When Will Lutz's game-winning kick went through the uprights three weeks ago against the Broncos, the Texans had fallen to 3-5, lost their franchise quarterback to a concussion, and looked every bit of a defeated team heading into week nine vs the Jaguars.

Already being three games out of first place in the AFC South at the time, and sitting outside of the AFC playoff picture in general, Houston was looking for any spark it could in what appeared to be a lost season. Little did we know that spark would be found residing on the throwing arm (and legs) of backup quarterback Davis Mills. 

 Houston has gone undefeated over the course of the last three games due to Mills and the NFL's best defense backing him up. Against Jacksonville in week 10, he helped lead a historic 19-point 4th quarter comeback that salvaged a game 36-29 and gave the Texans a pulse at 4-5. 

Then, Mills' play against the Titans the next week helped lead to another 4th quarter game winner on the leg of replacement kicker Matthew Wright. Houston won that game 16-13 and finally eclipsed .500 on the season at 5-5. 

With a two-game win streak in their back pocket, many thought that Stroud would be back to take over the offense and lead the squad against quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football. Alas, reports then came out confirming that Stroud would miss one final game en route to being activated for week 13 against the Colts. 

That meant that Davis "Money" Mills would be in line to start at least one more time before the Texans got the entire band back together for the final six-game stretch run. 

Needless to say, not many around the NFL landscape thought much of Houston's chances against Buffalo with Mills under center again. Even the Houston fanbase was a bit leery of the proposition, but what choice was there at this point? 

 Fast forward to today, and Mills has successfully navigated the treacherous waters of injuries, poor offensive play and some special teams lapses to propel the Texans to a 6-5 record and firm placement among serious AFC playoff contenders. 

To be fair, last night we were all witnesses to one of the greatest single-game performances that an NFL defense had ever put on screen, as MVP signal caller Josh Allen was harassed for four quarters straight, sacked eight times and held without a touchdown after demoralizing the Buccaneers 44-32 the previous week with six scores on his own. 

Mills held his own, going 16/30 for 153 yards, two touchdowns, zero sacks, no interceptions and a 90.0 passer rating. Granted, he did most of his damage in the first half in leading the team to 20 points. But, he still more than did his part against a Bills secondary that was ranked 2nd best in the NFL in yards per game (169.7). 

In the end, the Texans walked away with a clutch 23-19 victory over the Bills in Houston and now sit only half of a game back of the Jaguars for the 7th seed in the AFC. They are also one game back of the Bills and Chargers for either the 5th or 6th seed as well. 

Some in the fanbase think there's a quarterback controversy due to Mills being undefeated in his three games of relief. 

To be objective, in his nearly four games worth of play, he went: 70/116 (60.3%), 703 yards, five passing touchdowns, one rushing score, one interception, and a 3-0 record. For the situation, Mills was immaculate at a time when the franchise needed it the most. 

However, there was a reason why Stroud was drafted second overall in 2023 when Mills was already on the roster. Stroud ultimately gives this team their best chance of high-level offensive success on a down-by-down basis at the quarterback position. 

Yet, this is not the article to indulge in that conversation. This is about celebrating the accomplishments of a man who stepped up when the majority of onlookers counted him and his teammates out. 

Mills showed up for this team in ways reminiscent of the famous "Yates run" of 2011, where backup quarterback T.J. Yates took over for injured starter Matt Schaub as Houston prepared for its first playoff game in franchise history. 

Yates helped lead that Texans team to a 31-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and his name has been in franchise history books ever since. Is this to say that Mills should be ranked as one of the most influential players in Texans history? No. Not a all. 

Yet, he deserves plenty of credit for helping stabilize a flailing offense for a three-game set to keep the team above water with Stroud out. 

Now that his time is done, the season continues in week 13 against the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts. In the meantime, the city of Houston and the Texans organization owe Mills much gratitude for truly being"money" when they were on the verge of seasonal bankruptcy. 

Do you think the Texans will now go on a run with Stroud back in at quarterback? Do you think the offense has figured some things out that could help Stroud's re-integration? Let us know in the comment section below or on the official Texans Roundtable X account (@Texans_RTB)!