Houston Texans lose 6-23 to Minnesota Vikings, can still win home-field advantage – NFL Recap
In one of the worst offensive efforts the Houston Texans conveniently lost their home-game 6-23 to the visitors the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday (Dec. 23).
Coach Gary Kubiak in his post-game remarks admitted that it was the poorest show put up by the Texans this season, which made them lose their third game of the regular season. At 12-3 they are already through to the playoffs and have won
the American Football Conference (AFC) South title for second straight year.
In spite of pulling off some of the most difficult victories in the season, their three losses have completely exposed them as playoffs minnows on the field, much to the disappointment of the coach.
Kubiak said:
"Very disappointing because we had a chance to line up here and get something done today. That doesn't mean we still can't get it done. That's the most important thing."
He acknowledged:
"We didn't play well. I think we battled defensively, but offensively we probably played as bad as we've played. I take full responsibility for that. It's a huge, huge disappointment. We've got to get over it really quick."
Although the team received some help from their defence, which has come to their rescue during a majority of crisis, it was not enough to prevent them from the loss.
The offensive trio of QB Matt Schaub, wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Arian Foster could not repeat any of their impressive performances of the season. Notably, Matt could manage completion of 18 out of 32 attempted passes
for 178 yards, while Johnson held total seven passes for 97 yards.
It is a rare occasion that none of the offensive stars clicked to form on the day, which is also a reason that the team struggled to find the lost rhythm. It was further bad news for the offence when running back Arian Foster had to be
taken off the field with an irregular heartbeat.
Apparently nothing more has come from the team whether Foster had suffered a stress or any other complications. He did not return to finish the game. Foster is leading rusher for the team, and it can be hoped he does not face any problem
with playoffs just around the corner. His absence will be fatal to the Texans’ hopes for progression in the second round.
It is pertinent to note that the loss of their game to the Vikings has also hurt the Texans’ chances to claim the home-field advantage in the playoffs. They can now do so by beating Indianapolis Colts in the final game of the regular season.
Also, the team has to give some serious thought to their latest performance, to try learning from their mistakes and avoiding it in future.
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