The Houston Texans continued being the hottest team in the NFL on Sunday, putting together four quarters of dominance against the Arizona Cardinals back at home at NRG Stadium. It started quick for Houston, as C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins linked up for a 57-yard touchdown on the Texans’ second offensive snap to make it 7-0, and from that point on it honestly felt like the game was being played on Houston’s terms.
The Texans made it 10-0 shortly after, then the first quarter got even louder when a chaotic sequence ended with a Woody Marks touchdown to push the lead to 17-0. Arizona tried to punch back, and Trey McBride — who had a monster day — caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett to get the Cardinals on the board, but the Texans just kept stacking solid drives and living in field goal range.
Houston attempted three field goals before halftime. One was blocked, but two went through, and the Texans still took a comfortable 23-7 lead into the locker room. Then coming out of halftime, they did exactly what you want a contender to do: no let-up, no messing around. The Texans marched 80 yards and Stroud capped it by connecting with Dalton Schultz for a touchdown, keeping the foot on the gas and keeping Arizona in catch-up mode the rest of the way.
The Cardinals made one more push late in the third quarter with a 20-yard McBride touchdown, but again, Houston had an answer, settling in and responding with points of its own to keep the margin where it needed to be. From there it got a little back and forth, and by the time things hit the fourth quarter it was trending toward garbage time, with Houston firmly in control on the way to a 40-20 final.
Stroud finished 22-of-29 for 260 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, and Collins looked every bit like one of the best receivers in the league, flipping the game early and showing up again when it mattered. McBride was insanely productive for Arizona, but it wasn’t close to enough. Houston’s defense bent a little more than it typically does, but it didn’t break, and it still looks like one of the best units in the NFL.
From here, the Texans will look to win their seventh straight game next week against the Las Vegas Raiders at home, another spot where Houston should be a significant favorite.
The Jaguars won as well to move to 10-4, so the division still isn’t wrapped up and there’s work to do, but at this rate, the Texans has absolutely put itself in position to make the postseason and keep thinking bigger than that.