The 2016 season is halfway over for the Texans, and they're 5-3.
Only three other times in franchise history have they recorded five or more wins through the first eight. In 2009 and 2011 they were 5-3, and they got off to a 7-1 start in 2012.
"It's been pretty up-and-down, but there's five more ups than three downs," head coach Bill O'Brien said.
The Texans are a perfect 5-0 at NRG Stadium, but remain winless on the road. After the Week 8 triumph over Detroit, running back Alfred Blue liked what he heard.
"Sounds great," Blue said. "We won the first half: five and three, and we're five and oh at home. We just gotta improve on the road and get that changed around and we'll be sitting good at the end of the year."
While Brock Osweiler and the Texans would prefer a perfect 8-0 mark, he said being two games over .500 is significant.
"It means so much at the halfway point," Osweiler said. "Are we satisfied with what we've done? Absolutely not. We're striving to get better every single day. But what we did today to put a stamp on the first half of the season was huge."Â
For cornerback Johnathan Joseph, winning before the week off was a big positive.
"It's a great feeling," Joseph said. "It beats being 4-4, or 3-5, all of that. Obviously heading into a bye week, you want to end on a good note, so having this victory, that's big for us."
The Texans won't play again until Sunday, November 13 at Jacksonville.
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Check out photos of the game as the Texans took on the Lions at NRG Stadium.