The Houston Texans secured a dramatic victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, with quarterback Davis Mills leading another game-winning drive to set up K Matthew Wright to seal the win in the final seconds.
Mills completed 26 of 41 passes for 274 yards and one touchdown, orchestrating his second consecutive game-winning drive and the fifth of his career. His calm demeanor under pressure proved crucial as the Texans found themselves in another tight contest.
"It took all three phases to win that game today," Mills said after the game. "It's exciting. It's fun to go out there and get another one."
Critical Two-Minute Drive
The defining moment came late in the fourth quarter when Mills connected with wide receiver Nico Collins on a crucial third-down conversion near midfield. Mills explained the play unfolded exactly as drawn up against Tennessee's coverage.
"When I looked out and saw that they ended up running cover two over there, they clouded his side. We had the perfect route called for it and he was able to kind of find the honey hole behind the corner outside the safety and I was able to deliver him a ball," Mills said.
Collins hauled in nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first player in the NFL this season to record three consecutive games with at least seven receptions and 50-plus receiving yards.
"Nico's going to make a big play if there needs to be one to be made," Mills said. "When we had third and long on that drive, I mean, we need to convert because otherwise we're giving them the ball back with 40, 50 seconds left."
Head coach DeMeco Ryans praised the connection between his quarterback and top receiver.
"That connection really took off in the second half, which we needed. We needed a spark," Ryans said. "We start getting the ball to Nico and we saw he made play after play after play."
Mills' Unflappable Approach
Mills' composure in critical situations has become a defining characteristic. He attributes his performance to natural temperament rather than any specific process.
"I don't think the moment really is ever too big. I've always kind of been able to settle in and be calm and focus on what my job is," Mills explained. "I've never been very emotional as a person. I've never kind of got too upset if something bad happens. I've always had the mindset and the mentality of kind of next play."
Ryans has taken notice of his quarterback's steady presence.
"His emotions never change, which is great. I love that about Davis," Ryans said. "He has that quiet confidence about him. Davis knows what he's doing. He's a competitor deep down inside and he wants to make those plays and our entire sideline, our team feels that from Davis."
Defensive Playmakers Step Up
The Texans' defense created crucial opportunities throughout the contest. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. recorded one sack, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, extending his sack streak to five consecutive games—the longest active streak in the NFL.
"Will is a dynamic playmaker for us and that's what we need in the game," Ryans said. "Will comes up with another sack and forced fumble, fumble recovery, huge play for us."
DE Danielle Hunter added 1.5 sacks, bringing his two-game total to 5.0 sacks. CB Kamari Lassiter extended his streak to seven consecutive games with at least one pass defensed, the longest active streak in the NFL this season.
Mills acknowledged the confidence his defense provides.
"It's a lot of confidence when you have a defense playing like the way they do on the other side of the ball. I mean, you feel free as an offense to go out there and make plays," he said.
Building Momentum
The victory marks the second straight week the Texans have rallied from behind to secure a win.
"Last week we had to come back and win a game. We were down a lot and this week again we put ourselves in a hole, but man we had a great two minute drive," Ryans said. "We weren't finishing games really good to start the season with how we're finishing games now and finishing with a win, that's all that matters."
TE Dalton Schultz continued his consistent season with six receptions for 51 yards, surpassing Owen Daniels for the most receptions by a tight end in franchise history through the first 10 games. WR Jayden Higgins posted a career-high 55 yards on four receptions.
As the Texans prepare for their next opponent, Ryans emphasized his team-first philosophy.
"My number one rule is this is a team-first mentality. Everything that we do is never about one guy," Ryans said. "Our players, they're the ones who step up and make the plays we need to make to put us in position to win these games."
With back-to-back comeback victories, the Texans have shown they can finish close games—a quality that could prove vital as the season progresses.
