By Mike Bonts, Florida Sports Wire
HOUSTON – Down 29-10 entering the 4th quarter, the Houston Texans came back to knock off the Jacksonville Jaguars, 36-29.
Cam Little made a 32-yard field goal as Jacksonville scored first with 11:04 left in the first quarter after a Texans’ turnover. Little would have three field goals in the game.
The Jaguars made it 10-0 as Trevor Lawrence found Parker Washington for a 7-yard TD pass. Lawrence was 13 of 23 passing for, 158 yards.
Washington returned a Tommy Townsend punt 72 yards for a score as thing looked bleak for the Texans trailing 17-0 Jaguars with 11:40 left in the first half.
Washington registered his third punt returned for a touchdown of his career, the most in franchise history. Washington is the first player in the NFL since 2019 to post two punt return touchdowns in a single season.
Washington had a seven-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. He joins receiver Keelan Cole as the only players in franchise history to have both receiving and punt return touchdowns in a single game.
Matthew Wright, making his Texans debut, hits a 23-yard field goal with 8:05 left in the second quarter, The Texans’ Woody Marks ran in from a yard out cutting into the visitors lead with 1:19 to play in the first half. It was Houston’s first touchdown from inside the 2-yard line all season.
A 6-yard Travis Etienne TD run puts the Texans down by three touchdowns.
The comeback began when Texans’ backup quarterback Davis Mills led a 65-yard drive that he finished off with a 12-yard connection to rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins.
When Houston got the ball back, Mills connected on passes to wide receiver Nico Collins and Higgins before culminating the 51-yarddown drive with a 7-yard TD to tight end Dalton Schultz.
Mills put the Texans in position to take the lead. On 3rd and 14, the Texans QB escaped pressure and rumbled into the end zone to put Houston ahead 30-29.
Mills finished the game 27-45 for 292 yards and two touchdowns, adding 20 yards and a rushing TD.
Will Anderson Jr. finished the game off with a strip sack of Lawrence, The ball fell into the hands of Sheldon Rankin who scored on the Jacksonville turnover with no time remaining.
The comeback was the second biggest in franchise history, behind only the rally from a 21-point deficit to win the 2013 season opener at San Diego.
Final: Texans 36, Jaguars 29
(Photo courtesy Houston Texans)
