Trying to seal a desperately needed win, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw an interception in the end zone and gave the Jacksonville Jaguars another chance on Sunday.
asserted
Stroud → try → Sunday
Jacksonville tied the game at 31-31, but Stroud didn’t stress about it.
asserted
Stroud → tie → it
“His mindset was ‘Hey, I got you Coach, don’t worry about it,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said.
asserted
Ryans → got → it
With just under two minutes left, Stroud led a drive to set up Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 49-yard field goal as time expired and the Texans won 34-31 on the slick grass of Wembley Stadium.
asserted
Texans → leave → Stadium
“When a player tells me that, that just gives me the confidence that I need,” Ryans said.
asserted
Ryans → tell → that
“He responded in an outstanding way.”
asserted
He → respond → way
Stroud threw three touchdown passes and Marvin Harrison Jr. made his debut for the Texans (2-4) as Houston earned back-to-back wins to gain ground on the AFC South-leading Jaguars (4-2).
asserted
Houston → throw → Jaguars
Cam Little’s 60-yard field goal had tied the game — a week after his 57-yarder won it for Jacksonville against the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — after Travis Hunter intercepted Stroud’s pass in the end zone.
asserted
Hunter → tie → zone
Hunter also hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass at the other end — becoming just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era, including the playoffs, to both score a touchdown and intercept a pass in the same game.
asserted
Hunter → haul → game
“Just made a mistake,” Stroud said of Hunter’s pick.
asserted
Stroud → make → pick
“I’ve learned in my life I’ve got to flush my failures and flush my successes and just move on.
asserted
I → learn → successes
Our defense did a great job holding them to three points, and then gave me the ball back, and went down and had a game-winning drive.”
asserted
defense → do → drive
Stroud said he appreciated hearing words of support from Ryans and his teammates.
asserted
he → say → Ryans
“What they did for me in that moment really meant a lot,” he said.
asserted
he → mean → lot
Tight end Foster Moreau caught two touchdown passes from Stroud, who also connected with Jaylin Noel for a 13-yard score in the third quarter for a 24-14 lead.
asserted
who → catch → lead
Moreau scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 1-yarder just before the end of the half.
asserted
Moreau → score → half
Penalties dogged the Jaguars for a third straight week.
asserted
Penalties → dog → week
They were flagged for too many men on the field on a Houston punt — extending a Texans drive that ended with Noel’s touchdown.
asserted
that → flag → touchdown
Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes, including a pair to Bhayshul Tuten.
asserted
Lawrence → throw → Tuten
His 1-yard pass to rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher cut Houston’s lead to 24-21.
asserted
pass → cut → 24
Houston responded with Jawhar Jordan’s 25-yard touchdown run to restore a 10-point lead, 31-21, late in the third quarter.
asserted
Houston → respond → quarter
Two-way star Hunter, who scored his first NFL touchdown at Wembley a year ago, snagged his second when he hauled in a pass over the middle to reduce Houston’s lead to 31-28 in the fourth quarter.
asserted
he → score → quarter
Hunter’s interception led to Jacksonville’s drive and Little’s game-tying field goal.
asserted
interception → lead → drive
“We didn’t get the result we wanted,” Jags coach Liam Coen said.
asserted
Coen → get → result
“(But) I’m extremely proud of this team in the way they kept fighting today, going down 10 points ... kept fighting.
asserted
they → ’m → way
Stroud completed 24 of 34 passes for 312 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
asserted
Stroud → complete → yards
Harrison, who joined the Texans this week in a trade with Arizona, made three catches for 34 yards.
asserted
who → join → yards
Woody Marks had 15 carries for 56 yards, the first running back to break 40 yards in a game this season against Jacksonville.
asserted
Marks → have → Jacksonville
Lawrence finished 24 of 41 for 306 yards, four TDs and an interception.
asserted
Lawrence → finish → yards
The Texans were at 2-4 at this point last season and finished 12-5 to earn a wild-card playoff spot.
asserted
Texans → finish → spot
Early rain made the Wembley grass slippery — and not just for players.
asserted
grass → make → players
Umpire Larry Smith slipped and hurt his knee in the first quarter.
asserted
Smith → slip → quarter
He left on a cart.
asserted
He → leave → cart
Houston receiver Nico Collins changed cleats for longer spikes in first half.
asserted
Collins → change → half
Tight end Dalton Schultz made a third down catch in the red zone but slipped just before the first down marker.
asserted
Schultz → make → marker
The Texans opted for Fairbairn’s 25-yard field for a 10-7 lead.
asserted
Texans → opt → lead
LB Azeez Al-Shaair was evaluated for a concussion in the second quarter, headed to the locker room afterward, and returned in the third quarter ...
asserted
Shaair → evaluate → quarter
S Reed Blankenship also left in the first half.
asserted
Blankenship → leave → half
RB Ameer Abdullah was helped off after a kickoff return.
asserted
Abdullah → help → return
He later came back into the game....
asserted
He → come → game
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
