Texans Fall in Close Game to Panthers in Preseason Finale

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The Houston Texans wrapped up their preseason on Friday night against the Carolina Panthers, and it ended up being a very evenly matched and close contest.

Houston finished with a 16-13 loss, and with the Texans keeping their key starters sidelined in this one, it was more about making those final roster decisions. The 53-man roster needs to be finalized, and there are quite a few players in consideration for those last few spots. As such, this was a game for Houston’s coaching staff and front office to evaluate the talent.

The Texans struck first with a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal in the second quarter to go up 3-0, and then the Panthers responded with back-to-back field goals of their own to take a 6-3 lead into halftime.

Offense certainly wasn’t the strong suit for either team in this game. The Texans really struggled with the ball throughout the second half. Davis Mills got the start at quarterback, completing three of his seven passes for 18 yards and an interception. Brett Rypien handled the majority of the work from there, finishing 13-of-23 for 101 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

It was sloppy overall as well. Houston lost two fumbles, including one from newly acquired Deuce Vaughn, and turnovers really threw off the rhythm of the team. Anytime the Texans had something positive starting to come together, it felt like something halted that momentum.

Even then, Houston had another chance late.

Carolina scored a touchdown to go up 16-6 with 8:46 remaining, but the Texans were able to respond. Rypien eventually connected with Zay Jones for a six-yard touchdown with 3:31 remaining to cut the deficit to three at 16-13.

The Texans didn’t get another real opportunity from there, as the defense couldn’t get the ball back in time and Carolina was able to close things out.

Again, the good thing about this game is that the final score doesn’t really matter. It’s more about evaluating talent, and there were certainly flashes from players across the roster who are fighting for spots. Collectively, though, it wasn’t the greatest showing for Houston, especially offensively.

But the preseason is now officially over for Houston, and the focus shifts to trimming the roster and preparing for games that actually matter, which are now just over two weeks away. At that point, every snap matters, especially given the Texans have Super Bowl aspirations this season. 

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