Texans offense, RB Mixon explodes even though WR Collins is out

HOUSTON – In running back Joe Mixon's first game since Week 2, his and the Houston Texans' offense exploded in a 41-21 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Mixon finished the Texans' Week 6 win with 102 yards rushing on 13 carries and a touchdown, and he also had two receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown. Sunday also marked the first time since Week 16 of the 2021 season that the Texans (5-1) scored 41 points in the regular season.

And they did it without wide receiver Nico Collins.

Collins, who led the NFL in receiving yards (567) through the first five weeks of the season, was placed on injured reserve (hamstring) Wednesday, but receiver Stefon Diggs said Thursday, “We have a lot of horses in the stable.” The handling of Collins' absence was clear to see on Sunday.

Wide receiver Tank Dell scored his first touchdown of the season and had 57 yards on seven receptions, and Diggs led the Texans in receiving yards (77) and had his first receiving touchdown since Week 1 – when he scored twice against the Indianapolis Colts .

And Stroud's three passing touchdowns were a season high, as he finished the season with 192 passing yards.

“When we play this game, it’s all about us. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side,” Mixon said. “We have all the talent here from the offensive side to special teams to the defensive side. So as long as we play complementary football, stay unpunished and perform as well as we can, I think there are no limits for us.”

The Texans missed Mixon's rushing ability in his absence, which overlapped with that of his backup, Dameon Pierce, who missed four games with a hamstring injury. The offense totaled 233 rushing yards in Weeks 3-6, third-fewest, and had just nine rushing first downs, second-fewest.

Pierce added 76 yards on the ground and a touchdown on Sunday as Houston finished with 192 rushing yards.

“Give credit to our backs – having Dameon and Joe back was huge for us. A huge boost for our team,” said Ryans. “These guys bring playing skills. You don't just achieve what the barrel is blocked for. When your backs are special, they get more than what they are blocked for, and you saw that today with the (two) explosive runs.”

Stroud benefited from the running game and finished the game with a passer rating of 100.5, his third game this season with a rating above 100 – despite throwing his fourth interception of the season. The defense also forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles), a season high.

In Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, the Texans' offense scored just nine points after Collins' injury forced him to go up 14-0 in the first quarter. But this week, the offense put up enough points to secure the franchise's first win in New England in eight tries (including playoffs).

“We knew everyone had to step up,” Stroud said. “Once everyone took on the challenge, we got rolling and didn’t feel bad that Nico wasn’t out there. We just tried to bridge the gap and really be there for each other, and I feel like we did that.”

Facing the Green Bay Packers (4-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), the Texans are off to their best start since 2012, when they started 5-1 and finished 12-4. They also hold a two-game lead over the Colts (3-3) in the AFC South, and in Week 8 they have a chance to defeat their division opponent and truly position themselves for a playoff berth.