Texans Takeaways: C.J. Stroud and Ka’imi Fairbairn Deliver a London Win Houston Desperately Needed

The Houston Texans did not travel more than 4,800 miles to London for a moral victory. They needed the real thing, and somehow, after one of the wildest fourth quarters of their season, they got it. Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled a 49-yard field goal as time expired Sunday, Oct. 18, lifting Houston to a 34-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium and giving the Texans consecutive wins after an 0-4 start.

Houston is now 2-4. That record still has plenty of ugly attached to it, but the Texans suddenly have something they did not possess two weeks ago.

Momentum.

C.J. Stroud entered London playing increasingly confident football, and for most of Sunday he looked in complete control.

Stroud completed 24 of 34 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns, consistently challenging Jacksonville downfield and producing the explosive plays Houston's offense desperately needed.

He found Foster Moreau for two touchdown receptions and connected with rookie Jaylin Noel for another. Noel finished with a career-high 107 receiving yards, giving Houston another young playmaker who appears increasingly comfortable in this offense.

The one blemish was significant.

Late in the fourth quarter, Jacksonville's Travis Hunter intercepted Stroud in the end zone, ending Stroud's season-long streak without an interception and giving the Jaguars life. Hunter had already caught a touchdown earlier in the quarter, becoming the first NFL player since 2002 to record a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game.

But what Stroud did afterward mattered more. He responded.

Jacksonville kicker Cam Little eventually connected on a 60-yard field goal to tie the game at 31. Houston could have played cautiously.

Instead, Stroud moved the Texans back into scoring range, giving Fairbairn an opportunity from 49 yards as the clock reached zero. And that was the ballgame.

Fairbairn's kick completed a victory that felt considerably larger than another number in the win column.

The Texans had already experienced enough painful finishes this season. Dallas erased Houston's late lead two weeks ago. An 0-4 start had turned every mistake into another reason to question whether this team was capable of recovering.

This time Houston finished and that mattered.

The London game also provided the first look at Marvin Harrison Jr. in a Texans uniform.

Harrison recorded his first Houston reception on a 14-yard connection with Stroud after joining the team less than a week earlier.

His final numbers were never going to be the most important part of Sunday. Houston needs Harrison comfortable, not overloaded.

The more interesting development was seeing Stroud distribute the football effectively without forcing his new receiver into the game plan. Noel emerged. Moreau found the end zone twice. Nico Collins continued forcing Jacksonville to respect Houston vertically.

Eventually Harrison should become another problem for defenses. Houston does not need him to become the entire offense.

Houston entered Sunday facing a 4-1 Jacksonville team that had already spent a week in London and had beaten Philadelphia 19-17 seven days earlier.

That is what makes this victory different from beating winless Tennessee.

The Texans just defeated a legitimate division opponent away from home, technically thousands of miles from anybody's home, in a game where they had to survive multiple momentum swings.

Houston's schedule now brings the New York Giants to Reliant Stadium on Oct. 25 before the Texans' Week 8 bye.

Get that one, and Houston reaches its break at 3-4 after starting 0-4. Suddenly the season looks completely different.

This is the first Texans win this season that makes me think something might actually be changing. Tennessee showed Houston could dominate a struggling opponent. But Jacksonville showed Houston could survive a fight.

Stroud threw his first interception of the season at the worst possible moment and still came back onto the field and helped put his kicker in position to win the game. Noel stepped up. Moreau delivered. Fairbairn walked onto the field with everything riding on his right leg and sent the Texans home winners.

Houston still has prblems, but two weeks ago, we were wondering whether the season was already slipping away.

Now? Beat the Giants, get to the bye at 3-4 and we start to have a completely different conversation.

The Texans went to London looking for proof they were still alive. They are bringing it home.