The Houston Texans improved to 5-1 with a lopsided win over the New England Patriots in Week 6.
Drake Maye was under center for the first time as a starter, and he deserves credit for how well he played. Even with his performance, this one was never close. Houston simply had too many of their key players rise to the occasion, which made it hard to narrow down who to highlight as winners and losers.
We attempt to do that with six winners and one loser from Week 6. Before we dive in, C.J. Stroud and Dameon Pierce each deserve honorable mentions with Stroud throwing three touchdowns and Pierce scoring one on the ground during his return from injury.
Winner: Will Anderson, Jr., EDGE
Houston went all-in during the 2023 NFL Draft and walked away with the second and third overall picks. They used those selections on C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson, Jr. setting themselves up with a quarterback and pass rusher to build around.
On Sunday, both stood out with Stroud doing his thing on offense while Anderson made life miserable for Drake Maye and the Patriots. Anderson helped set the tone as he recorded two sacks in the first half and another in the fourth quarter.
Anderson wasn't satisfied with just sacking the quarterback — or setting the edge in run defense. He even forced a turnover when he batted a pass from Maye into the air, which landed in the arms of Eric Murray.
His final stat line saw him finish with an impressive eight tackles and three sacks.
Loser: Eric Murray, DB
With Jimmie Ward and Kamari Lassiter out due to injury, the Texans were leaning on veterans such as Eric Murray to help fill the void. Murray, who is in his fifth season with the team, had a couple of mistakes on Sunday that helped New England put a touchdown on the board before the half.
Murray was flagged on back-to-back plays, first getting hit with a pass interference call on second-and-10. That meant the Pats were given a fresh set of downs, instead of facing third-and-10. On the next play, he was called for illegal use of hands.
New England declined that one, but it stopped the clock with 11 seconds to go. The next snap was a 40-yard touchdown pass, making it a 14-7 score at the half.
In the second half, Murray was able to secure an interception but then was on the wrong side of another big play in the fourth. This time, he was lined up in the slot and was beaten by DeMario Douglas for a 35-yard touchdown.
Winner: Tank Dell, WR
With Nico Collins out, the Texans needed their second-year speedster to step up, and he did just that. Dell, who has seen his numbers drop following the addition of Stefon Diggs, saw the ball go his way three times on the opening drive and all three ended in success for Houston.
First was a 20-yard grab that moved the ball into New England territory. His second was a third-and-goal at the five. The pass was incomplete, but Houston got the first down due to a pass interference. Two snaps later, he caught his first touchdown of the season.
Dell had seven receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown — his best performance of the year.
Winner: Danielle Hunter, EDGE
The Texans had all the momentum following a 14-0 start but the pendulum was swinging away at the half. Kaʻimi Fairbairn missed a 40-yard field goal, C.J. Stroud threw a pick that went off the hands of Dalton Schultz in the end zone, and Kayshon Boutte scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7.
New England went into the break with confidence and got the ball first in the third quarter. That's when Danielle Hunter put the game away. He recorded a strip sack on the second snap and the ball was recovered by Mario Edwards, Jr.
Two plays later, Stefon Diggs caught a 10-yard touchdown, making it a 21-7 lead.
Winner: Stefon Diggs, WR
As head coach DeMeco Ryans said, the Texans needed multiple pass-catchers to step up and replace Nico Collins. That's exactly what happened on Sunday as Tank Dell wasn't the only receiver to stand out. As expected, veteran receiver Stefon Diggs had an impressive outing.
Diggs caught six of seven targets for 77 yards with a touchdown.
He scored his third touchdown of the year, and first since Week 1, when he ran a crisp route and hauled in a 10-yarder.
Houston had just gotten the ball after Danielle Hunter forced a fumble. The Patriots scored just before the half to make it 14-7 but the Texans reestablished control thanks to the two former Vikings.
Winner: Mario Edwards, Jr., DT
Throughout the day, Will Anderson, Jr. and Danielle Hunter were getting the love, but they were far from the only defensive linemen who stood out. New England struggled to get anything going on the ground and much of that was due to Mario Edwards, Jr.
Edwards, who recovered a fumble in the third quarter, was instrumental in this win. He recorded eight tackles as he was quick to shut down any rushing attempt that came his way. He might not have made the highlight reels with his hits, but they helped set the tone.
Winner: Joe Mixon, RB
If Joe Mixon was still feeling any pain in his ankle, he didn't show it on Sunday.
Mixon returned after missing the past three weeks and exploded against New England. Mixon had two touchdowns as he caught a 10-yarder in the first half and ran one in from 20 in the second half. He also had a 59-yard run as he proved he's fully healthy.
In all, Mixon had 102 yards on 13 rushing attempts and 30 yards on two receptions. With him and Dameon Pierce — who had 76 yards and a touchdown — the Houston offense looks deadly.
