HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans have had a revolving door at running back over the past few seasons with no one able to solidify the position, much less reach 1,000 yards rushing.
Then they made an offseason trade for Joe Mixon and after one game it looks as if the former Bengals star is the answer they’ve been looking for.
Mixon had a career-high 30 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown to help the Texans to a 29-27 win over Indianapolis on Sunday. His 159 yards rushing is the sixth-best performance in franchise history and he’s the third player to run for at least 100 yards in his Texans debut and first since 2016.
“Joe, he stepped up big time for us,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We needed him to run the ball. He did. They knew it was run, we knew it was run and he still made the play. So just excited to have him on our side. And we’ve seen it all training camp and it was exciting to see him do it here (in) his first game.”
Mixon scored on a 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter to extend Houston’s lead to 22-13. And after the Colts cut the lead to 2 points late in the fourth quarter, Mixon had a 9-yard run to give the Texans a first down and allow them to run out the clock to hold on for the win.
“We’re just out there being physical,” Mixon said. “We were running downhill, sideways … doing whatever we need to do to crease them and make the most of the runs.”
Mixon’s big game, which included 19 yards receiving, came after he had just one 100-yard rushing game last season.
Mixon wasn’t the only star who had a big debut for the Texans on Sunday. Receiver Stefon Diggs, acquired in a blockbuster deal from Buffalo, had two touchdowns against the Colts.
Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud said adding those two players that to an already talented offense gave the team a huge boost Sunday. He added that both guys were constantly talking to their teammates on the sideline to pick them up and encourage them to be better.
“Those guys are two leaders,” Stroud said. “Once you set a standard, everybody else kind of follows to that standard. So, I definitely love those guys and love what they’ve been doing, and I think that they are just getting started.”
What’s working
Stroud followed up on his fabulous rookie season with another strong game Sunday. Last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns and had a 115.9 passer rating.
Nico Collins, who had a career-best 1,297 yards receiving last season, led the team with 117 yards receiving, highlighted by a 55-yard catch that set up the first touchdown by Diggs.
It’s the third straight big game for Collins against the Colts after he had 146 and a career-high 195 yards receiving against them last season.
What needs help
The Texans trailed 7-3 early Sunday after Anthony Richardson threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce. Houston’s secondary played much better after that and had two interceptions. But the Texans will need to avoid giving up huge plays such as that if they hope to contain opponents.
Stock up
Diggs had his first two-touchdown game since scoring three times in Week 4 last year. He didn’t find the end zone much in the second half of last season and had just one touchdown in his last eight games for the Bills.
Stock down
CB Derek Stingley Jr. and S Jimmie Ward allowed Pierce to get in front of them on the 60-yard TD pass. After Pierce got in front of them, he outran both defenders to grab the pass untouched just before he crossed the goal line.
Key number
10,000 — Diggs had 33 yards receiving Sunday to become the eighth active player to reach 10,000 yards receiving. The 30-year-old, who has had six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, has 10,028 yards receiving.
Next steps
The Texans will look to rattle rookie quarterback Caleb Williams when the Bears visit for a primetime matchup Sunday. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft struggled in his NFL debut but Chicago was still able to beat the Titans thanks to a punt return for a TD and a interception return for another score.
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