The Houston Texans pulled out a pivotal, last-second victory in their trip overseas to London for Week 6, as a game-winning 49-yard field goal from Ka'imi Fairbairn would push the Texans over their division rival Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-31, for their second win in a row.
And this game that now lifts this team to 2-4 on the year was a much-needed confidence builder for the Texans.
The offense started to click a whole lot better than we've seen in recent weeks, they're one step closer to getting back in the race to win the AFC South, and just one week away from their bye, Houston can head into that break with a really nice sense of momentum compared to where they stood this time two weeks ago.
Let's break down three of the biggest takeaways from the Texans' Week 6 international victory over the Jaguars:
C.J. Stroud Keeps Letting It Fly
Sure, C.J. Stroud did throw his first interception of the season, thanks to an impressive play on the ball from Travis Hunter. And that play was almost a game-changing shift for the Jaguars had they converted on their last offensive possession.
But outside of that one blip on the radar, the Texans quarterback had yet another impressive day for what's been a strong start to his 2026 campaign: completing 24 of his 34 throws for 312 yards and three touchdowns; two of those going to tight end Foster Moreau.
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
Stroud was also able to get his brand new target Marvin Harrison Jr. involved for a nice debut with Houston as well, peppering him with four targets for three receptions and 34 yards. He was one of eight pass-catcher that the Texans' signal caller targeted multiple times throughout the day.
So Stroud was mostly composed, was able to spread the ball around well, and helped lead the way for the Texans' highest-scoring performance of the season so far. It's games like these that'll only help Stroud's value for his next contract, that he now feels overwhelmingly deserving of this offseason.
Defense Remains Underwhelming for Texans' Standards
For as encouraging of a win that the Texans claimed here in London, it wasn't a performance without its errors along the way. And of any problem to emphasize from Houston's victory, it was certainly how their defense looked.
Granted, the Texans were dealing with injuries in the form of Jalen Pitre, and in certain pockets of the day, were without either Azeez Al-Shaair or Reed Blakenship. But even when factoring in those absences, there's little excuse for Houston to allow 30-plus points for now the second time this season.
The pass-rush was virtually non-existent, the Jaguars' run game popped, linebackers continuously left space open in the middle of the field in the passing game, and there were several moments across the day where tackling was a major issue in all three phases.
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
Of course, all hope isn't lost for the Texans' defense moving forward. We know the type of elite talent this group has, and when they're firing on all cylinders, there can be fireworks on that side of the ball. This weekend wasn't quite that type of day for Houston, though.
Ice Cold 'Imi
A poised end to the game it was for Ka'imi Fairbairn, who came up for a game-winning 49-yard field goal at the end, making for his 10th lead-changing field goal in the fourth quarter/overtime of his career.
Really, Fairbairn's impact and consistency for the Texans on a weekly basis can't be understated. This now makes for his fourth-straight week of going perfect on each of his field goal and extra point attempts; a perfect 12/12 on field goals––three of those coming from 50 yards or further––along with a 9/9 clip on extra points.
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
And his final 49-yard field goal kick of the day? That's certainly his most important and most clutch of the season so far. So hats off to Fairbairn for helping the Texans get over the edge in this one, because Houston might not be at 2-4 without him.
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