<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-nico-collins-fantasy-football-managers-minds-ease-buccaneers-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans’ Nico Collins puts fantasy football managers’ minds at ease for Buccaneers game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/771844162-nico-collins-helmet-up.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Texans’ Nico Collins puts fantasy football managers’ minds at ease for Buccaneers game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T13:45:30-07:00">September 12th, 1:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T13:45:30-07:00">September 12th, 1:45pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-stroud-puts-blast-lollygagging-rams-week-1">Texans’ offense was underwhelming</a> in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, as they couldn’t get much going in the passing game. It shows from Nico Collins’ numbers, with the wide receiver finishing with 25 yards, and he only had three catches.</p><p>It was just Week 1, but of course, there has already been a cause of concern for fans, and also, fantasy football managers who have him rostered on their team. The good news is that the season is still young, and Collins has a chance to make more plays in their Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><p>Collins spoke to the media about Week 1 performance, and he <a href="https://x.com/Djbienaime/status/1966588550398316642" rel="noopener">showed a sign of optimism</a> that everything will be good on his end.</p><p>“You can’t get down on yourself because you’re not getting the ball. Continue to run the correct routes, right reps, and details. And have fun. The ball’s gonna come,” Collins said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texans</a> WR Nico Collins said the ball “is gonna come” and how he can’t get down on himself because he’s not getting targets. </p><p>Collins had 3 catches for 25 yards in Week 1. <a href="https://t.co/UPZLignyfz">pic.twitter.com/UPZLignyfz</a></p><p>— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) <a href="https://twitter.com/Djbienaime/status/1966588550398316642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Collins was a productive wide receiver last season for the Texans, and many are expecting him to replicate that success this season. Outside of Collins, there isn’t a true WR2 on the team, which means that he may be getting most of the targets. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-tank-dell-out-for-season-official-injury-diagnosis">Tank Dell is still recovering from an injury</a> he suffered late last season, so the Texans will have to do what they can on offense.</p><p>That means it starts with Collins, and he’s going to have to make a lot of plays to keep the Texans’ offense going this season. The pressure shouldn’t be all on him, and C.J. Stroud has to find a way to spread the wealth this season amongst the other receivers on the team.</p><p>If Stroud and Collins can have a strong connection this season, there’s a chance their offense won’t take a step back, and it would be good to see them get back on track against the Buccaneers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans’ Nico Collins puts fantasy football managers’ minds at ease for Buccaneers game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-stroud-rams-loss-takeaways');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans QB CJ Stroud reveals biggest emphasis coming out of Rams loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CJ-Stroud.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Texans QB CJ Stroud reveals biggest emphasis coming out of Rams loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T16:06:58-07:00">September 11th, 4:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T16:06:58-07:00">September 11th, 4:06pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans opened their 2025 season with a deflating 14-9 loss in California to the Los Angeles Rams, falling short in what many expected to be a breakthrough game for quarterback CJ Stroud. Against the Los Angeles Rams, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-most-blame-close-week-1-loss-rams">Houston’s offense sputtered</a>, undone by penalties, turnovers, and pressure. Now, ahead of the team’s Week 2 home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the focus is on cleaning up the very mistakes that proved costly in Week 1.</p><p>After the Texans vs. Rams matchup, Stroud offered no excuses—only accountability, as <i>Houston Football with Cody Stoots</i> host Cody Stoots shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), noting that Stroud <a href="https://x.com/Cody_Stoots/status/1966230665919115672" rel="noopener">believed the team</a> needed to help offensive coordinator Nick Caley by eliminating negative plays and executing more efficiently.</p><p>“CJ Stroud said the team has to help offensive coordinator Nick Caley out. He asked what do you call in 2nd and long and 3rd and long?</p><p>Stroud said he needs to manage the pocket better from his standpoint.</p><p>The emphasis on negative plays getting eliminated has been prevalent this week.”</p><p>Those words from Stroud reflect a growing leadership role as he enters his third season as the starting quarterback of the Texans. He isn’t just protecting the offensive coordinator from criticism—he’s taking responsibility for sustaining drives and avoiding long-yardage downs. Houston committed 11 penalties and failed to convert on key third-down situations. Those issues weren’t just execution errors—they handicapped Caley’s play-calling options in the Week 1 loss to the Rams.</p><p>Stroud’s focus on pocket presence has become a theme this week at NRG Stadium. He acknowledged that pressure was partly self-inflicted and that stepping up in the pocket needs to be part of his evolution. His work in practice—refining footwork, adjusting timing, and reacting to pressure—mirrors the Texans’ overall shift toward accountability.</p><p>Now, with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Buccaneers on deck, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/buccaneers-vs-texans-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season">the Texans must translate reflection into action</a>. For Stroud, this isn’t just another game—it’s a chance to reset the tone of the season by changing how the offense operates, communicates, and responds under pressure.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans QB CJ Stroud reveals biggest emphasis coming out of Rams loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/buccaneers-vs-texans-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Buccaneers vs. Texans bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Buccaneers-vs-Texans-bold-predictions-for-Week-2-of-2025-NFL-season.jpg?w=1024"></figure><h1>Buccaneers vs. Texans bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T18:03:02-07:00">September 10th, 6:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T18:03:02-07:00">September 10th, 6:03pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Week 2 will feature the first Monday Night Football doubleheader. In the opening contest, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/buccaneers-news-chris-long-places-tampa-bay-in-super-bowl-conversation">Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel</a> to Texas to take on the Houston Texans. Each team got off to a different start in Week 1. The Buccaneers travelled to division rival Atlanta and defeated the Falcons 23-20. Tampa Bay exorcised the demons from its 2024 NFC South title run when they lost to the Falcons twice.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-most-blame-close-week-1-loss-rams">the Texans travelled west</a> to take on the Los Angeles Rams. Many expected a strong offensive showing from both teams, considering the talent that each unit had. Instead, it was a defensive struggle. While Houston’s defense held up its end of the bargain, quarterback C.J Stroud and the offense struggled in a 14-9 loss.</p><p>Now, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-stroud-drops-truth-bomb-on-houstons-offseason-progress">Texans will need to focus</a> on stopping a division-winning football team. The Bucs are going for their fifth straight NFC South crown. If Houston can’t bring their A-game on Monday Night Football, there’s a strong chance that Tampa Bay will come to NRG Stadium and tame the home crowd. Houston’s defense will need to pitch another excellent outing for the Texans to claim their first victory in 2025. Can Houston come together in all three phases and defend their home turf against the visiting Buccaneers?</p><h2><b>Texans’ pass rush led by Danielle Hunter torments Buccaneers’ O-Line</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Texans-EDGE-Danielle-Hunter.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/grading-danielle-hunters-2-year-49-million-contract-with-texans">Hunter joined the Texans</a> last offseason. In his first season with Houston, Hunter once again notched double-digit sacks with 12. It was his sixth season of double-digit takedowns. The veteran also played in all 17 games for the third straight season. On Monday night against a potentially reshuffled Buccaneers’ offensive line, Hunter will sack Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield three times, including twice in an explosive first half.</p><p>Hunter and fellow edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. will cause <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/buccaneers-news-tampa-bay-makes-eye-opening-offensive-line-changes-week-1">mayhem for the Buccaneers’ bookends.</a> If Graham Barton once again plays left tackle on Sunday in place of injured All-Pro Tristan Wirfs, Hunter will be licking his chops. Look for the veteran to have a vintage game, while Anderson Jr. pitches in two sacks and a couple of pressures of his own. Will it be enough to limit the Bucs’ offense under the bright lights of Monday night?</p><h2><b>Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield leads second-half comeback</b></h2><p>After Hunter, Anderson Jr., and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-will-anderson-jr-makes-texans-history-disappointing-titans-loss">the Texans’ pass rush feast</a> on the Buccaneers’ offensive line in the first half, the Texans will head into the locker room leading 14-6. Mayfield is sacked five times. Three of those takedowns lead to an offensive drive ending. Kicker Chase McLaughlin makes two field goals, one from a short distance and another from 45 yards, to keep the Bucs within a single score.</p><p>At halftime, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard adjusts the game plan, allowing the veteran signal caller more freedom at the line. Mayfield and the offense start the second half off hot, marching down the field in eight plays to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion. The third quarter ends after the Texans and Buccaneers exchange touchdown drives, heading into the final frame at 21 points apiece. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/buccaneers-news-todd-bowles-100-real-on-bucs-narrow-road-loss-to-texans">Will the Buccaneers escape Houston</a> with a win, or can the Texans clinch their first victory of 2025?</p><h2><b>Buccaneers rookie Emeka Egbuka snags game-winner for 2nd straight week</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Buccaneers-WR-Emeka-Egbuka.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A 21-21 tie will give way to the Texans taking a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Once again, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-demeco-ryans-sends-fired-up-message-ahead-of-week-1">Texans’ pass rush will cause</a> some issues, but a renewed focus on the quick passing game and delayed handoffs to running back Bucky Irving consistently stings Houston’s defense. The Buccaneers almost convert a fourth down that would allow them to at least tie the game, but fall short.</p><p>Yet, Tampa Bay’s defense holds firm. They limit Stroud and the passing game, as safety Antoine Winfield Jr. follows up an excellent opener versus the Falcons with an even better outing in Space City. With a little over a minute left in the game, Mayfield and Irving team up with rookie Emeka Egbuka to methodically take down the Texans’ defense. On third and goal from the four-yard line, Mayfield throws a dart to a diving Egbuka for the game-winning touchdown. Once again, the growing connection between the veteran quarterback and rookie target pays off nicely. A 2-0 start will go a long way towards <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/fantasy-sports/buccaneers-news-espn-insider-emeka-egbuka-fantasy-football-tip">helping the Buccaneers retain</a> their NFC South title once again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Buccaneers vs. Texans bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-promotes-veteran-tight-end-week-1-incentive-laden-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans promote veteran tight end after Week 1 on incentive-laden deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bryant-during-preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Texans promote veteran tight end after Week 1 on incentive-laden deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T10:51:09-07:00">September 10th, 10:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T10:51:09-07:00">September 10th, 10:51am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Sunday afternoon, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-most-blame-close-week-1-loss-rams">Houston Texans began</a> their 2025 season with a dud by losing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/c-j-stroud-fraud-watch-continues-texans-week-1-disappointment">to the Los Angeles Rams</a> in a frustrating road game. CJ Stroud was under constant pressure throughout the afternoon, and overall, the Texans were not able to get much of anything going on offense despite a relatively strong game from their elite defense.</p><p>Adding insult to injury was the fact that tight end Cade Stover went down with what has now been revealed as a hairline fracture in his broken foot, which will sideline him for the immediate future.</p><p>With this being the case, the Texans <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2025/09/10/how-texans-offense-adjusts-after-cade-stover-broken-foot-jake-andrews-high-ankle-sprain-really-hate-that/" rel="noopener">made a move</a> on Wednesday to help shore up the depth in their tight end room.</p><p>“The Texans are signing veteran tight end Harrison Bryant to the 53-man roster, promoting him from the practice squad in advance of a Monday night home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per a league source. The deal includes a minimum salary, plus $500,000 in incentives, per a source,” reported Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com.</p><p>Bryant was a part of the return package that the Texans got back when they traded wide receiver John Metchie to the Philadelphia Eagles shortly before the 2025 NFL season got underway. He’s a former fourth round pick by the Cleveland Browns who played his college football at Florida Atlantic.</p><p>At this point, it’s unclear how much Bryant figures to factor into the Texans’ offensive scheme in Stover’s absence, but it will certainly be nice for the team to have some additional depth in that department in the wake of the injury.</p><p>Overall, the Texans did not exactly look like a team ready to make the next step and compete for championships with their performance against the Rams. However, they’ll have a chance to make things right with their next game, which will take place on Monday night at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans promote veteran tight end after Week 1 on incentive-laden deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-most-blame-close-week-1-loss-rams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Texans-most-to-blame-for-ugly-Week-1-loss-to-Rams.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T17:26:23-07:00">September 9th, 5:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T17:26:23-07:00">September 9th, 5:26pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans entered SoFi Stadium on Sunday eager to showcase an improved roster and build momentum around CJ Stroud in his second season. Instead, they left with more questions than answers. The Texans <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/matchup/_/gameId/401772723">fell 14-9</a> to the Los Angeles Rams in a winnable contest defined by missed opportunities, costly mistakes, and self-inflicted wounds. In a game that came down to execution, Houston did everything possible to beat itself.</p><h2><b>Texans stumble despite chances to win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/772989480-cj-stroud.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For the Texans, injuries along the offensive line, costly penalties, and the challenge of integrating an almost entirely new <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-stroud-drops-truth-bomb-on-houstons-offseason-progress">supporting cast around quarterback Stroud</a> led to inconsistency from start to finish. Despite hanging close, Houston’s fate was sealed in the final two minutes when Nate Landman forced a decisive fumble. This allowed the Rams to escape with the win despite a sluggish offensive performance.</p><p>Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-matthew-stafford-reflects-hitting-rare-qb-milestone">surpassed the 60,000-yard career passing milestone</a>. Meanwhile, wideout Puka Nacua delivered the game’s standout performance with 10 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. By contrast, Texans receiver Nico Collins was held to just 23 yards on three catches. Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson provided only modest contributions. Nick Chubb paced the ground game with 60 yards on 13 carries, but Houston’s inability to protect its quarterback and avoid penalties ultimately turned a winnable contest into a bitter Week 1 defeat.</p><p>Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Houston Texans personnel most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Rams.</p><h2><b>Offensive line failures hamper offensive rhythm</b></h2><p>The Texans’ offensive line was the most glaring liability on the field. Injuries and inexperience created a lack of cohesion. Stroud faced pressure on over 40 percent of his dropbacks and was sacked three times. That left Houston’s offense sputtering before drives could find rhythm. The inability to consistently establish a clean pocket forced Stroud into rushed throws and long-yardage situations.</p><p>Even the run game was limited by poor blocking. Holes closed quickly, leaving Houston with little balance to keep the Rams’ defense honest. Once the Texans fell behind, the line’s struggles forced predictable play-calling and opened the door for Los Angeles to pin its ears back. The offensive line instability just left everything off schedule.</p><h2><b>Costly turnovers kill momentum</b></h2><p>Turnovers were the difference in a tight, low-scoring contest. Dare Ogunbowale’s fumble in the fourth quarter was especially devastating. That ended Houston’s best chance at a game-winning drive and flipped momentum back to the Rams. His history of ball-security issues only amplifies the frustration. This was not an isolated slip but part of a troubling pattern.</p><p>Stroud, meanwhile, couldn’t overcome the constant harassment from the Rams’ front. He threw an interception that stalled another promising drive. Although not entirely his fault, it was emblematic of an offense that could not finish what it started. Instead of capitalizing on a shaky Rams performance, the Texans handed opportunities away.</p><h2><b>Receiver struggles and secondary challenges</b></h2><p>For all the talk about Houston’s revamped offensive weapons, Week 1 highlighted just how far they still have to go. Collins, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-nico-collins-bold-prediction-fans-2025">who was expected to set the tone</a>, managed only 25 yards on three catches. He failed to stretch the field or draw extra defensive attention. Higgins and Hutchinson showed flashes but couldn’t fill the void. As such, Houston’s offense felt one-dimensional and easier to contain.</p><p>Defensively, the Texans’ secondary also faltered. They just had no answers for Nacua, who torched the defense and served as Stafford’s safety valve throughout the afternoon. Even when Stafford was under pressure, Nacua’s reliability bailed out the Rams. This glaring weakness for Houston, and it could only grow against the elite passers of the AFC.</p><h2><b>Penalties and discipline issues stall progress</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CJ-Stroud-drops-truth-bomb-on-Houstons-offseason-progress.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Troy Taormina</figcaption></figure><p>Beyond turnovers and blocking woes, Houston sabotaged itself with penalties. The Texans committed 11 infractions for 80 yards. That’s an unacceptable total for a team trying to win on the margins. Many came at the worst possible times, too. They had false starts that wiped away manageable third downs, holding calls that negated gains, and defensive penalties that extended Rams’ drives.</p><p>Discipline is often the hidden difference between victory and defeat in close games. The Texans just gifted the Rams extra chances and sabotaging their own progress. Until Houston cleans up its execution, even games they should win will remain out of reach.</p><h2><b>Accountability is urgent</b></h2><p>The Texans’ Week 1 loss wasn’t about being overmatched. It was about failing to execute in critical areas. The offensive line’s collapses, costly turnovers, lack of receiver production, secondary breakdowns, and penalty problems combined to waste what could have been a statement win to start the year. Instead, Houston now heads into Monday Night Football at 0-1.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/c-j-stroud-fraud-watch-continues-texans-week-1-disappointment">Accountability has to come quickly</a>. The AFC South may not be the league’s toughest division, but it will punish inconsistency. Week 1 must serve as a wake-up call for the Texans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Rams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-week-1-losers-ravens-same-old-ravens-better-worse');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL Week 1 losers: Ravens look like the same old Ravens, for better or worse');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/NFL-Week-1-Losers.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL Week 1 losers: Ravens look like the same old Ravens, for better or worse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T16:18:14-07:00">September 9th, 4:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T16:18:14-07:00">September 9th, 4:18pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Ravens</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NFL is back! Week 1 delivered in the best way, with great games coming down to the wire in all four primetime windows and throughout the Sunday slate.</p><p>Some teams with high expectations soared through their openers. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-reasons-micah-parsons-dc-ready-to-run-through-wall">Green Bay Packers looked like the Super Bowl contenders</a> everyone was hoping for in a destruction of the Detroit Lions after the Micah Parsons trade. The Bills and the Ravens played one of the best regular season games you’ll ever see on Sunday night, with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson ascending to another planet while going blow-for-blow with each other.</p><p>On the flip side, not everyone left Sunday with a smile. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-news-rex-ryan-no-respect-take-mike-mcdaniel">Miami Dolphins embarrassed themselves</a> in a disastrous loss to the Colts, while the Texans still couldn’t protect C.J. Stroud in a loss to the Rams. The Broncos escaped with a win over the Titans despite a poor day from Bo Nix and the offense.</p><p>Were those dreadful showings enough to make the losers list? Here is the worst of the worst from Week 1.</p><h2><b>The Ravens are the NFL’s best team… until they have to be</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Baltimore-Ravens-head-coach-John-Harbaugh.jpg"><figcaption>Mark Konezny-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For 55 minutes on Sunday night, watching the Baltimore Ravens was football heaven. Lamar Jackson was a walking explosive play through the air while producing a scramble that somehow took him from 25 yards in the backfield to a third-and-10 conversion, all while making Chris Collinsworth mutter some inaudible noises into his headset. Derrick Henry was still very big and very fast, outrunning a helpless Bills defense that had no answers for it.</p><p>Then, with five minutes to go in the game, the Ravens remembered that they are in fact the best team in the NFL, not at football, but at losing games that make you stare at your TV for a half-hour afterwards and wonder: <i>How did they just lose that game? </i></p><p>Something out of the Ravens’ control kickstarted the collapse when Keon Coleman was right there to reel in a bizarre tipped fourth-down pass for a touchdown to cut the lead to eight. Then Baltimore fell into the same sort of implosion that has plagued it more than any other team over the last few seasons.</p><p>Derrick Henry, normally an invincible iron man, fumbled at the worst possible time to set up another Buffalo touchdown, cutting the lead to just two. Then, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/ravens-news-john-harbaugh-doubles-down-4th-down-punt-decision-bills">John Harbaugh decided to punt the ball</a> on fourth-and-3 instead of giving Jackson another crack at closing the game out.</p><p><i>They just lost the game </i>was the only thought rolling through my head the second the punter stepped on the field for Baltimore, and Josh Allen proceeded to march the Bills right into chipshot field goal range to seal the improbable victory. This loss may not matter, or it may be the reason the Ravens are back in Buffalo in January instead of in front of their home fans.</p><h2><b>Mike McDaniel’s seat is heating up</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Mike-McDaniel-on-Sept.-7-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The vibes were seemingly bad in Miami this offseason, as Mike McDaniel’s once-innovative offense had grown stale and Tua Tagovailoa came off yet another injury-riddled season. Could Miami recapture the explosiveness that made it must-watch TV in 2023? Would the defense hold up? Can the Dolphins protect their franchise quarterback?</p><p>On Sunday, the vibes took a nosedive to levels that haven’t been seen before in the Sunshine State. McDaniel, Tagovailoa and company were completely helpless in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-most-blame-embarrassing-week-1-loss-colts">33-8 rout at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts</a>, surely the most dreadful overall team performance of the weekend.</p><p>Daniel Jones made his first start as a Colt and absolutely cut up the Miami defense all day long. On the other side, Tagovailoa turned the ball over three times, took three sacks on just seven pressures, and it took less than two quarters for our first Tyreek Hill sideline crashout of the season (it won’t be the last!).</p><p>It may not be possible for a coach’s seat to be hot after just one game, but McDaniel’s chair is at least pre-heating with the Patriots on deck in Week 2.</p><h2><b>The Texans still can’t protect C.J. Stroud</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stroud-lollygag.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Texans were a major disappointment on offense in Year 2 with C.J. Stroud at quarterback, and the offensive line was the root cause of all of their problems. Houston couldn’t run the ball and couldn’t give its young star quarterback any time to throw, causing him to plateau a bit after an incredible rookie season.</p><p>Houston did fire offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik at the end of the season, but they failed to upgrade the personnel up front. In fact, the Texans decided to address being a laughing stock in pass protection by… trading star left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders?</p><p>On Sunday, Stroud was introduced to a very good Rams defense line, and they got after him all day long. The third-year star was pressured on 14 of his 34 drop backs according to Next Gen Stats, a pressure rate north of 40%. He took just three sacks, but the pressure was constant as Houston tried to get back in the game in the second half.</p><p>That is not tenable even for one of the best pocket managers in football in Stroud with a great receiver in Nico Collins on the outside, and it is a big reason why Houston didn’t find the end zone once in Week 1.</p><h2><b>It’s a bad time to be a CB2 in the NFL</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/full_5dbc16.jpg"><figcaption>Steven Bisig-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Passing games are seemingly better than ever in the NFL, but there are still a select group of star cornerbacks that can shut down even the game’s best wide receivers. Those players were on full display in Week 1 and made a number of great plays. Jaycee Horn came down with a one-handed interception, Sauce Gardner had a great day for the Jets, and Jalen Ramsey settled his beef with Garrett Wilson with one of the biggest hits of the weekend to seal the Steelers’ win.</p><p>However, the players opposite those top corners had a brutal weekend. Teams picked on the rotating cast of weaker starting corners relentlessly throughout Week 1, and it popped off the screen in almost every game.</p><p>It started on Thursday night, when new additions Adoree’ Jackson (who gave up a league-high 103 yards in coverage) and Kaiir Elam took turns getting brutalized through the air during Eagles-Cowboys. On Sunday morning, Aaron Rodgers put the microscope on Brandon Stephens for two of his four touchdowns in his Pittsburgh debut.</p><p>Elsewhere around the league, Tariq Woolen almost single-handedly lost a divisional game for the Seahawks by giving up two of the more inexplicable catches of the weekend, and Josh Allen created one of the craziest comebacks in NFL history by almost exclusively targeting Chidobe Awuzie and Jaire Alexander. Beware, CB2s, the quarterbacks are coming for you in 2025.</p><h2><b>The Week 1 Bengals are back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780746488-joe-burrow-zac-taylor.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Lange-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>In 2024, the Bengals started their season off with the biggest surprise of Week 1, losing a sloppy game to the dreadful New England Patriots. At the time, everyone thought all would be fine in Cincinnati and that Joe Burrow and company would figure everything out.</p><p>Well, Joe Burrow did figure it out. The rest of the Bengals, however, did not, and Cincinnati missed the playoffs with the worst defense in the NFL. Surely getting off on the right foot was a top priority for the Bengals against a Cleveland Browns team that was in the news this offseason for just about everything except for being a good football team.</p><p>Well, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/worried-about-bengals-week-1-escape-you-have-every-right-to-be">Bengals technically got in the win column</a> with a 17-16 victory, but they limped out of Cleveland arguably feeling worse about themselves than they did when they got off the bus. After playing a solid first half that included two nice touchdown drives, the Bengals finished with seven total yards in the second half. Seven!!!</p><p>The Bengals owe a lot of thanks after still coming out of Cleveland with a win. First, thanks to the Tennessee Titans and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tennessee-titans/titans-news-brian-callahan-admits-blowing-challenge-decision-rules-mishap">Brian Callahan struggling with the rules of football</a>, seven yards wasn’t even the lowest second-half total of the week. Secondly, Cincinnati should thank the Browns for doing a lot of Browns-ing to somehow come out with a loss despite their defense dominating Burrow and company after halftime.</p><p>Cleveland missed an extra point, a short field goal and threw a pair of tipped-ball interceptions that helped the Bengals get over the top. However, Zac Taylor and his staff have plenty to fix before Week 2.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL Week 1 losers: Ravens look like the same old Ravens, for better or worse

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-key-c-j-stroud-weapon-out-indefinitely-broken-foot');   ga('set', 'title', 'Key C.J. Stroud weapon out indefinitely with broken foot');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cade-Stover-during-Texans-training-camp.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Key C.J. Stroud weapon out indefinitely with broken foot</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T12:41:27-07:00">September 8th, 12:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T13:12:43-07:00">September 8th, 1:12pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans did not start the 2025 NFL season on the right foot. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/c-j-stroud-fraud-watch-continues-texans-week-1-disappointment">Houston lost a close 14-9 game against Los Angeles</a> in Week 1. Texans fans were disappointed that their offense played so poorly. Now the situation just got worse with some tough injury news.</p><p>Texans tight end Cade Stover <a href="https://x.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1965112303143321754" rel="noopener">broke his foot on Sunday</a> against the Rams, per Texans reporter Aaron Wilson. Stover will be out indefinitely while he recovers from this injury.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-christian-kirk-suffers-hamstring-injury">Texans are already down WR Christian Kirk</a>, who suffered a hamstring injury before Week 1. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-gm-nick-caserio-gives-cryptic-joe-mixon-injury-update">Joe Mixon won’t be back for another three games</a> at least.</p><p>Now that Stover is injured too, Houston’s offensive depth could become a problem.</p><p>It already is a problem at tight end. Starter Dalton Schultz is healthy, but everyone else is banged up.</p><p>The Texans are without both Brevin Jordan and Irv Smith Jr., both of whom are on injured reserve. Stover’s injury makes that bad situation even worse.</p><p>Houston will likely add another tight end to provide some depth.</p><h2><b>Cade Stover still has promising future with the Texans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cade-Stover.jpg"><figcaption>© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/meet-the-texans-2024-nfl-draft-class-grades-for-all-9-picks">Houston drafted Stover in the fourth round</a> of the 2024 NFL Draft.</p><p>Stover did not have a huge role as a rookie, but he looked more involved in the offense on Sunday.</p><p>In fact, Stover hauled in four receptions for 22 yards before his injury. That may not sound like a lot, but it is a big jump for someone that only had 15 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown as a rookie.</p><p>Houston’s brass fell in love with Stover’s work ethic and passion for football. That’s what prompted them to draft him in the first place.</p><p>“Whatever it is, it’s elite,” Texans GM Nick Caserio said of Stover. “This guy is as tough, hard-nosed a player they had in the program. This is probably one of our favorite football players in the entire draft, regardless of position, because of his mentality, because of his mindset. And he still is developing as a player. Blue-collar as they come. Makeup, traits, toughness, mentality, this is an elite guy.”</p><p>Hopefully Stover can recover from his injury and get his career back on track.</p><p>As for Houston, next up is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/schedule">Week 2 matchup against Tampa Bay</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Key C.J. Stroud weapon out indefinitely with broken foot

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/c-j-stroud-fraud-watch-continues-texans-week-1-disappointment');   ga('set', 'title', 'C.J. Stroud fraud watch continues with Texans’ Week 1 disappointment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780718714-cj-stroud-being-sacked.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>C.J. Stroud fraud watch continues with Texans’ Week 1 disappointment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T10:39:45-07:00">September 8th, 10:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T10:39:45-07:00">September 8th, 10:39am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>C.J. Stroud had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. The Houston Texans star threw for 4,108 yards during his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-stroud-wins-offensive-rookie-year-historic-2023-campaign">Rookie of the Year-winning campaign</a>. The Ohio State product broke numerous records in the process. Notably, Stroud became just the third quarterback to <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/texans/news/goat-houston-texans-quarterback-cj-stroud-historic-company-tom-brady-joe-montana-rookie" rel="noopener">lead the league</a> in both touchdown-to-interception ratio and passing yards per game. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/updating-and-ranking-the-50-greatest-nfl-players-of-all-time">All-time NFL greats</a> Joe Montana and Tom Brady were the only other players to accomplish that feat.</p><p>Stroud also tied the rookie record for touchdown passes in a playoff game. In that 45-13 win over the Cleveland Browns, Stroud became the youngest quarterback to ever win a playoff matchup. There were big expectations heading into his second season, but Stroud had somewhat of a sophomore slump. Stroud’s numbers regressed to just 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns in year two, and the Texans were forced to be heavily reliant on their defense.</p><p>Many quarterbacks struggle in their second seasons as opposing defenses are oftentimes able to find things that work against still-young quarterbacks after a year of tape is available. Stroud was expected to return to elite status during the 2025 season, but he got off to an ugly start that has some calling him a fraud.</p><h2><b>C.J. Stroud struggles against the Rams</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780718721-cj-stroud-rolling-left.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Texans lost 14-9 in their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The defense was again great, but Stroud and the offense struggled to get anything going. Stroud threw for just 188 yards, and his offense was never able to punch the ball into the end zone. The usually risk-averse quarterback even threw a costly interception.</p><p>The disappointing performance through the air was a particular letdown because the Texans have a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/ranking-all-32-nfl-teams-receiving-corps-for-2025-season">great receiving corps</a>. Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel did next to nothing in a game in which Christian Kirk sat out, though. Higgins was the leading receiver, but he had just 32 yards.</p><p>Nothing developed downfield for the Texans’ offense, and their drives were often short and ineffective. The Rams were far from brilliant on offense, but Matthew Stafford was at least able to get some things going, and he was even playing with a bad back.</p><p>The Rams do have an impressive defense, but such a poor performance was inexcusable for Houston. Stroud still has MVP potential, but with each passing poor performance, it is looking more and more like his rookie season was a fluke. Stroud will need a huge performance and a couple of wins in the coming weeks to buck the fraud label.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

C.J. Stroud fraud watch continues with Texans’ Week 1 disappointment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-cj-stroud-puts-blast-lollygagging-rams-week-1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans QB C.J. Stroud puts team on blast for ‘lollygagging’ vs. Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stroud-lollygag.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Texans QB C.J. Stroud puts team on blast for ‘lollygagging’ vs. Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T08:55:12-07:00">September 8th, 8:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T08:55:12-07:00">September 8th, 8:55am</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matt Wadleigh is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints who used to lead NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball coverage while also specializing in MLB and NFL coverage. He was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno with his wife and two dogs. Matthew is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Texans entered the 2025 NFL season with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-bold-predictions-2025-nfl-season">playoff hopes once again</a>. But, Week 1 was not kind as they lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 14-9.</p><p>While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-christian-kirk-braxton-berrios-injury-updates-before-week-1">Texans had some injury concerns heading into the game,</a> scoring nine points and going without a single touchdown was not what anybody expected.</p><p>Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for just 188 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception, and he was sacked three times in a tough opening weekend result.</p><p>After the game, Stroud said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-rams-cj-stroud-c9c09a2c0199c8c7b08139f9d71ce383" rel="noopener">they were “lollygagging,</a>” according to Greg Beachem of The Associated Press.</p><p>“We didn’t deserve to win that game because we didn’t do the right things,” Stroud said. “When you come out in the NFL lollygagging and going through the motions, that kind of happens. I think we’ll be all right, but I think it’s a good wakeup call for us.”</p><p>At the end of the day, Stroud knows the Texans have to play better going forward.</p><p>“Just for me, preparing, I’ve got to do a better job, and I’ve also got to hold all of my guys accountable. And it’s the first game of the year. We got a lot of exotic looks we did not expect. They did, too. They made the plays. You can come up with a million excuses. We’ve just got to be better.”</p><p>The offense was very sluggish for the Texans in Week 1, and the Rams’ defense found ways to keep them in check all game long, with the exception of three field goals. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter, so it was a sluggish offensive showing from both sides to start the year.</p><p>Stroud and the Texans will aim to bounce back in Week 2 in a showdown against the Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night football in Houston.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans QB C.J. Stroud puts team on blast for ‘lollygagging’ vs. Rams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-christian-kirk-braxton-berrios-injury-updates-before-week-1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texans’ Christian Kirk, Braxton Berrios get unfortunate injury updates before Week 1 vs. Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Christian-Kirk-.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Texans’ Christian Kirk, Braxton Berrios get unfortunate injury updates before Week 1 vs. Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T15:23:18-07:00">September 5th, 3:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T15:23:18-07:00">September 5th, 3:23pm</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In the opening week of the NFL, the Houston Texans will be without two key pieces as they kick off the 2025 season against the Los Angeles Rams. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-christian-kirk-suffers-hamstring-injury">The Texans confirmed that wide receiver Christian Kirk</a> and return specialist Braxton Berrios have been ruled out with hamstring injuries after missing practice all week.</p><p>The Texans<a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1964057185970733108?t=LdvMP7jXT0A9Dx25h4zOSA&amp;s=19" rel="noopener"> officially ruled out</a> Kirk following his absences on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. His recovery is expected to take one to two weeks, while Berrios is projected to return sooner. Both losses remove key pieces from Houston’s passing game and special teams just as the season begins.</p><p>The absence of Christian Kirk puts added pressure on the team’s younger receivers. Rookie Jaylin Noel is expected to step into a bigger role after being selected in the third round out of Iowa State, where he was recognized for his speed and strong hands as a slot receiver. Fellow rookie Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson could also see more opportunities, while Pro Bowler Nico Collins remains the primary target.</p><p>Kirk arrived in Houston via trade from Jacksonville and quickly earned praise for his precise route running and consistency. Last season, he recorded 25 receptions for 320 yards and a touchdown in eight games before suffering a broken collarbone. Over his career, he has totaled 404 catches for 5,176 yards and 29 touchdowns.</p><p>While Noel’s role will be crucial early, Houston also reshaped its special teams plans. With Berrios sidelined, running back Dameon Pierce will handle return duties. A Pro Bowl alternate, Pierce has displayed explosiveness in the return game and could be pivotal in the opener.</p><p>The Texans’ injury report also listed guard Ed Ingram as questionable with an abdominal issue. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-rams-bold-predictions-week-1-2025-nfl-season">He traveled with the team to Los Angeles</a> and is expected to attempt to play. Backup tackle Cam Robinson returned from illness, while right tackle Blake Fisher was cleared after dealing with a preseason ankle sprain. That leaves wide receiver depth as the team’s biggest concern heading into Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans’ Christian Kirk, Braxton Berrios get unfortunate injury updates before Week 1 vs. Rams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-christian-kirk-suffers-hamstring-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Texas WR Christian Kirk suffers hamstring injury ahead of Week 1');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Christian-Kirk-with-Houston-Texans.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Texas WR Christian Kirk suffers hamstring injury ahead of Week 1</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T13:37:57-07:00">September 4th, 1:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T13:51:14-07:00">September 4th, 1:51pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Texans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-demeco-ryans-sends-fired-up-message-ahead-of-week-1">Houston Texans are set to take on</a> the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 to kick off the NFL season. Expectations are high as many believe they are the favorite to win the AFC South. However, the team’s wide receiver group takes another hit after Christian Kirk suffers an injury ahead of the season opener.</p><p>Reports indicate that the 28-year-old wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury that <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1963698044182176092" rel="noopener">will likely rule him out</a> in Week 1, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. There is a chance Kirk could be out for more than just the first game of the season, as it’s said to be a two-week injury.</p><p>“Texans WR Christian Kirk has a strained hamstring that is expected to sideline him for at least Sunday’s opener vs. the Rams and possibly longer, per sources. One source estimated it to be a two-week injury for Kirk, but the Texans will be ‘cautious’ with him.”</p><p>The injury comes at a crucial time, as Houston will have to play Week 1 without Christian Kirk in the lineup. That leaves the Texans with Nico Collins leading the wide receiver group, with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylen Noel both potentially taking on a bigger role than initially planned. Other wideouts on the roster include Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson, and Braxton Berrios.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-jacksonville-trades-christian-kirk-texans-instead-releasing-him">Christian Kirk was traded to the Texans</a> this offseason after originally signing a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars decided to go in a different direction at wide receiver after going all in on Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. Houston had a need, and the front office felt that Kirk was the best veteran option.</p><p>We’ll see if this is an injury the veteran wideout can bounce back from. Hamstrings can tend to linger. So, the Texans will likely remain cautious moving forward. But having him back in the lineup would be ideal for this offense. Christian Kirk ended last season with 27 receptions, 379 yards, and one touchdown after playing in just eight games, after suffering a season-ending core muscle injury in Week 13.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texas WR Christian Kirk suffers hamstring injury ahead of Week 1

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/why-nfl-must-consider-radical-rule-changes-field-goals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Why-NFL-must-consider-radical-rule-changes-for-field-goals.jpg"></figure><h1>Why NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T11:10:59-07:00">September 4th, 11:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T11:12:31-07:00">September 4th, 11:12am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Cowboys</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-rumors-trevon-diggs-expected-play-week-1">NFL is a rough place with collisions, injuries,</a> concussions, and … field goals? Yeah, not so rough <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-news-cam-little-makes-70-yard-bet-after-preseason-boot">in the world of place-kicking</a>, right? And because kickers are expanding their length, here is why the NFL must consider radical rule changes for field goals.</p><p>And there is a reasonable solution.</p><p>There’s no doubt the league wants to see more touchdowns. And the NFL wants teams to go for it more on fourth down instead of settling for field goals.</p><p>But let’s look at the length of Cam Little’s preseason field goal for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s now possible for a team to score three points without reaching midfield. Before Little’s 70-yard bomb, the longest successful NFL kick was 66 yards. That required a trek to the opponent’s 49-yard line. Little’s kick came with the ball on the Jaguars’ 47-yard line.</p><p>With the new touchback rule putting the ball at the 35-yard line, the Jaguars — and perhaps the Cowboys with Brandon Aubrey — only need 12 yards to be in field-goal range.</p><h2><b>NFL needs to change its rules for FG scoring</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jacksonville-Jaguars-PK-Cam-Little.jpg"><figcaption>© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>OK, it’s obvious that teams still want to score touchdowns. The real goal of football is not getting close and kicking the ball over the heads of the defenders. Teams want touchdowns. Players want touchdowns. And six-point plays are definitely what the fans want to see. Many NFL fans would likely feel ripped off if the final score was 9-6 with no touchdowns.</p><p>But if the situation allows a team to score three points instead of punting, why not?</p><p>Of course, teams aren’t going to try these ultra-long kicks at just any point in the game. It usually comes at the end of the half or the game.</p><p>But think about this fairly common scenario. A team scores a touchdown, kicks the extra point, and takes a one-point lead with say, 10 seconds remaining on the clock. In the old days, it was game over.</p><p>These days, the scoring team might still lose. If the return gets back to near the 30-yard line, or if there is a touchback, the trailing team needs just one fairly short completion to be in long field goal range.</p><p>Who really wants to see this? Kickers already hold way more sway over the outcome of a truly physical game than they should. Teams battle and fight like warriors only to watch some guy — who kicked into a net all game — trot onto the field and get treated like a hero. Or perhaps a goat.</p><p>Furthermore, it’s becoming increasingly easy to make field goals from long distances. Kickers are connecting from 50-plus-yard attempts like it’s nothing. Even non-elite kickers are nailing long shots.</p><p>To show the level of ridiculousness, Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made an NFL record 13 kicks from 50-plus yards. I’m sorry, but what season-ticket holder for the Texans went into the season hoping to see that record get broken? It means the Texans’ offense failed over and over again when it got into the opponent’s territory.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/upshot/nfl-field-goal-kickers-records.html" rel="noopener">trend of trying longer kicks</a> has spiked upward over the past couple of decades, according to nytimes.com from November of last year, via nflfastR.</p><p>“Through the first 10 weeks of the season, there have been 153 attempts of at least 50 yards, compared with just 58 in the same period in 2004,” Ben Blatt wrote. “The frequency of shorter field goals has stayed about the same.”</p><p>Surfaces are better, kickers are stronger, and balls are sailing through the uprights.</p><p>Former NFL kicker Michael Husted, who now runs a kicking academy, said young kickers are learning more and getting better.</p><p>“People learn from watching other people kick a lot,” Husted said. “Kids come to my kicking camp who have learned everything off of YouTube.”</p><p>Statistics also show that NFL teams are attempting longer field goals, even outside of desperation situations late in each half.</p><h2><b>Why is this a big problem?</b></h2><p>It’s too much of a reward to edge past midfield and be in field-goal range. Yes, the risks of blocked kicks are higher. And misses mean the opponent gets great field position. But that may only mean the opponent goes three-and-out but gains enough yards to try its own long-range kick.</p><p>Long field goals aren’t the bread and butter of the NFL. And with the new kickoff rules where teams can start at the 35-yard line, they barely need one first down to get in field-goal range. Imagine a game where a team never crosses midfield, but wins the game on field goals. Yes, that’s far-fetched. But possible these days.</p><p>When teams previously started from the 20-yard line after a kickoff — and kickers usually had to be inside of 50 yards for coaches to pull the field-goal trigger — an offense had to gain almost 50 yards for a field goal attempt.</p><p>Kickers have helped offenses become less aggressive. Downfield passes may seem too risky if a 50-yard field goal is in the bag, depending on the game situation and score.</p><h2><b>So what is the NFL’s solution?</b></h2><p>Bear with me. The NFL has made this level of change before. Remember in 1974, the league moved the goalposts from the goal line to the back of the end zone.</p><p>Field goal attempts from 18-37 yards should count as three points as they do now. The reason for full value is that the offense would be rewarded for driving into the opponent’s Red Zone. You have to get to the opponent’s 20-yard line to attempt a three-point field goal under this rule change.</p><p>From 38-49 yards, field goals should count as only two points. The offense didn’t earn the right for a full three-point field goal and must settle for two.</p><p>Keeping things along the same lines, any field goal from 50-plus yards should only receive one point. Think about it. A team has 11 players who failed to move the football deep into the opponent’s territory. Why reward one guy trotting off the sideline with making up for the poor offensive performance?</p><p>Yes, it’s difficult to make a 70-yard field goal. Who cares? It’s difficult to connect on a 70-yard punt, but the offense gets no points for that. The punt is a white-flag surrender for offensive failure. So why is the field goal hailed as this magical game-saving moment?</p><h2><b>But what about the game-ending thrills?</b></h2><p>I’ll debate you on how exciting game-ending field goals are. Jim O’Brien, Adam Vinatieri, and Harrison Butker. That’s the list of game-winning Super Bowl field goals. So, who is remembered more? Vinatieri or Tom Brady? Butker or Patrick Mahomes?</p><p>Those kicks are a footnote, not great NFL moments. Give me Joe Montana to John Taylor any day of the week as a more exciting Super Bowl moment.</p><p>Plus, the endgame drama doesn’t go away. It simply changes.</p><p>For example, if a team needs three points to tie, it must reach the opponent’s 20-yard line to get a three-point kick. It becomes a strategy change, but it doesn’t lessen the excitement.</p><p>Also, think about this scenario. It’s fourth and a little over a yard for the Eagles at the Cowboys’ 21-yard line. There are 40 seconds left on the clock, and the Cowboys are out of timeouts. The Eagles trail, 30-28.</p><p>A Tush Push would give the Eagles a first down. They could run out the clock and kick the three-point field goal. Or they could settle for the tie with a two-point kick. But the Cowboys would have time to get back into field goal position. And a one-point kick would be a game-winner.</p><p>Same drama. The kickers are still involved. But it requires more effort for the offense, instead of using the field goal as a crutch when the unit fails.</p><p>Another possible selling point for this rule change is the possibility of an extra roster spot. If teams know they will be using kickers mainly for shorter field goals, they might be able to have their punter double up as the place-kicker.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Graham
Mertz

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