Texans offense, RB Mixon explode despite not having WR Collins

HOUSTON — In running back Joe Mixon’s first game since Week 2, he and the Houston Texans’ offense exploded in the 41-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

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

And they did it without wide receiver Nico Collins.

Collins, who was leading the NFL in receiving yards (567) through the first five weeks, was placed on injured reserve (hamstring) Wednesday, but receiver Stefon Diggs’ statement Thursday of “we have a lot of horses in the stable” to handle Collins’ absence was on full display 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 with 192 passing yards.

“When we play this game, everything is about us. It doesn’t matter who’s on the opposite side,” Mixon said. “We have all the talent in here from the offensive side, special teams and defensive side. So as long as we play complementary football, stay penalty free, and we execute, I think sky’s the limit for us.”

The Texans missed Mixon’s rushing prowess in his absence, which overlapped with his backup, Dameon Pierce — who missed four games with a hamstring injury. The offense totaled 233 rushing yards from Weeks 3-6, tied for third fewest, and it had only nine rushing first downs, second fewest.

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

“Give credit to our backs — having Dameon, having Joe back was huge for us. A huge lift for our team,” Ryans said. “Those guys bring playmaking ability. Not just getting what the run is blocked for. When your backs are special, they get more than what is blocked for, and that’s what you saw today with the [two] explosive runs.”

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

In Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, the Texans’ offense only scored nine points after Collins’ injury caused him to exit the game in the first quarter with a 14-0 lead. But this week, the offense put up enough points to help them secure the franchise’s first win at New England in eight tries (including playoffs).

“We knew that we needed everybody to step up,” Stroud said. “Once everybody took on that challenge, we started rolling, and we didn’t feel bad for ourselves that Nico wasn’t out there. We just tried to pick up the slack and really just be there for one another, and I feel like we did that.”

With the Green Bay Packers (4-2) looming 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 have a two-game cushion over the Colts (3-3) in the AFC South, and in Week 8 they’ll have a chance to sweep their divisional foe and really position themselves for a run toward the playoffs.