2022 Houston Texans season

Last updated

2022 Houston Texans season
Owner Janice and D. Cal McNair
General manager Nick Caserio
Head coach Lovie Smith
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton
Home field NRG Stadium
Results
Record3–13–1
Division place4th AFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers OT Laremy Tunsil
Uniform
Houston Texans Uniforms 2022.png

The 2022 season was the Houston Texans' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their only season under Lovie Smith, following the firing of David Culley at the end of the 2021 season. [1]

Contents

This was their first season since 2016 without quarterback Deshaun Watson on the roster, as he was traded to the Cleveland Browns on March 18. [2]

The Texans recorded their first tie in franchise history against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. [3] However, the Texans struggled as they had their worst start since 2005. Houston was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 13, marking the third consecutive year the Texans were the first team to be eliminated. [4] The Texans failed to improve upon their 4–13 record from the previous year, and posted a 9-game losing streak from Week 7 to Week 15, their worst losing streak since 2013. They failed to win a home game in 2022, going 0–7–1 at NRG Stadium. [5] Hours after their season-ending win against the Colts, the Texans parted ways with head coach Lovie Smith after only one season with the organization, marking the third consecutive year that the team fired its head coach. [6] As of 2024, this is the most recent season the Texans missed the playoffs, finished with a losing record, and finished in last place in the AFC South.

Draft

2022 Houston Texans Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
1 3 Derek Stingley Jr. CB LSU
13Traded to Philadelphia [A] from Cleveland [B]
15 Kenyon Green OG Texas A&M from Miami via Philadelphia [A]
237 Jalen Pitre S Baylor
44 John Metchie III WR Alabama from Cleveland [C]
368Traded to Cleveland [C]
75 Christian Harris LB Alabamafrom Denver [D]
80Traded to Denver [D] from New Orleans [E]
4107 Dameon Pierce RB Florida from Detroit via Cleveland [B]
108Traded to Cleveland [C]
124Traded to Cleveland [C] from Philadelphia [A]
137Traded to Carolina [F] from LA Rams [G]
5148Traded to Chicago [H]
150 Thomas Booker DT Stanford from Chicago [I]
162Traded to Denver [D] from Philadelphia [A]
166Traded to Chicago [I] from Arizona via Philadelphia [A]
170 Teagan Quitoriano TE Oregon State from Tampa Bay via New England [J]
6183Traded to New England [J]
205 Austin Deculus OT LSUfrom Green Bay [K]
207Traded to Chicago [I] from San Francisco via NY Jets [L]
7224Traded to New England [M]
228Traded to Green Bay [N] from Chicago [H]
245Traded to New England [J] from Dallas [O]

Draft trades

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 The Texans traded a first-round selection (13th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a first-, a fourth- and two fifth-round selections (15th, 124th, 162nd and 166th overall). [7]
  2. 1 2 The Texans traded QB Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for first- and fourth-round selections (13th and 107th overall), as well as 2023 and 2024 first-round selections, a 2023 third-round selection, and a 2024 fourth-round selection. [8]
  3. 1 2 3 4 The Texans traded a third- and two fourth-round selections (68th, 108th and 124th overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a second-round selection (44th overall). [9]
  4. 1 2 3 The Texans traded third- and fifth-round selections (80th and 162nd overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a third-round selection (75th overall). [10]
  5. The Texans traded CB Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a third-round selection (80th overall). [11]
  6. The Texans traded a fourth-round selection (137th overall), as well as 2021 fourth- and fifth-round selections to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2021 third-round selection.
  7. The Texans traded a 2020 second-round selection to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for WR Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round selection (137th overall). [12]
  8. 1 2 The Texans traded a fifth-round selection (148th overall) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for WR Anthony Miller and a seventh-round selection (228th overall). [13]
  9. 1 2 3 The Texans traded fifth- and sixth-round selections (166th and 207th overall) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fifth-round selection (150th overall).
  10. 1 2 3 The Texans traded sixth- and seventh-round selections (183rd and 245th) to the New England Patriots in exchange for a fifth-round selection (170th overall). [14]
  11. The Texans traded WR Randall Cobb to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a sixth-round selection (205th overall). [15]
  12. The Texans traded LB Shaq Lawson to the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round selection (207th overall). [16]
  13. The Texans traded a seventh-round selection (224th overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for TE Ryan Izzo. [17]
  14. The Texans traded a seventh-round selection (228th overall) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for CB Ka'dar Hollman. [18]
  15. The Texans traded DT Eli Ankou to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a seventh-round selection (245th overall). [19]
2022 Houston Texans undrafted free agents
NamePositionCollegeRef.
Myron Cunningham OT Arkansas [20]
Damion Daniels DT Nebraska
Drew Estrada WR Baylor
Jacobi Francis DB Memphis
Seth Green TE Minnesota
Jake Hansen LB Illinois
Kolby Harvell-PeelDB Oklahoma State
Kurt Hinish DL Notre Dame
Johnny Johnson III WR Oregon
Tristin McCollum DB Sam Houston State

Staff

Offseason changes

Head coach

The Houston Texans fired first-year head coach David Culley on January 13, 2022, who most notably led the Texans to a win at AFC No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans. [21]

Final staff

2022 Houston Texans staff

Front office

  • Owner/senior chairwoman – Janice McNair
  • CEO/chairman – Cal McNair
  • President – Greg Grissom
  • General manager – Nick Caserio
  • Executive vice president of football operations – Vacant
  • Executive vice president/general counsel – Greg Kondritz
  • Director of football operations – Clay Hampton
  • Assistant director of player personnel and college scouting director – James Liipfert
  • Director of pro personnel – Ronnie McGill
  • Assistant director of pro scouting – D.J. Debick
  • Director of team development – Dylan Thompson

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive line – Jacques Cesaire
  • Assistant defensive line – Kenyon Jackson
  • Linebackers – Miles Smith
  • Cornerbacks – Dino Vasso
  • Safeties – Joe Danna
  • Defensive assistant – Ben Bolling
  • Defensive assistant/nickels – Ilir Emini
  • Defensive assistant – Dele Harding

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Mike Eubanks
  • Assistant strength and conditioning coach – James Hardy
  • Assistant strength and conditioning coach – Joe Distor
  • Assistant strength and conditioning coach – Pat Moorer


Final roster

2022 Houston Texans roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 reserve, 15 practice squad (+3 exempt)

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 13 New Orleans Saints W 17–131–0 NRG Stadium Recap
2August 19at Los Angeles Rams W 24–202–0 SoFi Stadium Recap
3August 25 San Francisco 49ers W 17–03–0NRG Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 September 11 Indianapolis Colts T 20–20 (OT)0–0–1 NRG Stadium Recap
2 September 18at Denver Broncos L 9–160–1–1 Empower Field at Mile High Recap
3 September 25at Chicago Bears L 20–230–2–1 Soldier Field Recap
4 October 2 Los Angeles Chargers L 24–340–3–1NRG Stadium Recap
5 October 9at Jacksonville Jaguars W 13–61–3–1 TIAA Bank Field Recap
6 Bye
7 October 23at Las Vegas Raiders L 20–381–4–1 Allegiant Stadium Recap
8 October 30 Tennessee Titans L 10–171–5–1NRG Stadium Recap
9 November 3 Philadelphia Eagles L 17–291–6–1NRG Stadium Recap
10 November 13at New York Giants L 16–241–7–1 MetLife Stadium Recap
11 November 20 Washington Commanders L 10–231–8–1NRG Stadium Recap
12 November 27at Miami Dolphins L 15–301–9–1 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
13 December 4 Cleveland Browns L 14–271–10–1NRG Stadium Recap
14 December 11at Dallas Cowboys L 23–271–11–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
15 December 18 Kansas City Chiefs L 24–30 (OT)1–12–1NRG Stadium Recap
16 December 24at Tennessee Titans W 19–142–12–1 Nissan Stadium Recap
17 January 1 Jacksonville Jaguars L 3–312–13–1NRG Stadium Recap
18 January 8at Indianapolis Colts W 32–313–13–1 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week 1: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Colts30017020
Texans010100020

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

This was the first tie in franchise history. [3]

Week 2: at Denver Broncos

Week 2: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans33309
Broncos3301016

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Game information

Week 3: at Chicago Bears

Week 3: Houston Texans at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans776020
Bears1037323

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: September 25
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,592
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Michael Grady
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 4: Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Chargers7200734
Texans0771024

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 5: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans060713
Jaguars33006

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

Week 7: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 7: Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans01010020
Raiders3772138

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

Game information

Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 8: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Titans077317
Texans030710

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 30
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 65,515
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Eagles777829
Texans773017

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

This was played the same day as Game 5 of the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies, moved back by one day due to rain in Philadelphia earlier in the week. Estimates from Nielsen Media Research show the baseball game drew an average of five million more viewers, with a share of at least 50 in both Philadelphia and Houston. Meanwhile, the football game, originally scheduled to air on the Fox affiliates in both markets per NFL rules, moved to the MyNetworkTV affiliates in both markets. [22] [23]

Week 10: at New York Giants

Week 10: Houston Texans at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans037616
Giants7014324

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Week 11: vs. Washington Commanders

Week 11: Washington Commanders at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders7130323
Texans003710

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 12: at Miami Dolphins

Week 12: Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans006915
Dolphins10200030

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: November 27
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 87 °F (31 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,205
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Jay Feely and Aditi Kinkhabwala
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 13: Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Browns0771327
Texans323614

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 4
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 66,523
  • Referee: Land Clark
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Jay Feely and Aditi Kinkhabwala
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson made his first start since January 3, 2021 when he still played for Houston. Both offenses struggled throughout the game, with the game's only offensive touchdown coming with 1:57 left on a 6-yard Kyle Allen pass to wide receiver Nico Collins. However, Cleveland would score two defensive touchdowns and a special teams touchdown. With the loss, the Texans dropped to 1–10–1 and were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the third season in a row.

Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans10103023
Cowboys71001027

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

The Texans held a 23–17 lead entering the fourth quarter but fell apart in the final minutes of the game. Cornerback Tremon Smith intercepted a Dak Prescott pass and returned it 7 yards to the Dallas 4-yard line; however, the offense failed to score a touchdown and turned the ball over on downs. Starting at their own 2-yard line, the Cowboys marched 98 yards down field with Ezekiel Elliott getting the go-ahead score on a 2-yard run with 0:41 left. Houston attempted to respond, making it as far as the Dallas 44-yard line, but two false start penalties on Laremy Tunsil pushed the Texans back to their own 46-yard line and a Davis Mills Hail Mary pass was intercepted in the end zone by Israel Mukuamu, sealing the victory for Dallas.

Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Chiefs01338630
Texans7773024

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 18
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 70,541
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

A fumble lost by David Mills in overtime led to the game winning touchdown by the Chiefs.

Week 16: at Tennessee Titans

Week 16: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans730919
Titans707014

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Clear, 20 °F (−7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,634
  • Referee: Shawn Smith
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Amanda Renner
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Kickoff was originally scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CST, but was delayed an hour due to rolling blackouts in the Nashville area. [24]

Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 17: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Jaguars7147331
Texans00303

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: January 1
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 64,581
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Amanda Renner
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 18: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 18: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans1077832
Colts70141031

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: January 8
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 63,655
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With the win, combined with a loss from the Chicago Bears, the Texans lost their first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. [25]

Standings

Division

AFC South
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(4) Jacksonville Jaguars 980.5294–28–4404350W5
Tennessee Titans 7100.4123–35–7298359L7
Indianapolis Colts 4121.2651–4–14–7–1289427L7
Houston Texans 3131.2063–2–13–8–1289420W1

Conference

#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West1430.8246–09–3.453.422W5
2 Buffalo Bills East1330.8134–29–2.489.471W7
3 Cincinnati Bengals North1240.7503–38–3.507.490W8
4 Jacksonville Jaguars South980.5294–28–4.467.438W5
Wild cards
5 [a] Los Angeles Chargers West1070.5882–47–5.443.341L1
6 [a] Baltimore Ravens North1070.5883–36–6.509.456L2
7 [b] Miami Dolphins East980.5293–37–5.537.457W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 [b] Pittsburgh Steelers North980.5293–35–7.519.451W4
9 New England Patriots East890.4713–36–6.502.415L1
10 [c] [d] New York Jets East7100.4122–45–7.538.458L6
11 [c] [d] Tennessee Titans South7100.4123–35–7.509.336L7
12 [c] Cleveland Browns North7100.4123–34–8.524.492L1
13 Las Vegas Raiders West6110.3533–35–7.474.397L3
14 Denver Broncos West5120.2941–53–9.481.465W1
15 Indianapolis Colts South4121.2651–4–14–7–1.512.500L7
16 Houston Texans South3131.2063–2–13–8–1.481.402W1
Tiebreakers [e]
  1. 1 2 LA Chargers claimed the No. 5 seed over Baltimore based on conference record (7–5 vs. 6–6).
  2. 1 2 Miami finished ahead of Pittsburgh based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
  3. 1 2 3 NY Jets and Tennessee finished ahead of Cleveland based on conference record (5–7 vs. 4–8).
  4. 1 2 NY Jets finished ahead of Tennessee based on common record (3–3 vs. 2–4 against: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville).
  5. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Statistics

Team

CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense3,344196.725th
Rushing offense1,47686.831st
Total offense [26] 4,820283.531st
Passing defense3,558209.310th
Rushing defense2,894170.232nd
Total defense [27] 6,452379.530th

Individual

CategoryPlayerTotal
Offense
Passing yards Davis Mills 3,118
Passing touchdownsDavis Mills17
Rushing yards Dameon Pierce 939
Rushing touchdownsDameon Pierce4
Receiving yards Brandin Cooks 699
Receiving touchdowns Jordan Akins 5
Defense
Tackles (Solo) Jalen Pitre 99
Sacks Jerry Hughes 9
InterceptionsJalen Pitre5

Source: [28]

References

  1. "Statements from the Houston Texans". Houston Texans. January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  2. Trotter, Jake and Barshop, Sarah (March 18, 2022). "Deshaun Watson traded to Cleveland Browns; QB set to sign deal worth $230M guaranteed, sources say". ESPN.com . Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Colts tie Texans after comeback falls short, leading to huge survivor pool blow". sports.yahoo.com. September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  4. "List of NFL Teams Eliminated From Playoffs in 2022: Houston Texans First Team Eliminated". December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  5. Houston Texans go winless at home as 2022 season nears end, Houston Public Media, January 2, 2023
  6. "Texans fire head coach Lovie Smith after just one season". NFL.com. January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  7. "Eagles trade up to select Georgia DT Jordan Davis with No. 13 pick in 2022 NFL Draft". NHL.com. April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  8. "Browns trade for Texans QB Deshaun Watson in deal that includes three first-round picks". NFL.com. March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  9. Scofield, Drew (April 29, 2022). "Cleveland Browns trade down, send 44th pick to Houston Texans". WEWS-TV . Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  10. Payne, Scotty (April 29, 2022). "2022 NFL Draft: Broncos trade 75th overall selection to the Texans". SB Nation . Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  11. Shook, Nick (September 8, 2021). "Texans trading CB Bradley Roby to Saints". nfl.com. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  12. "Texans acquire Brandin Cooks in trade with Rams". Texas Sports Nation. Houston Chronicle. April 9, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  13. Mayer, Larry (July 26, 2021). "Roster Move: Bears trade Miller to Texans". chicagobears.com. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  14. Dubin, Jared (April 25, 2022). "2022 NFL Draft trade: Patriots, Texans swap Day 3 picks as Bill Belichick continues to be biggest draft mover". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  15. Gordon, Grant (July 28, 2021). "Packers acquire WR Randall Cobb from Texans for sixth-round pick". NFL.com. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  16. Cimini, Rich (August 29, 2021). "New York Jets acquire pass-rusher Shaq Lawson from Houston Texans, sources say". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  17. Pelissero, Tom. "The #Patriots are trading TE Ryan Izzo to the #Texans for a seventh-round pick in 2022, per source". Twitter. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  18. Mosqueda, Justis (August 23, 2021). "Green Bay Packers trade CB Ka'Dar Hollman to Houston Texans". acmepackingcompany.com. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  19. Wilson, Aaron (October 30, 2020). "Texans trade DT Eli Ankou to Cowboys". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  20. Lane, Mark (April 30, 2022). "Houston Texans 2022 undrafted free agent tracker". TexansWire.
  21. "Houston Texans fire head coach David Culley after one season". NFL . Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  22. "Worlds collide: Eagles-Texans, Astros-Phillies World Series Game 5 scheduled for same time". nj.com. November 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  23. "World Series draws more viewers than Eagles Thursday night NFL game". Fox Sports. November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  24. Patra, Kevin (December 24, 2022). "Texans-Titans kickoff delayed due to rolling blackouts in Nashville". NFL.com. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  25. Texans lose No. 1 pick after wild last-second win, NBC Sports, January 8, 2023
  26. "2022 NGL Team Total Offense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  27. "2022 NFL Team Total Defense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  28. "2022 Texans Statistics". Houston Texans. Retrieved January 9, 2023.