A new-look Houston Texans roster entering mid-October? It seems like it after a win across the pond?
With a game-sealing drive in the fourth quarter, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud did everything possible to set up Ka'imi Fairbairn in range for a 49-yard game-winning field goal, securing the 34-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on the slippery grass at Wembley Stadium.
Houston, which has now won back-to-back games, improves to 2-4 overall and 2-1 in the AFC South.
“His mindset was 'Hey, I got you Coach, don’t worry about it,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of Fairbairn. “When a player tells me that, that just gives me the confidence that I need. He responded in an outstanding way.”
The NFL's most clutch kicker was only a footnote in the Texans'
promising outing across the pond. Stroud, who finally threw his first interception after 209 pass attempts, drove down the field with ease, completing 70.6 percent for his passes for 312 yards and three touchdown passes, including two to Foster Moreau in the red zone.
Second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel gave reason as to why his role should expand in the future, totaling his first 100-yard career outing. The icing on top of the cake? A 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter to extend Houston's lead to 10.
But the defense still allowed far too many explosives. Following an early interception to Calen Bullock, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence locked in, throwing for 306 yards and four touchdown passes, including one to Travis Hunter and two to running back Bhayshul Tuten. Perhaps the play of the afternoon came when second-round pick Nate Boerkircher made a one-handed snag to bring Jacksonville within three.
Below is a breakdown of the playing time from Sunday's win, including some separation at wide receiver, running back, tight end and a deeper rotation at linebacker.
Offense
Once again, the Texans are seeing the value of playing Noel, who saw action on 49 percent of snaps, marking his highest total of the season. He finished with four receptions and was targeted six times.
The Texans said that new wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was expected to play about 12-16 snaps in his debut. They didn't lie, as the former No. 4 overall pick was on the field for 12 plays, which is just under 19 percent of snaps.
As for the offensive line, no changes whatsoever, though Blake Fisher was called upon as an extra lineman 21 times, which rounds out to 33%. Among the running backs, Woody Marks, who led the team in rushing, finished with 49 snaps, while Jawhar Jordan, who scored the only rushing touchdown, played in just 14 snaps.
Defense
There's really not much to report on defense. The main thing is veteran and former first-round pick Kenneth Murray replacing Azeez Al-Shaair. Despite playing in 82% of snaps. Rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz was expected to take over for Al-Shaair, but given the Texans' need to win now, the Clemson product only stepped in for 4% of snaps.
As for the depth, Sabastian Harsh ended up playing the fewest snaps, yet looked the most confident of the names outside of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. In his return, Jadeveon Clowney, who recorded a sack against Dak Prescott in the first quarter, played in 30 snaps.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans Week 6 snap counts: How much did WR Marvin Harrison Jr. play in his debut vs. Jaguars?
