The 2023 iterations of the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans were two of the NFL’s highest-flying offenses, but their 2024 matchup in Week 15 Sunday in Houston was a defensive slugfest. The Texans held on for a 20-12 victory.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t have his “A” game on Sunday, but he, along with the Texans’ opportunistic defense, did enough to earn a victory. He threw for 131 yards passing and two touchdowns on 18 of 26 passing. Stroud also lost a fumble, but it was because his center snapped the football into his chest when he wasn’t ready to begin the play. He did hit top target Nico Collins for two 6-yard touchdowns. The first came in the middle of the end zone on a first-half scramble drill while the other came in the front, right corner of the end zone on the opening drive of the second half. Collins finished with 17 yards receiving and the two touchdowns on four catches.
The first Stroud to Collins scoring strike was set up by their defense forcing the game’s first takeaway. Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. strip-sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Houston defensive tackle Tim Settle recovered on the Dolphins’ 28-yard line. Stroud connected with Collins in the end zone four plays later.
Miami’s defense struck back with a takeaway of its own with under a minute left to play in the opening half thanks to an unforced error by Houston. The Texans snapped the football when Stroud wasn’t looking, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks recovered the loose ball and returned it to the Texans’ 38-yard line.
However, Stroud and Co. got one last chance to score before the end of the half after Tagovailoa threw the football into the heart of Houston’s zone coverage while targeting wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and Texans safety Calen Bullock returned the interception 68 yards down to the five with 13 seconds left to play in the half. After Stroud scrambled out of bounds for no gain and threw an incompletion, Houston opted to take a 23-yard goal and three more points for a 13-6 lead.
Tagovailoa hit tight end Jonnu Smith for a 7-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-2 for Miami’s first touchdown late in the third quarter. Tagovailoa finished the day with 196 yards passing, a touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble lost on 29 of 40 passing. Miami reached the edge of the red zone with just under 11 minutes left to play, but Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. picked off Tagovailoa on a target to Hill along the right sideline. They also had one last chance to tie the game late, but Stingley intercepted Tagovailoa for a second time down the right sideline on a play in which it appeared like Hill had the football. Stingley’s will overpowered Hill’s, and he was the one in possession of the football with 1:44 left to play to seal the Texans victory.
Why the Texans won
It may sound cliché, but Houston played a much better brand of complementary football. The Texans defense forced three takeaways, and Stroud made enough quality throws to Collins in the red zone to secure a victory. The second-year quarterback’s efficiency has been an overall far cry from what it was as a rookie, but he managed the game well. Houston also took advantage of both Dolphins offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Kendall Lamm sidelined: they racked up three sacks. A total team effort in their Week 15 win.
Why the Dolphins lost
Miami just didn’t have the firepower required to win on Sunday. Tagovailoa connected with All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill on just two of his seven targets for 36 yards. No. 2 wide receiver Jaylen Waddle exited the game with a right knee injury in the first half. On two of Tagovailoa’s most important targets of the day, Stingley won the one-on-one battle with Hill to corral two interceptions. That was the difference: Hill simply wasn’t able to win one-on-one like he has so many times throughout his career.
Turning point
Collins’ second, 6-yard touchdown catch of the day on the opening drive of the second half. On a day in which Houston’s defense dominated, spotting them a two-touchdown lead was more than enough for a Texans victory.
Play of the game
The Texans successful fake punt on a handoff to backup running back Dare Ogunbowale that he took 35 yards down the sideline. Following an unsportsmanlike penalty on Miami at the end of the play, Houston had a first-and-goal on the 4. Collins’ second touchdown of the day came a few plays later, which helped lock up a crucial Week 15 victory for the host Texans.
What’s next
Houston improves to 9-5 and can clinch the AFC South on Sunday if the Indianapolis Colts fall short in Denver against the Broncos. They’ll face the 13-1, two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16. Miami falls to 6-8, and their playoff hopes are in jeopardy. They’ll head home to face the struggling 6-8 San Francisco 49ers in Week 16.
