During the Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans defensive back Derek Stingley Jr. found himself in an unfamiliar place, on the sidelines watching his teammates on the defensive side of the ball.
After 14 snaps, Stingley had to leave the field with an oblique injury that he had been dealing with since the Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
As he paced back and forth with a towel over his head, he was constantly caught on camera with an eager facial expression of wanting to be on the field with his brothers, trying to stop the Jaguars’ offense.
“It was a bad feeling, one that I never want to experience again,” said Stingley. “Being on the field means a lot to me and my teammates, and I want to be out there fighting as well.”
Heading into Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium, Stingley almost found himself in street clothes as he was very limited in practice and was listed as questionable as late as Friday.
Yet, the intestinal fortitude of Stingley overcame any nagging injury he was suffering from, and he suited up for 43 snaps on defense to help the Texans (1-3) secure their first victory of the season with a 26-0 win over the Titans (0-4).
“It felt good,” Stingley told reporters about ending the three-game losing streak. “Hopefully, we’ve got a lot more coming.”
Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.'s Fourth Quarter Interception The former LSU Tiger superstar helped the Texans’ defense limit Titans quarterback Cam Ward, who was the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to 108 yards passing on the day as they achieved their third scoring shutout in franchise history, the last being a 20-0 victory over the Titans during the 2010 season.
One crucial play that helped the defense keep the Tennessee offense out of the endzone on Sunday was an interception early in the fourth quarter by Stingley.
With the Texans clinging to a 12-0 lead, coming off rookie running back Woody Marks’ first career touchdown, the 2024 NFL First-Team All-Pro Defense selection intercepted a tipped Ward pass to keep the Texans’ fourth-quarter momentum going.
“In the past, they have shown us that same look or something similar,” Stingley responded when asked about the takeaway. “It was a little different today. So, you know, I was just in the right spot to make a play on the ball.”
As the focus shifts towards Houston’s next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, Stingley is focused on helping the team get another win and improve his health.
“It’s going to take a lot to keep me off that field next week,” Stingley said when asked about the upcoming game. “We have to keep this thing going if we want to get back on track.”