The Houston Texans offense mostly carried the team in Week 1.
The Houston Texans were able to fend off the Indianapolis Colts mostly due to the offense. The offensive unit was unbound on Sunday, dragging the Colts out to deep waters and watching them thrash until the waves consumed them. The offense was expected to be quick, high-paced, and off the field in 10 plays or less.
The offense we got ate the clock like a blackhole eats light. Relentless and undeterred. It was because of the run game that the Texans were able to out-pace the Colts, leaving Indy with no real time to try and exploit the Texans' defense one more time. Led by Joe Mixon, fans were left in awe that the offense that was expected to appear didn't, but a more devastating, truly unstoppable one emerged.
Showing the league that they can hurt you through the air and the round was not on the menu, but it was eagerly accepted regardless. The Texans may have won differently than many expected but they won and that's what's important. So it's not surprising that so many of the top performers according to Pro Football Focus were on the offensive side of the ball.
Here's who they had in the top five;
- WR Nico Collins (82.7)
- S Calen Bullock (82.3)
- LB Henry To'oto'o (78.2)
- RB Joe Mixon (72.9)
- TE Brevin Jordan (71.8)
Maybe the wildest thing here is that Stefon Diggs wasn't the highest-graded wide receiver on the team, despite two touchdown catches. That said, this isn't fantasy football, so touchdowns don't overshadow better performances, and Collins just played better. He may not have been targeted in the endzone like Diggs, but he played a better game across four quarters.
To'oto'o and Bullock being on here wasn't a surprise following their performances, but was a surprise considering neither man was seen as that necessary heading into the game. It was fantastic seeing both men play well, especially Bullock, who earned his first career interception.
On the offensive side of things, Jordan looked good blocking and proved that he may still have a step on rookie Cade Stover. While Mixon carried the team and yet earned a rather unimpressive score for a very impressive outing.
