HOW DAVIS MILLS CAME UP BIG AGAIN FOR TEXANS IN CLOSING TIME. 'HE'S MONEY MILLS'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Davis Mills almost immediately recognized the coverage.
The Tennessee Titans, as they had for most of Sunday's game, were running a Cover-2 defense, hoping to defend the first-down marker in the event that the Houston Texans tried to go for it all on third-and-16.
At that point, Mills knew they had the perfect play called.
Nico Collins found the perfect spot in between the safety and the cornerback, and Mills let it rip, delivering the perfect pass to his star receiver up the right sideline for a first down, as he kept both feet in bounds.
Five players later, the Texans won 16-13 on Sunday at Nissan Stadium when new kicker Matthew Wright boomed a 35-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired.
"That was such a huge play for us," coach DeMeco Ryans said of Mills' pass to Collins. "Outstanding job putting us in field-goal position to make that kick easier."
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The win wasn't pretty. In fact, you might call it ugly.
But the Texans (5-5) are finally .500 for the first time this season. And while they still remain one game behind the Jaguars for the AFC's seventh and final seed, they've at least given themselves a chance to make the playoffs with seven games remaining.
The Texans' inability to win close games and finish had been their Achilles' heel for most of this season.
Their first three losses came down to the last possession. Two fumbles and a missed tackle became the difference between a 3-0 start and their actual 0-3 record.
They were 0-5 in one-score games before their win over the Jaguars last week.
But recently, Houston, led by Mills, is helping to change that narrative. They have won their past two games by one score.
Last week, Houston beat Jacksonville 36-29 after Mills scored the go-ahead touchdown with 31 seconds remaining.
And in this game, Mills and Collins helped get the Texans in position to kick the game-winning field goal.
Mills finished 26-of-41 for 274 yards and a touchdown. That included going 3-for-4 for 37 yards on the final drive, despite taking a sack.
He got off to a slow start. But as he has been in his two starts, he was money when it mattered most, which has earned him the nickname "Money Mills" among the franchise's fan base.
It makes sense.
Mills' past three wins have all ended on game-winning drives, dating back to his 2022 Week 18 win over the Indianapolis Colts, when he threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Jordan Akins and converted on the ensuing 2-point conversion.
When asked whether he liked the high-pressure moments, Mills nodded.
"It's fun. Everything kind of slows down," he said. "The field, the space opens up and when you can settle in there and you know exactly what your process is, you know exactly what the play being called is - especially late in the game. I've seen the defense the whole entire game at this point.
"I know most of their calls, the disguises that they've already shown, and you can start using the stuff in your mind to anticipate and play even faster."
TEXANS 16, TITANS 13
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | - | 16 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | - | 13 |
First Quarter
Ten_FG Slye 56, :50. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 7:30. Key Plays: C.Ward 13 pass to Ridley; C.Ward 9 pass to Dike on 3rd-and-8; C.Ward 11 pass to Jefferson; C.Ward 15 pass to Spears on 3rd-and-13; C.Ward 16 pass to Okonkwo. Tennessee 3, Houston 0.
Third Quarter
Ten_FG Slye 47, 10:45. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:15. Key Plays: C.Ward 14 pass to Kinsey on 3rd-and-6; C.Ward 11 pass to Helm; Spears 1 run on 3rd-and-3. Tennessee 6, Houston 0.
Hou_Collins 3 pass from D.Mills (Wright kick), 7:21. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:24. Key Plays: D.Mills 18 pass to Collins; D.Mills 14 pass to Collins; D.Mills 23 pass to Higgins. Houston 7, Tennessee 6.
Hou_FG Wright 41, 1:32. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:22. Key Plays: D.Mills 14 pass to Hutchinson; D.Mills 14 pass to Collins. Houston 10, Tennessee 6.
Fourth Quarter
Hou_FG Wright 43, 11:59. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:31. Key Play: D.Mills 9 pass to Schultz on 3rd-and-10. Houston 13, Tennessee 6.
Ten_Jefferson 4 pass from C.Ward (Slye kick), 1:35. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 3:22. Key Plays: C.Ward 6 pass to Helm on 3rd-and-4; C.Ward 20 run; C.Ward 39 pass to Okonkwo on 3rd-and-16. Houston 13, Tennessee 13.
Hou_FG Wright 35, :00. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 1:35. Key Plays: D.Mills 13 pass to Schultz; D.Mills 17 pass to Collins on 3rd-and-16. Houston 16, Tennessee 13.
___
| Hou | Ten | |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST DOWNS | 20 | 14 |
| Rushing | 5 | 2 |
| Passing | 13 | 10 |
| Penalty | 2 | 2 |
| THIRD DOWN EFF | 4-13 | 6-15 |
| FOURTH DOWN EFF | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| TOTAL NET YARDS | 315 | 229 |
| Total Plays | 68 | 57 |
| Avg Gain | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| NET YARDS RUSHING | 75 | 58 |
| Rushes | 23 | 17 |
| Avg per rush | 3.261 | 3.412 |
| NET YARDS PASSING | 240 | 171 |
| Sacked-Yds lost | 4-34 | 3-23 |
| Gross-Yds passing | 274 | 194 |
| Completed-Att. | 26-41 | 24-37 |
| Had Intercepted | 0 | 0 |
| Yards-Pass Play | 5.333 | 4.275 |
| KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB | 4-2-2 | 4-2-2 |
| PUNTS-Avg. | 5-41.6 | 6-50.833 |
| Punts blocked | 0 | 0 |
| FGs-PATs blocked | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE | 89 | 50 |
| Punt Returns | 5-38 | 2-1 |
| Kickoff Returns | 2-51 | 2-49 |
| Interceptions | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| PENALTIES-Yds | 5-53 | 9-62 |
| FUMBLES-Lost | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| TIME OF POSSESSION | 31:03 | 28:57 |
___
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING_Houston, Marks 18-44, Chubb 3-17, D.Mills 2-14. Tennessee, C.Ward 3-33, Pollard 10-22, Spears 4-3.
PASSING_Houston, D.Mills 26-41-0-274. Tennessee, C.Ward 24-37-0-194.
RECEIVING_Houston, Collins 9-92, Schultz 6-51, Higgins 4-55, Hutchinson 3-42, Noel 1-12, Ogunbowale 1-9, Marks 1-7, Kirk 1-6. Tennessee, Spears 5-31, Helm 4-29, Okonkwo 3-56, Jefferson 3-22, Pollard 3-4, Dike 2-14, Ayomanor 2-11, Kinsey 1-14, Ridley 1-13.
PUNT RETURNS_Houston, Noel 5-38. Tennessee, Kinsey 1-1, Dike 1-0.
KICKOFF RETURNS_Houston, Noel 2-51. Tennessee, Chestnut 2-49.
TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS_Houston, M.Bryant 4-4-0, Bullock 3-3-0, Stingley 3-1-0, Speed 2-3-0, Anderson 2-2-1, Togiai 2-1-.5, To'oTo'o 2-1-0, Edwards 2-0-0, Al-Shaair 1-5-0, Hunter 1-3-1.5, Rankins 1-2-0, Lassiter 1-1-0, J.Mills 1-1-0, Autry 1-0-0, Horton 1-0-0, T.Smith 1-0-0, Barnett 0-1-0, Settle 0-1-0. Tennessee, Baker 9-2-0, Hooker 8-0-0, Gray 6-5-0, Winston 3-2-0, Barton 2-2-1, Harris 2-2-0, Key 2-1-1.5, Simmons 2-1-1, Armour-Davis 2-0-0, Joseph-Day 1-2-0, Sweat 1-1-0, Womack 1-1-0, Harrell 0-2-.5, Jones 0-1-0, Lynch 0-1-0.
INTERCEPTIONS_Houston, None. Tennessee, None.
MISSED FIELD GOALS_Houston, Wright 31.
___
OFFICIALS_Referee Shawn Hochuli, Ump Larry Smith, HL Patrick Holt, LJ Tim Podraza, FJ Jason Ledet, SJ Jim Quirk, BJ Jimmy Russell, Replay Jamie Nicholson.
Few people are as even-keeled as Mills.
He rarely shows emotion, whether positive or negative. And he's the same player every time, no matter the moment.
"Good, bad, ugly, great," right tackle Tytus Howard, who has played with Mills for the past five years, said. "He's going to have that same demeanor. It's how he's always been since I've known him."
Mills said it dates back even further than his rookie season.
He joked last week that when he first met his wife years ago, she was upset that he wouldn't get angry when she'd start an argument. He said he told her then that he knew eventually it would work itself out, which was similar to Sunday's game.
The Texans trailed 6-0 at one point in the third quarter to the 1-9 Titans. They had come up short on each of their first four possessions.
But eventually it worked itself out.
Mills connected with Collins on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 7:25 left in the third quarter to score their first points of the game and make it 7-6.
And when the Titans tied it at 13 with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, he remained the same stoic player, before leading the Texans on a nine-play, 48-yard drive to win it.
For the average person, it probably seemed like a high-pressure moment. Tennessee had just scored and Houston's season was on the line. But for Mills, it was just an ordinary Sunday.
"Money Mills," edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who had a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, said. "He's getting the job done."
In the two games Mills has started, he's done what was asked of him and kept the Texans afloat. He has taken care of the football and made enough plays to win games.
"It's a long season, it's a marathon," said Collins, who finished with nine catches on 10 targets for 92 yards and a TD. "0-3 doesn't mean anything. You can go on a winning streak, and next thing you know, you're in the playoffs."
The Texans certainly hope that will be the case. Houston will face its toughest stretch with upcoming games against the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs.
It's currently unclear whether starting quarterback C.J. Stroud will return for their Thursday night matchup with the Bills (7-3), who are coming off a big win over the Buccaneers.
Stroud remains in concussion protocol two weeks after suffering the injury. Monday's practice will determine whether he plays or not.
But if Mills has to start, the Texans know one thing.
He's going to be the same Davis Mills.
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