Texans look to regroup after late fumble seals loss to Rams in season opener

HOUSTON (AP) — C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans didn’t score after halftime and couldn’t get in the end zone all day in a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Despite that, they still had a chance to win in the closing minutes before the Rams forced and recovered a fumble by running back Dare Ogunbowale to seal the 14-9 victory.

“The one thing that we talked about, the main thing throughout the week of what it’s going to take for us to win this game, it was protecting the football,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “They took the ball away two times and took it at the most critical time of the game as we were driving down to score, they made a play to take the football away. We’re in striking distance. We don’t make the play.”

The Texans led 9-7 at halftime after three field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn but couldn’t get much going offensively after the break. Stroud was intercepted on Houston’s first drive of the second half and the Texans punted on their next two drives before Ogunbowale fumbled on their final possession.

Playing behind an offensive line with four new starters and with new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, Stroud was sacked three times and hit seven as he struggled to move the ball downfield.

“I feel like we were executing in ways, just some of those negative plays that we got to fix,” he said. “I thought we moved the ball pretty well, but we just have to put it in the end zone or try to create an explosive somehow.”

The Rams shut down top receiver Nico Collins, limiting him to just three catches for 25 yards after the Pro Bowler averaged almost 84 yards a game last season. Ryans said his team must be good enough to make adjustments if defenses focus on taking away one player.

“It doesn’t matter what happens,” he said. “Whoever is taken away, we got 11 guys out there. The Rams defense, they did a nice job, but did we execute well enough? No.”

What’s working

Houston’s defense did a good job of limiting Matthew Stafford and the Rams for most of the day. The unit was led by defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who had one of the team’s three sacks and three of Houston’s five tackles for losses.

“Our D-line, they got after it like it was expected,” Ryans said. “Our front, we had some good plays. Again, they made some plays versus us too that I think we would like love to have back. Two really good fronts, their defensive line, our defense line, and they both were the strength today.”

What needs help

The Texans committed a whopping 11 penalties for 80 yards, with seven coming on offense Sunday.

“The penalties are … it’s uncalled for, right? It’s all controllable things,” Ryans said. “Main thing offensively is that we wanted to stay on track. We got some unfortunate penalties that put us behind the sticks and just put us in some really long third downs that we were not able to manage. We have to clean up the penalties.”

Stock up

LB Azeez Al-Shaair had seven tackles and forced a fumble by Colby Parkinson that the Texans recovered in the fourth quarter on their 12 to give them a chance for the win before their late fumble.

Stock down

Ogunbowale was selected as a captain this season despite playing a reserve role because of the leadership he’s shown in his four years with the team. His fumble Sunday was just the third of his nine-year career, but it came at a critical moment that cost the Texans a chance to take the lead.

Injuries

Texans RG Ed Ingram was a late scratch Sunday with an abdominal injury and it’s unclear if he’ll return this week. … C Jake Andrews injured his ankle in the second half and was taken to the locker room on a cart. Ryans said he’d have more information on his condition later this week. … WRs Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios missed Sunday’s game with hamstring injuries that could keep them out in the next game as well.

Key number

Houston managed just 64 net yards on its first three drives of the second half combined on Sunday.

Next steps

The Texans must clean up their penalties and take better care of the ball if they hope to get back on track next Monday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit. Stroud had perhaps the best performance of his career in his only meeting with Tampa Bay as a rookie in 2023. He threw a career-high five touchdown passes with a rookie-record 470 yards to lift the Texans to the 39-37 win. Houston trailed with less than a minute to go before he led a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 15-yard TD throw to Tank Dell to complete the comeback.

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