stadium Recap 6 October 18 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 31–20 2–4 EverBank Field Recap 7 October 25 at Miami Dolphins L 26–44 2–5 Sun Life Stadium Recap 8 November 1 Tennessee Titans W 20–6 3–5 NRG Stadium Recap 9Bye 10 November 16, 2015 at Cincinnati Bengals W 10–6 4–5 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 11 November 22 New York Jets W 24–17 5–5 NRG Stadium Recap 12 November 29 New Orleans Saints W 24–6 6–5 NRG Stadium Recap 13 December 6 at Buffalo Bills L 21–30 6–6 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap 14 December 13 New England Patriots L 6–27 6–7 NRG Stadium Recap 15 December 20 at Indianapolis Colts W 16–10 7–7 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 16 December 27 at Tennessee Titans W 34–6 8–7 Nissan Stadium Recap 17 January 3 Jacksonville Jaguars W 30–6 9–7 NRG Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Postseason 2015–16 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild Card January 9, 2016 F j, Y Kansas City Chiefs (5) L 0–30 0–1 NRG Stadium Recap Game summaries Regular season Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary September 13 12:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 14 13 0 0 Texans 6 3 0 11 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,776 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Pete Morelli CBS Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook First quarter KC 10:22 – Travis Kelce 10 yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick) KC 7-0 KC 4:28 – Travis Kelce 42 yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick) KC 14-0 HOU 0:46 – DeAndre Hopkins 4 yard pass from Brian Hoyer KC 14-6 Second quarter KC 10:26 – Cairo Santos 27 yard field goal KC 17-6 KC 6:20 – Cairo Santos 48 yard field goal KC 20-6 KC 4:55 – Jamaal Charles 7 yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick) KC 27-6 HOU 0:09 – Randy Bullock 34 yard field goal KC 27-9 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HOU 4:07 – DeAndre Hopkins 8 yard pass from Ryan Mallett (Mallett to Hopkins for two-point conversion) KC 27-17 HOU 1:23 – Randy Bullock 47 yard field goal KC 27-20 Top passers KC – Alex Smith 22/33, 243 yards, 3 TDs HOU – Brian Hoyer 18/34, 236 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles 16 carries, 57 yards HOU – Alfred Blue 9 carries, 42 yards Top receivers KC – Travis Kelce 6 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TDs HOU – Nate Washington 6 receptions, 105 yards Top tacklers KC – Derrick Johnson 8 tackles, 1 sack HOU – Brian Cushing 10 tackles In the 2015 season opener, the Houston Texans took on the Kansas City Chiefs with Brian Hoyer in his first regular season start as the Texans' quarterback. Hoyer's first pass was intercepted which eventually led to a Kansas City touchdown. The Chiefs managed to score another 7 points off of turnovers to take a 14–0 lead with 4:28 left in the first. Houston finally managed to get on the board late in the 1st quarter following a 4-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins from Hoyer. With Randy Bullock missing the extra point the Texans trailed 14–6 with 0:46 left in the 1st. Following another dismal quarter for the Texans, Kansas City led 27–9 at halftime. Houston managed to shut out the Chiefs for the entire second half and with almost 6 minutes left in the game brought Ryan Mallett in as quarterback, who led the team on two scoring drives. Nonetheless the Texans couldn't manage a comeback and fell to the Chiefs 27–20. Game notes This is the first time since 2009 where the Texans lost their season opener. Houston kicker Randy Bullock became the first player to miss a point-after attempt following a rule change for the 2015 season, which requires the ball to be snapped from the 15-yard line.ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13646803/houston-texans-kicker-randy-bullock-miss-first-extra-point-season-nfl Randy Bullock misses the first extra point of the season September 13, 2015 September 13, 2015NBCSports.com David Smith Michael http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/13/houstons-randy-bullock-becomes-the-first-to-miss-an-extra-point/ Houston's Randy Bullock becomes the first to miss an extra point September 13, 2015 September 13, 2015 Week 2: at Carolina Panthers Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers – Game summary September 20 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Texans 3 0 7 7 Panthers 0 10 7 7 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 73,254 88 F C, sunny Clete Blakeman CBS Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl Preview, Gamebook First quarter HOU – 7:57 Randy Bullock 43 yard field goal HOU 3-0 Second quarter CAR – 11:22 Ted Ginn Jr. 25 yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick) CAR 7-3 CAR – 5:26 Graham Gano 28 yard field goal CAR 10-3 Third quarter HOU – 8:29 Garrett Graham 7 yard pass from Ryan Mallett (Randy Bullock kick) Tied 10-10 CAR – 1:04 Cam Newton 2 yard run (Graham Gano kick) CAR 17-10 Fourth quarter CAR – 8:53 Corey Brown 36 yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick) CAR 24-10 HOU – 6:31 Ryan Mallett 6 yard run (Randy Bullock kick) CAR 24-17 Top passers HOU – Ryan Mallett 27/58, 244 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT CAR – Cam Newton 18/37, 195 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Top rushers HOU – Chris Polk 14 carries, 38 yards CAR – Cam Newton 10 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD Top receivers HOU – Nate Washington 3 receptions, 63 yards CAR – Greg Olsen 6 receptions, 70 yards Top tacklers HOU – Quintin Demps 8 tackles, 0.5 sacks CAR – Kurt Coleman 9 tackles Ryan Mallett was given the starting quarterback position against the Panthers. The Texans' only lead of the game came in the first quarter following a 43-yard field goal from Randy Bullock. Following 10 unanswered points from Carolina in the 2nd quarter, Houston trailed 3-10 going into halftime. Early in the third quarter Houston tied the game at 10 a piece. A Carolina touchdown late in the 3rd quarter and another early in the 4th sealed a Panthers victory as the Texans couldn't manage a comeback. With the loss Houston dropped to 0–2, their worst start since the 2008 season. Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans – Game summary September 27 12:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 0 9 0 0 Texans 7 0 3 9 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,718 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Bill Vinovich Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Holly Sonders Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU 4:58 – DeAndre Hopkins 5 yard pass from Ryan Mallett (Randy Bullock kick) HOU 7-0 Second quarter TB 11:20 – Kyle Brindza 58 yard field goal HOU 7-3 TB 3:51 – Charles Sims 32 yard pass from Jameis Winston TB 9-7 Third quarter HOU 12:42 – Randy Bullock 39 yard field goal HOU 10-9 Fourth quarter HOU 9:19 – Alfred Blue 20 yard rush HOU 16-9 HOU 1:12 – Randy Bullock 19 yard field goal HOU 19-9 Top passers TB – Jameis Winston 17/36, 261 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT HOU – Ryan Mallett 24/39, 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers TB – Doug Martin 14 carries, 46 yards HOU – Alfred Blue 31 carries, 139 yards, 1 TD Top receivers TB – Mike Evans 7 receptions, 101 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 8 receptions, 101 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David 15 tackles, 12 assists HOU – Kareem Jackson 6 tackles The Texans hosted the 1-1 Buccaneers at home, looking for their first win of the 2015 season. Both Houston and Tampa Bay punted the ball on their first possession, before Houston scored first with Ryan Mallett connecting with DeAndre Hopkins for a 5-yard touchdown pass. With Randy Bullock's extra point good, the Texans took a 7–0 lead with 4:58 left in the first quarter. Tampa Bay managed to get on the board with their first possession of the 2nd quarter, with Kyle Brindza making a 58 yard long field goal to trail 3–7. Both teams punted on their next possession, with the Texans committing the first turnover of the day with a Ryan Mallett pass being intercepted by Kwon Alexander. The Buccaneers capitalized on the turnover in just 50 seconds, with Jameis Winston throwing a 32-yard pass to Charles Sims. With Brindza missing the extra point, Tampa Bay led Houston 9–7 with 3:51 left in the half. Receiving the ball back, Bullock missed a 43-yard field goal. Tampa Bay received the ball to start the 2nd half, however Winston threw an interception that was caught by Quintin Demps. The Texans settled for 3 points off the turnover with Bullock making a 34-yard field goal. The kicking problems continued for the Buccaneers after Brindza missed a 41-yard field goal with 7:21 left in the 3rd, then again from 33 yards with 10:56 left to play. Following another missed field goal for Tampa Bay, Houston went 77 yards in just 5 plays to score a touchdown with an Alfred Blue 20 yard rush. With Bullock missing his 2nd extra point attempt of the season, the Texans extended their lead to 16–9 with 9:19 left to play. The Texans extended their lead with a 19-yard field goal from Bullock to lead 19–9 with 1:15 left to play. With Brindza missing his 3rd field goal of the day (this time from 57 yards), the Texans held on to secure their first win of the season. The Buccaneers were completely shut out during the second half while the Texans scored 12 unanswered points. Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary October 4 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Texans 0 0 0 21 Falcons 7 21 14 6 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 69,904 Played indoors (dome stadium) Carl Cheffers CBS Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook First quarter ATL 8:32 – Devonta Freeman 16 yard run (Matt Bryant kick) ATL 7-0 Second quarter ATL 14:39 – Devonta Freeman 23 yard run (Matt Bryant kick) ATL 14-0 ATL 12:24 – Desmond Trufant 24 yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick) ATL 21-0 ATL 3:11 – Leonard Hankerson 3 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) ATL 28-0 Third quarter ATL 10:50 – Devonta Freeman 6 yard run (Matt Bryant kick) ATL 35-0 ATL 2:56 – Terron Ward 8 yard run (Matt Bryant kick) ATL 42-0 Fourth quarter HOU 14:22 – C. J. Fiedorowicz 5 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) ATL 42-7 HOU 9:09 – Chris Polk 1 yard run (Nick Novak kick) ATL 42-14 HOU 3:01 – Cecil Shorts III 8 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) ATL 42-21 ATL 0:00 – Nathan Stupar 84 yard fumble return ATL 48-21 Top passers HOU – Brian Hoyer 17/30, 232 yards, 2 TDs ATL – Matt Ryan 19/27, 256 yards, 1 TD Top rushers HOU – Chris Polk 3 car, 27 yards, 1 TD ATL – Terron Ward 19 car, 72 yards, 1 TD Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 9 receptions, 157 yards ATL – Leonard Hankerson 6 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers HOU – Brian Cushing 11 tackles, 7 assists ATL - Nathan Stupar 6 tackles, 1 TD Ryan Mallett was named the starting quarterback for the 3rd straight game of the 2015 season for Houston. After a dismal 1st half, the Falcons led the Texans 28–0. In the fourth quarter with the Texans trailing 42–0, Mallett was pulled in favor of Brian Hoyer. Hoyer immediately performed better, passing for 2 touchdowns. However, to add insult to injury on what was already a bad day, with 1 second left to play on 4th and goal, Houston fumbled the ball with Nathan Stupar recovering it for an 84-yard touchdown. Taking the knee on a two-point conversion, the Falcons finished with a 48–21 victory. With the disappointing loss, the Texans fell to 1–3. Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary October 8 Thursday 7:25 p.m. CDT Colts 10 3 7 7 Texans 0 10 7 3 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,732 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Terry McAulay CBS/NFLN Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter IND 6:32 – Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal IND 3–0 IND 1:27 – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Adam Vinatieri kick) IND 10-0 Second quarter IND 7:41 – Adam Vinatieri 42-yard field goal IND 13-0 HOU 2:08 – Nick Novak 36-yard field goal IND 13-3 HOU 0:00 – Jaelen Strong 42-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) IND 13-10 Third quarter IND 13:02 – Frank Gore 3-yard rush (Adam Vinatieri kick) IND 20-10 HOU 4:03 – Jaelen Strong 11-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) IND 20-17 Fourth quarter IND 10:28 – Andre Johnson 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Adam Vinatieri kick) IND 27-17 HOU 6:07 – Nick Novak 49-yard field goal IND 27–20 Top passers IND – Matt Hasselbeck 18/29, 213 yards, 2 TDs HOU – Brian Hoyer 24/31, 312 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Top rushers IND – Frank Gore 22 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD HOU – Arian Foster 19 carries, 41 yards Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton 5 receptions, 88 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 11 receptions, 169 yards Top tacklers IND – D'Qwell Jackson 11 tackles, 3 assists HOU – Brian Cushing 8 tackles Despite a dismal performance four days earlier, Ryan Mallett was named the starter for the Texans. On the other side, Andrew Luck was inactive for the second week in a row, nursing a shoulder injury. Despite suffering from a viral infection,ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13835721/matt-hasselbeck-start-quarterback-indianapolis-colts-houston-texans Matt Hasslbeck will start vs. Texans in place of Andrew Luck October 8, 2015 October 8, 2015 Matt Hasselbeck was named the starting quarterback for the Colts. Off to a promising start, Houston turned over the ball inside the red zone after a Mallett pass to Arian Foster was tipped and caught by Mike Adams. Indianapolis capitalized on the turnover with a 48-yard field goal from Adam Vinatieri to take a 3–0 lead with 6:32 left in the 1st. The Colts further extended their lead with a 4-yard pass from Hasselbeck to former Texan Andre Johnson to lead 10–0 with 1:27 left in the first. Ending the 1st quarter, Houston trailed 0–10 with the ball on their own 34. On their second play of the 2nd quarter, the Texans punted the ball away on 4th and 1. Houston caught a break following a chop-block penalty against Frank Gore that made it 1st and 25 for Indianapolis near midfield. On 3rd and 22 a roughing the passer call against J. J. Watt gave the Colts a 1st down that put them in the red zone. On 3rd down Hasselbeck threw to T. Y. Hilton, who dropped the ball for an incomplete pass. After the play, Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano drew a 15-yard penalty after rushing the field. After a series of penalties, the Colts settled for a 42-yard Vinatieri field goal to lead 13–0 with 7:41 remaining in the half. A roughing the passer call against the Colts gave the Texans an automatic 1st down on what would have been 3rd down. After Mallett was slow to get up, Brian Hoyer came in at the quarterback position. On 3rd and 10 Hoyer picked up the 1st down passing 24 yards to DeAndre Hopkins. Hoyer connected with Hopkins once again to pick up a long 1st down conversion to put the Texans in the red zone. A chop block penalty pushed Houston back to the 31 for a 2nd and 21. Houston finally got on the board with a 36-yard field goal from Nick Novak to trail 3–13 with 2:08 left in the first half. With no timeouts left, Hoyer completed a 95-yard drive with a 42-yard Hail Mary pass to Jaelen Strong to trail 9-13. With Novak's kick good, Houston trailed Indianapolis 10-13 going into halftime. Receiving the ball to start off the first half, the Colts quickly marched down field to score a touchdown on the opening play. With 13:02 left in the 3rd, Indianapolis extended their lead to 20–10. The Texans were not as lucky as an offensive pass-interference call against Hopkins put Houston into a three-and-out. On the Colts' next possession Houston's defense forced them into their first 3-and-out of the night. On the Texans' next possession Hoyer connected with Strong once again for a touchdown. With Novak making the extra point, Houston trailed 17–20 with 4:03 left in the 3rd. Making their first 3rd conversion of the night, the Colts continued to march down the field to hold their 20–17 lead at the end of the 3rd. With a face-mask penalty called against Jadeveon Clowney, the Colts came closer to the Houston red zone. However, on the next play an offside penalty was called against Indianapolis. An interception was over-called following a holding penalty against Houston. On the next play the Texans were penalized again with a pass interference call against Kareem Jackson, making it 1st and goal from the Houston 1 for the Colts. Hasselbeck connected with Johnson to make it 26–17. With Vinatieri making the extra point, Indianapolis extended their lead to 27–17 with 10:28 left to play. Receiving the ball, Foster gained 32 yards to put Houston into Indianapolis territory, keeping hopes of a comeback alive. The Texans ended the drive with a 49-yard field goal from Novak to trail 20–27 with 6:07 left to play. Houston kicked the ball back to Indianapolis, who took the touchback. The Colts punted the ball back with 3:39 left to play, with the Texans returning it to their own 36. By the 2-minute warning Houston had reached Indianapolis territory at the Colts' 38. On the play following the 2 minute warning, Hoyer threw an interception that was picked off by Adams. Indianapolis held onto the ball and ran the clock out to win, 27–20. Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary October 18 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Texans 7 3 0 21 Jaguars 0 7 7 6 EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida 58,085 73 F C, no chance of rain Brad Allen CBS Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU 1:36 – Arian Foster 14 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 7-0 Second quarter JAX 9:41 – Allen Robinson 2 yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick) tied 7-7 HOU 6:46 – Nick Novak 41 yard field goal HOU 10-7 Third quarter JAX 0:10 – Julius Thomas 29 yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick) JAX 14-10 Fourth quarter HOU 11:20 – DeAndre Hopkins 9 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 17-14 HOU 8:07 – DeAndre Hopkins 26 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 24-14 HOU 7:55 – Andre Hal 31 yard interception return (Nick Novak kick) HOU 31-14 JAX 4:32 – Allen Hurns 11 yard pass from Blake Bortles HOU 31-20 Top passers HOU – Brian Hoyer 24/36, 293 yards, 3 TDs JAX – Blake Bortles 30/53, 331 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster 18 carries, 53 yards JAX – Blake Bortles 4 carries, 37 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 10 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TDs JAX – Bryan Walters 8 receptions, 87 yards Top tacklers HOU – Brian Cushing 9 solo tackles, 3 assists JAX – Paul Posluszny 9 solo tackles, 1 assist After both teams punted the ball on their first possession, Houston started their 2nd drive from their own 1 yard line. The Texans finished the drive with Brian Hoyer throwing 14 yards to Arian Foster for a touchdown. With Nick Novak making the extra point, the Texans took a 7–0 lead with 1:36 left in the 1st. Jacksonville got their first score of the day with Blake Bortles passing 2 yards to Allen Robinson for a touchdown. With Jason Myers making the extra point, the Texans and Jaguars were tied 7–7 with 9:41 left in the 2nd. Houston responded on their next possession with Novak making a 41-yard field goal to take a 10–7 lead. With just ten seconds left in the first half, Bortles threw an interception that was caught by Andre Hal inside the red zone. Leading 10–7 at the half, the Texans had their first halftime lead of the 2015 season. Jacksonville received the ball to start out the 2nd half, with the Houston defense forcing a three-and-out. Both teams' offenses were relatively quiet throughout the 3rd quarter, with the only scoring play coming late with 10 seconds left. Bortles connected with Julius Thomas for a 29-yard touchdown pass. With Myers making the extra point, Jacksonville took a 14–10 lead going into the 4th. After Hoyer took a hard hit and was slow to get up, Ryan Mallett played a snap, before Hoyer came back in. 2 plays after coming back in, Hoyer threw a 9-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins for a touchdown. With Novak's kick good, the Texans took a 17–14 lead. Houston extended their lead on their next possession with Hoyer throwing 26 yards to Hopkins for another touchdown. On Jacksonville's next possession, Howe caught another interception and returned it for a touchdown. With the pick-six, the Texans scored 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter in just over 7 minutes. The Jaguars scored on an Allen Hurns 11 yard pass from Bortles. With Myers missing the extra point, Jacksonville trailed 20–31 with 4:32 left to play. The Jaguars kicked an onside kick and recovered it, however an offside penalty forced the kick to be tried again. On the second attempt, the kick went out of bounds, drawing another penalty. Houston declined the penalty and took possession of the ball. The Jaguars couldn't manage the comeback and Houston won 31–20, improving to 2–4. Week 7: at Miami Dolphins Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary October 25 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Texans 0 0 13 13 Dolphins 21 20 0 3 Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 65,251 84 F C, cloudy John Hussey CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter MIA 10:57 – Rishard Matthews 53 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick) MIA 7-0 6 plays, 88 yards, 2:54 MIA 6:45 – Jarvis Landry 50 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick) MIA 14-0 1 play, 50 yards, 0:15 MIA 3:11 – Jarvis Landry 10 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick) MIA 21-0 4 plays, 45 yards, 2:07 Second quarter MIA 14:10 – Lamar Miller 54 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick) MIA 28-0 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:50 MIA 13:56 – Reshad Jones 23 yard interception return (Andrew Franks kick) MIA 35-0 1 play, 23 yards, 0:14 MIA 2:47 – Lamar Miller 85 yard run MIA 41-0 2 plays, 91 yards, 0:43 Third quarter HOU 8:13 – Arian Foster 7 yard pass from Brian Hoyer MIA 41-6 4 plays, 31 yards, 0:59 HOU 1:45 – Arian Foster 2 yard run (Nick Novak kick) MIA 41-13 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:56 Fourth quarter HOU 11:27 – Nate Washington 27 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) MIA 41-20 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:37 MIA 7:46 – Andrew Franks 53 yard field goal MIA 44-20 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:46 HOU 4:00 – Nate Washington 5 yard pass from Brian Hoyer MIA 44-26 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:41 Top passers HOU – Brian Hoyer 23/49, 273 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT MIA – Ryan Tannehill 18/19, 282 yards, 4 TDs Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster 18 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD MIA – Lamar Miller 14 carries, 175 yards, 1 TD Top receivers HOU – Nate Washington 9 receptions, 127 yards, 2 TDs MIA – Jarvis Landry 5 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TDs Top tacklers HOU – Jadeveon Clowney 8 tackles, 1 sack MIA – Reshad Jones 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD The Texans' offense was forced into five consecutive three-and-outs in the 1st quarter, while the Dolphins' offense scored three passing touchdowns, two of which came from at least 50 yards. After a lopsided first quarter, the Texans trailed the Dolphins 0-21. The 2nd quarter didn't start off any better for Houston, with Ryan Tannehill connecting with Lamar Miller for a 54-yard touchdown reception. With Andrew Franks making the extra point, Miami extended their lead to 28–0. The Texans sunk even lower on their next possession, with a Brian Hoyer pass being intercepted by Reshad Jones, who returned it for a touchdown. With the pick-six, the Dolphins further extended their lead to 35-0 early in the 2nd. With 7:45 left in the 2nd quarter, the Texans finally picked up their first 1st down. Finally getting into the redzone for the first time of the day, Houston turned the ball over on downs on 4th and 2. Miami answered with an 85-yard rush from Miller to extend their lead to 41–0. The score stuck going into halftime, with the Texans facing their largest halftime deficit in franchise history. Early in the 3rd quarter, Miami fumbled the ball which was recovered by Houston defender Johnathan Joseph. The fumble recovery set up the Texans' first score of the day, with Hoyer connecting with Arian Foster. With Nick Novak missing the extra point, Houston trailed Miami 6–41 with 8:13 left in the 3rd. Foster scored again late in the 3rd, this time with a 2-yard rush. With Novak's kick good, the Texans trailed 13–41 with 1:45 left in the 3rd quarter. Houston scored again early in the 4th quarter, with Hoyer connecting with Nate Washington for a 27-yard touchdown pass. With Novak's kick good, the Texans trailed 20-41 after scoring 20 unanswered points. Miami got their first points of the 2nd half midway through the 4th, with Franks making a 53-yard field. The field goal extended the Dolphins' lead to 44–20 with 7:46 left to play. Hoyer found Washington again for a 5-yard touchdown pass. With the 2-point conversion no good, the Texans trailed 26–44 with 4:00 left to play. The Texans fell to the Dolphins 44–26, their first loss to the Dolphins in franchise history. With the loss, Houston dropped to 2–5 on the season. Game notes Arian Foster left the game with an Achilles tear in the 4th quarter; it was later announced that Foster would miss the rest of the season.Sport's Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/10/25/houston-texans-arian-foster-injury-update Houston Texans: Arian Foster out for season with torn Achilles October 25, 2015 October 27, 2015 Backup quarterback Ryan Mallett was cut from the team 2 days after the game.Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/10/27/texans-bill-obrien-rick-smith-ryan-mallett Texans finally release Ryan Mallett, but internal damage already done October 27, 2015 October 27, 2015 Mallett had missed the team's charter flight to the game and was late to a team meeting the day before.ESPN Ganguli Tania https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13984288/houston-texans-release-qb-ryan-mallett Texans release backup QB Ryan Mallett after missed flight October 27, 2015 October 27, 2015 Former Texans backing quarterback T. J. Yates was named as Mallet's replacement.Houston Chronicle Warren Karen http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2015/10/texans-cut-ties-with-backup-ryan-mallett-releasing-him-outright/ Texans cut backup Ryan Mallett; T.J. Yates returning to team October 27, 2015 October 27, 2015 Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary November 1 12:00 p.m. CST Titans 3 0 3 0 Texans 0 10 7 3 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,630 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Clete Blakeman CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter TEN 9:05 – Ryan Succop 35 yard field goal TEN 3-0 Second quarter HOU 14:14 – DeAndre Hopkins 21 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 7-3 HOU 11:39 – Nick Novak 38 yard field goal HOU 10-3 Third quarter TEN 5:58 – Ryan Succop 44 yard field goal HOU 10-6 HOU 3:38 – Nate Washington 42 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 17-6 Fourth quarter HOU 12:37 – Nick Novak 24 yard field goal HOU 20-6 Top passers TEN – Zach Mettenberger 22/31, 171 yards, 1 INT HOU – Brian Hoyer 22/35, 235 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers TEN – Antonio Andrews 16 carries, 64 yards HOU – Alfred Blue 14 carries, 39 yards Top receivers TEN – Delanie Walker 6 receptions, 62 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 8 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers TEN – Michael Griffin 9 tackles HOU – Brian Cushing 13 tackles After a humiliating defeat a week before against the Dolphins, the Texans' defense looked much better holding the Titans to just a field goal in the 1st quarter. Houston's offense scored a touchdown early in the 2nd quarter to take a 7–3 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Tennessee's Bishop Sankey fumbled the ball with Kurtis Drummond recovering it for Houston. The Texans settled for 3 off the turnover with a 38-yard field goal from Nick Novak. Late in the 3rd quarter Brian Hoyer connected with former Titan Nate Washington for a 42-yard touchdown pass, extending the Texans' lead to 17–6 with Novak making the PAT. To start out the 4th quarter, Kevin Johnson got his first career interception by picking off a Zach Mettenberger pass. Houston failed to capitalized on the turnover, however Tennessee turned the ball over after a J. J. Watt sack, giving the Texans the ball at the Titans' 10-yard line. The Texans scored another 3 points off of the turnover, with Novak making a 24-yard field goal. Houston defeated Tennessee 20-6 and improved to 3–5. Watt, Whitney Mercilus and Jared Crick combined for a total of 6 sacks for the Texans' defense. Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary November 16 Monday 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST Texans 0 3 0 7 Bengals 3 3 0 0 Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 61,381 53 F C, light showers Walt Coleman ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter CIN 1:33 – Mike Nugent 42 yard field goal CIN 3-0 Second quarter HOU 12:16 – Nick Novak 22 yard field goal tied 3-3 CIN 5:31 – Mike Nugent 39 yard field goal CIN 6-3 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HOU 14:20 – DeAndre Hopkins 22 yard pass from T. J. Yates (Nick Novak kick) HOU 10-6 Top passers HOU – Brian Hoyer 12/22, 123 yards, 1 INT CIN – Andy Dalton 22/38, 197 yards, 1 INT Top rushers HOU – Jonathan Grimes 6 carries, 33 yards CIN – Giovani Bernard 8 carries, 36 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 5 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD CIN – A. J. Green 5 receptions, 67 yards, 1 fumble Top tacklers HOU – Benardrick McKinney 9 tackles CIN – George Iloka 8 tackles The game started off as a defensive battle for both teams with the first score of the game coming late in the 1st quarter. The Bengals originally went for a 32-yard field goal, but a holding penalty made it a 42-yard attempt for Mike Nugent. With the kick good, Cincinnati took a 3–0 lead with 1:33 left in the 1st. The Texans responded on their next possession with a 22-yard field goal from Nick Novak early in the 2nd to tie the game 3-3. To close out the first half, a Hail Mary pass by Texans' quarterback Brian Hoyer was intercepted in the end zone for no return. In a defensive first half, the Bengals led 6–3 at halftime. Hoyer left the game late in the 3rd quarter to be checked for a possible concussion; with Hoyer leaving T. J. Yates played his first snap for the Texans since 2013. The Texans scored the first—and only—touchdown of the game early in the 4th quarter with Yates throwing 22 yards to DeAndre Hopkins. With Novak making the PAT, the Texans took a 10–6 lead with 14:20 left to play. In the end, the Texans held on to upset the Bengals 10–6, handing the Bengals their first loss of the season. Week 11: vs. New York Jets Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: New York Jets at Houston Texans – Game summary November 22 12:00 p.m. CST Jets 0 3 7 7 Texans 0 10 14 0 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas Played indoors (retractable roof closed) John Parry CBS Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU 14:53 – Nick Novak 20 yard field goal HOU 3-0 NYJ 8:21 – Randy Bullock 40 yard field goal tied 3-3 HOU 3:04 – DeAndre Hopkins 61 yard pass from T. J. Yates (Nick Novak kick) HOU 10-3 Third quarter NYJ 11:23 – Brandon Marshall 21 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Randy Bullock kick) tied 10-10 HOU 7:51 – Alfred Blue 21 yard pass from Cecil Shorts III (Nick Novak kick) HOU 17-10 HOU 3:24 – DeAndre Hopkins 20 yard pass from T. J. Yates (Nick Novak kick) HOU 24-10 Fourth quarter NYJ 4:20 – Ryan Fitzpatrick 6 yard run (Randy Bullock kick) HOU 24-17 Top passers NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick 19/39, 216 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs HOU – T. J. Yates 16/34, 229 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers NYJ – Chris Ivory 8 carries, 36 yards HOU – Alfred Blue 21 carries, 58 yards Top receivers NYJ – Eric Decker 4 receptions, 81 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 5 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TDs Top tacklers NYJ – Damon Harrison 12 tackles HOU – J. J. Watt 8 tackles, 2 sacks T. J. Yates was named the starter for the Texans as Brian Hoyer was out due to a concussion, while former Texans Ryan Fitzpatrick and Randy Bullock made their first return to Houston since leaving the team. During the 3rd quarter, wide receiver Cecil Shorts III threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Alfred Blue to put the Texans up 17–10 with Nick Novak making the extra-point. Despite losing their starting quarterback, Houston beat the Jets 24–17, extending their winning streak to a season best 3 games, their first 3-game winning streak since the 2012 season. It was their first home victory against the Jets in three tries.ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791665 Houston gets 3rd straight win with 24-17 victory over Jets November 22, 2015 November 22, 2015 Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans – Game summary November 29 12:00 p.m. CST Saints 0 6 0 0 Texans 14 0 10 0 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,778 54 F C, cloudy John Hussey Fox Joe Davis, David Diehl and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU 6:57 – Ryan Griffin 10 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 7-0 HOU 1:29 – Cecil Shorts III 3 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 14-0 Second quarter NO 6:31 – Kai Forbath 30 yard field goal HOU 14-3 NO 1:12 – Kai Forbath 57 yard field goal HOU 14-6 Third quarter HOU 11:28 – Alfred Blue 8 yard run (Nick Novak kick) HOU 21-6 HOU 6:05 – Nick Novak 34 yard field goal HOU 24-6 Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers NO – Drew Brees 25/44, 228 yards, 1 INT HOU – Brian Hoyer 21/27, 205 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II 9 carries, 52 yards HOU – Alfred Blue 16 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD Top receivers NO – Benjamin Watson 4 receptions, 53 yards HOU – Ryan Griffin 4 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers NO – Kenny Vaccaro 13 tackles HOU – Johnathan Joseph 7 tackles The Texans beat the Saints 24–6, extending their winning streak to 4 games. With the win, Houston went to 6–5 for their first winning record of the season and they finished 2-2 against the NFC South. The Texans' defense didn't allow a single touchdown for New Orleans, the first time the team failed to score a touchdown since December 24, 2005.Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/game/2015/11/29/saints-texans-sunday-november-29th-2015 New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans November 29, 2015 November 29, 2015 November 29, 2015 Week 13: at Buffalo Bills Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary December 6 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Texans 6 7 0 8 Bills 7 14 0 9 Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 68,544 47 F C, partly cloudy Tony Corrente CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter BUF 9:37 – Sammy Watkins 3 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick) BUF 7–0 HOU 3:58 – Ryan Griffin 8 yard pass from Brian Hoyer BUF 7–6 Second quarter BUF 14:53 – Tyrod Taylor 8 yard run (Dan Carpenter kick) BUF 14–6 HOU 3:57 – Chris Polk 11 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) BUF 14–13 BUF 0:30 – Robert Woods 2 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick) BUF 21–13 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HOU 9:12 – DeAndre Hopkins 19 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Jonathan Grimes run for two-point conversion) tied 21–21 BUF 1:53 – Charles Clay 40 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor BUF 27–21 BUF 0:33 – Dan Carpenter 36 yard field goal BUF 30–21 Top passers HOU – Brian Hoyer 26/43, 293 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor 11/21, 211 yards, 3 TDs Top rushers HOU – Chris Polk 12 carries, 61 yards BUF – LeSean McCoy 21 carries, 112 yards Top receivers HOU – Cecil Shorts III 6 receptions, 91 yards BUF – Sammy Watkins 3 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers HOU – Kareem Jackson 6 tackles BUF – Preston Brown 9 tackles The Texans' defense was unable to withstand the Bills' rushing offense, especially in the first half, allowing over 100 rushing yards. Nonetheless, Houston managed to keep pace throughout despite not leading all game, but gave up a go-ahead touchdown by Charles Clay on the first play off the two-minute warning, followed by Dan Carpenter's 30-yard field goal to put it away for good. The Texans lost their first game following the bye week losing to Buffalo 21–30 and dropped to 6–6 on the season. This was also Houston's first loss to the Bills since 2006. Week 14: vs. New England Patriots Battle Red Day Houston Texans 2015 border:2px solid #03202f;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: New England Patriots at Houston Texans – Game summary December 13 7:30 p.m. CST Patriots 7 10 3 7 Texans 3 3 0 0 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,908 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Jeff Triplette NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Preview, Gamebook First quarter NE 7:22 – Keshawn Martin 2 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 7–0 HOU 2:38 – Nick Novak 37 yard field goal NE 7–3 Second quarter NE 12:13 – Stephen Gostkowski 43 yard field goal NE 10–3 HOU 9:26 – Nick Novak 45 yard field goal NE 10–6 NE 0:14 – Rob Gronkowski 1 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 17–6 Third quarter NE 11:48 – Stephen Gostkowski 49 yard field goal NE 20–6 Fourth quarter NE 12:04 – James White 2 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 27–6 Top passers NE – Tom Brady 22/30, 226 yards, 2 TDs HOU – Brian Hoyer 11/22, 155 yards Top rushers NE – LeGarrette Blount 10 carries, 53 yards HOU – Jonathan Grimes 7 carries, 53 yards Top receivers NE – Rob Gronkowski 4 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 3 receptions, 52 yards Top tacklers NE – Jamie Collins 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss HOU – Benardrick McKinney 10 tackles The Texans and Patriots faced off on Sunday Night Football in a game with playoff implications for both teams. Houston received the opening kickoff, going into a three-and-out on the drive. On New England's second drive, Tom Brady found tight end Rob Gronkowski for a 40-yard reception to set up first and goal. To end the drive, Brady found Keshawn Martin for a 2-yard touchdown pass. With Stephen Gostkowski making the extra point the Patriots took a 7–0 lead. On 3rd and 18, Brian Hoyer found Nate Washington for a 49-yard pass to put Houston at New England's 25 yard line. The Texans ended the drive with a 37-yard field goal from Nick Novak to trail 3–7 late in the 1st quarter. The Patriots extended their lead early in the 2nd quarter to 10–3 with a 43-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski. After struggling to find their run game after the loss of Arian Foster, Jonathan Grimes took off for 37 yards to put the Texans at the Patriots' 43 yard line. The drive ended with another Novak field goal, this time from 45 yards. With Novak's kick good, Houston trailed 6–10 with 9:26 left in the half. To close out the first half, Tom Brady found Gronkowski for a 1-yard touchdown pass. With Gostkowski making the extra point New England extended their lead to 17–6 going into halftime. The Texans failed to score in the 2nd half, falling to the Patriots 27–6. Hoyer left the game late in the 4th quarter due to a possible concussion, with T. J. Yates coming in as the starting quarterback. With the loss, Houston finished 1-3 against the AFC East. Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary December 20 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Texans 0 3 3 10 Colts 0 10 0 0 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 66,083 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ed Hochuli CBS Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter IND 14:50 – Donte Moncrief 11 yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Adam Vinatieri kick) IND 7–0 IND 6:12 – Adam Vinatieri 29 yard field goal IND 10–0 HOU 0:00 – Nick Novak 22 yard field goal IND 10–3 Third quarter HOU 2:42 – Nick Novak 46 yard field goal IND 10–6 Fourth quarter HOU 10:36 – Jaelen Strong 8 yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Nick Novak kick) HOU 13–10 HOU 1:56 – Nick Novak 32 yard field goal HOU 16–10 Top passers HOU – Brandon Weeden 11/18, 105 yards, 1 TD IND – Matt Hasselbeck 17/30, 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers HOU – Alfred Blue 20 carries, 107 yards, 1 fumble IND – Frank Gore 16 carries, 44 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 8 receptions, 94 yards IND – Donte Moncrief 5 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers HOU – Benardrick McKinney 7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss IND – Jerrell Freeman 12 tackles T. J. Yates started his second game of the season for the Texans due to Brian Hoyer being out with a concussion. Both teams were held scoreless in the 1st quarter, with the Colts striking first with Matt Hasselbeck connecting with Donte Moncrief for an 11-yard touchdown reception. With Adam Vinatieri making the extra point, Indianapolis lead 7–0 late in the 2nd quarter. The Colts scored again with Vinatieri making a 29-yard field goal, extending their lead to 10–0. The Texans managed to get on the board as the half wined down with a 22-yard field goal from Nick Novak. With Novak's field goal, Houston trailed 3–10 at the half. The Texans' defense held the Colts' offense to zero points in the 2nd half, while Houston's offense scored 13 unanswered points. The Texans made history by beating the Colts in Indianapolis for the first time in franchise history, winning 16–10.Indianapolis Star Randhawa Manny http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2015/12/20/colts-blog-moncrief-active-toler-out-again/77584692/ Reaction: Colts' playoff hopes dealt massive blow December 20, 2015 December 20, 2015 Third string quarterback Brandon Weeden helped the Texans past the Colts with an 8-yard pass to Jaelen Strong late in the 4th quarter. With the win, the Texans went to 7–7 and gained sole possession of the AFC South lead. Yates suffered an ACL tear during the game, ending his season. Week 16: at Tennessee Titans Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary December 27 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 10 7 17 0 Titans 0 0 0 6 Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee 62,153 73 F C, cloudy Brad Allen CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU 13:01 – Quintin Demps 33 yard fumble return (Nick Novak kick) HOU 7–0 HOU 3:19 – Nick Novak 22 yard field goal HOU 10–0 Second quarter HOU 2:32 – Brandon Weeden 7 yard run (Nick Novak kick) HOU 17–0 Third quarter HOU 11:33 – DeAndre Hopkins 15 yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Nick Novak kick) HOU 24–0 HOU 6:12 – Nate Washington 13 yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Nick Novak kick) HOU 31–0 HOU 0:54 – Nick Novak 36 yard field goal HOU 34–0 Fourth quarter TEN 1:31 – Tre McBride 1 yard pass from Zach Mettenberger HOU 34–6 Top passers HOU – Brandon Weeden 15/24, 200 yards, 2 TDs TEN – Zach Mettenberger 27/51, 234 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers HOU – Alfred Blue 15 carries, 45 yards TEN – David Cobb 7 carries, 18 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 7 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD TEN – Harry Douglas 6 receptions, 79 yards, 1 fumble Top tacklers HOU – Kareem Jackson 5 tackles TEN – Michael Griffin 11 tackles Brandon Weeden started for the Texans as Brian Hoyer was still out due to a concussion. Tennessee's offense struggled throughout the game, with Antonio Andrews fumbling the ball on the Titans' first possession. Quintin Demps returned the fumble 33 yards for a touchdown. Nick Novak made the extra point to put the Texans up 7–0 early in the game. Early in the 4th quarter, down 0–34, Tennessee marched all the way down to the Houston 9 yard line, the first time the Titans made their way inside the Houston 20. On 3rd and goal Tennessee quarterback Zach Mettenberger was sacked by J. J. Watt, with Mettenberger fumbling the ball and Jared Crick recovering it four Houston. The Texans failed to capitalize on the turnover, having to punt the ball away. Tennessee got their first score of the day with 1:31 left in the game, with Mettenberger connecting with Tre McBride for a 1-yard touchdown reception. The Titans decided to go for a two–point conversion, but the attempt failed. With the Texans receiving the ball back, backup quarterback B. J. Daniels took the knee to close out the game. The Texans defeated the Titans 34–6 and improved to 8–7 and they finished 4-4 on the road. Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary January 3, 2016 12:00 p.m. CST Jaguars 0 3 3 0 Texans 3 17 0 10 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,899 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Terry McAulay CBS Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter HOU 5:27 – Nick Novak 29 yard field goal HOU 3–0 Second quarter HOU 14:14 – Jonathan Grimes 12 yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Novak kick) HOU 10–0 JAX 10:17 – Jason Myers 43 yard field goal HOU 10–3 HOU 5:37 – Jonathan Grimes 3 yard run (Nick Novak kick) HOU 17–3 HOU 0:08 – Nick Novak 51 yard field goal HOU 20–3 Third quarter JAX 0:46 – Jason Myers 34 yard field goal HOU 20–6 Fourth quarter HOU 3:28 – Nick Novak 51 yard field goal HOU 23–6 HOU 3:09 – Kareem Jackson 27 yard interception return (Nick Novak kick) HOU 30–6 Top passers JAX – Blake Bortles 17/32, 239 yards, 2 INTs HOU – Brian Hoyer 25/40, 249 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers JAX – Jonas Gray 9 carries, 23 yards HOU – Alfred Blue 21 carries, 102 yards Top receivers JAX – Allen Robinson 5 receptions, 108 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 7 receptions, 89 yards Top tacklers JAX – Johnathan Cyprien 14 tackles HOU – J. J. Watt 8 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble Jacksonville received the opening kickoff, going –5 yards on the drive with Blake Bortles being sacked by J. J. Watt for a loss of 8 yards. The Texans didn't fare much better on their first possession, as Brian Hoyer was sacked by Jared Odrick and Peyton Thompson. Houston scored first with a 29-yard field goal from Nick Novak to lead 3–0 halfway through the first quarter. Brian Cushing forced a fumble in the 2nd quarter, with Watt recovering the ball for the Texans. Houston capitalized on the turnover with a 3-yard touchdown run from Jonathan Grimes. Bortles threw an interception late in the 2nd quarter with Andre Hal catching the pick. The Texans capitalized on the turnover with Novak making a season long 51 yard field goal. At the half, Houston led Jacksonville 20–3. With just over three minutes left in the 4th quarter, Kareem Jackson intercepted a Bortles pass, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown to make it 30–6 final. With the win, the Texans clinched their 3rd AFC South title at 9-7 (5-1 against the AFC South and 5-3 at home) and gained their 3rd trip to the postseason. Game notes Offensive tackle Duane Brown left the game late in the 1st quarter with a left knee injury. Brown was carted off the field, quickly being ruled out for the remainder of the game.NFL.com https://www.nfl.com/news/injuries-deangelo-williams-suffers-ankle-injury-0ap3000000613945 Injuries: DeAngelo Williams (ankle) ruled out January 3, 2016 Postseason 2015–16 NFL playoffs AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs Houston Texans 2015 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Kansas City Chiefs at (4) Houston Texans – Game summary January 9, 2016 Saturday 3:35 p.m. CST Chiefs 7 6 7 10 Texans 0 0 0 0 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 71,800 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ron Torbert ESPN/ABC Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter KC 14:49 – Knile Davis 106 yard kickoff return (Cairo Santos kick) KC 7–0 Second quarter KC 12:50 – Cairo Santos 49 yard field goal KC 10–0 KC 7:11 – Cairo Santos 49 yard field goal KC 13–0 Third quarter KC 4:35 – Chris Conley 9 yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick) KC 20–0 Fourth quarter KC 14:56 – Spencer Ware 5 yard run (Cairo Santos kick) KC 27–0 KC 3:59 – Cairo Santos 33 yard field goal KC 30–0 Top passers KC – Alex Smith 17/22, 190 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT HOU – Brian Hoyer 15/34, 136 yards, 4 INTs, 1 fumble Top rushers KC – Spencer Ware 16 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD HOU – Alfred Blue 17 carries, 99 yards Top receivers KC – Travis Kelce 8 receptions, 128 yards HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 6 receptions, 69 yards Top tacklers KC – Sean Smith 6 tackles, 1 INT HOU – Brian Cushing 13 tackles, 1 INT The Chiefs received the opening kickoff, with Knile Davis returning it 106 yards for a touchdown. With Cairo Santos making the extra point, Kansas City took a 7–0 lead. On the Texans' second drive, a Brian Hoyer pass was intercepted by Eric Berry. Two plays later, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith threw an interception that was picked off by linebacker Brian Cushing, Cushing's first pick since week 1 of the 2013 season. Houston came up empty off of the Kansas City turnover, as Hoyer lost control of the ball on a 3rd down play in Chiefs' territory, fumbling it with Dontari Poe recovering for Kansas City. The Chiefs scored 3 off of the Hoyer fumble, with Cairo Santos making a 49-yard field goal to put Kansas City up 10–0 early in the 2nd. Santos later made another 49-yard field goal to extend the Chiefs' lead to 13–0. Houston found the redzone of Kansas City for the first time with a 49-yard run from Alfred Blue. This was short lived as Hoyer threw another interception on 3rd and goal, with Josh Mauga getting the pick. Houston got the ball back, but Hoyer threw another interception on the play following the 2 minute warning, with Marcus Peters on the pick. The Chiefs led 13–0 at the half, with Brian Hoyer turning it over 4 times in the first half with fans booing him going into the locker room. Houston made it into Kansas City territory coming out of the locker room, but came up short on the drive, having to settle for another punt from Shane Lechler. J. J. Watt almost sacked Smith on the next play, who took off for a 63-yard run that was called back due to offensive holding. The Chiefs got their first offensive touchdown of the day with Smith connecting to Chris Conley for a 9-yard touchdown pass; with Santos making the extra point, Kansas City extended their lead to 20–0. The Chiefs extended their lead once again with a 9-yard rush from Spencer Ware early in the 4th quarter. Hoyer fumbled the ball once again in the Chiefs' territory on 4th and 7, recovering it only to be tackled for a turnover on downs. The Texans suffered both their first Wild Card loss and home shutout loss in franchise history, falling to the Chiefs 0–30. Standings Division HOU Conference HOU Statistics Team CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL rank(out of 32) Passing offense 3,833 239.6 18th Rushing offense 1,731 108.2 15th Total offenseESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/season/2015/seasontype/2 2015 NFL Team Total Offense Stats October 14, 2022 5,564 347.8 19th Passing defense 3,366 210.4 3rd Rushing defense 1,597 99.8 10th Total defenseESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/defense/season/2015/seasontype/2 2015 NFL Team Total Defense Stats October 14, 2022 4,963 310.2 3rd Individual CategoryPlayerTotal Offense Passing yards Brian Hoyer 2,606 Passing touchdowns Brian Hoyer 19 Rushing yards Alfred Blue 698 Rushing touchdowns Alfred Blue 2 Receiving yards DeAndre Hopkins 1,521 Receiving touchdowns DeAndre Hopkins 11 Defense Tackles (Solo) Brian Cushing 63 Sacks J. J. Watt 17.5 Interceptions Andre Hal 4 Source:Houston Texans https://www.houstontexans.com/team/stats/2015/REG 2015 Texans Statistics October 14, 2022 References External links http://www.houstontexans.com Houston Category:Houston Texans seasons Houston Texans Category:AFC South championship seasons Category:Hard Knocks (documentary series)