Official Texans @ Cardinals Game Thread, 10/24/2021
 

The 1-5 Texans head to Arizona this Sunday to play the 6-0 Cardinals in a afternoon game on CBS. The Cardinals are the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL and the game Sunday probably has an infinitesimal chance to change that. The Texans are coming off a 31-3 road loss in Indy and the Cards are coming off a 37-14 road win in Cleveland.

Cards QB Kyler Murray has 1741 yds passing (8th) and thrown for 14 TDs with just 4 INTs. His 116.2 rating puts him in the top 5. Receivers he likes are DeAndre Hopkins (367 yds), Christian Kirk (358 yds), AJ Green (340 yds) and Rondale Moore (286 yds). Top rusher for the Cards is Chase Edmonds (316 yds) with James Connor (272 yards) a close second.

I'm not sure the Texans could beat the Cardinal's B-team. The Cardinals should in fact try to limit the playing time of their starters once things most likely get out of hand. Don't think the Texans make much of a game of it here:

Cardinals 35, Texans 10

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TV = CBS =(channel 11 local), 3:25 pm CST, Sunday, 10/24/2021

Announcers = Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

The line = Cardinals by 17 to 18½

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (early) = Kansas City @ Tennessee, Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

FOX (early) = Washington @ Green Bay, Joe Davis, Greg Olsen

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Prime time:

TNF = Denver @ Cleveland (FOX/NFLN)

SNF = Indianapolis @ San Francisco (NBC)

MNF = New Orleans @ Seattle (ESPN)

Texans stop the Cards on their first possession.

Texan's ball at their 27 with 12:37 left in the 1st qtr.

A good punt backs the Cards up to their 1 yard line and first play, the Texans get to Murray for a safety. Woohoo!

Texans 2, Cards 0

2:58 left in the 1st qtr.

Fairbairn good from 53 for the Texans.

Texans 5, Cards 0

14:55 left in the half.

Murray hits Hopkins on a 1 yard TD pass. Cards on the board.

Cardinals 7, Texans 5

9:01 left in the half.

Murray hits Kirk for a 5 yard TD pass.

Cardinals 14, Texans 5

2:45 left in the half.

Texans shooting themselves in the foot quite often.

Prater adds a 31 yard FG for the Cards.

Cardinals 17, Texans 5

5 seconds left in the half.

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There was 2:45 left in the half. The Texans had the ball and did the fastest 3 and out in history. They punted. Cardinals march down the field and still get 3 points. Two possessions and two changes of field position in less than 2:45. Amazing.

This is the part of the game where the Texan defense usually goes on vacation....

Cards have the ball at their 12 with 11:31 left in the 3rd qtr.

Murray hits Ertz for a 47 yard TD pass.

Cardinals 24, Texans 5

7:58 left in the 3rd qtr.

Final score ends up being 31-5 Cardinals.

James Connor had a 14 yard rushing TD in the 4th qtr.

The stats are brutal.....

Ouch ! Another beat down.

I love the articles talking about how the Texans aren't just losing, they're getting crushed.

The team is clearly trying to lose. That is either wrong or it isn't. Trying to lose by 7 isn't better or worse than trying to lose by 30. Tanking is either bad or it's not. Maybe it's more embarrassing to get crushed, but if this franchise cared about embarrassing then we'd be in a different discussion. We constructed a roster to lose and hired a nice guy to oversee the losing. David Culley took the job because he's in his 60s and has never even been a coordinator, but there has been no pretending on any front that we wanted to play competitive football.