Houston
Texans
10-4
22
FINAL
21
Atlanta
Falcons
7-7
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 16 matchup, the Houston Texans narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 22-21. With playoff implications on the line, both teams fought hard, but it was Houston that ultimately emerged victorious, clinching a crucial win as the season winds down.
Atlanta's Michael Penix Jr. led the charge offensively, throwing for 251 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to move the ball effectively. Bijan Robinson added 76 rushing yards to complement the passing game, while Olamide Zaccheaus contributed with 67 receiving yards, helping to keep the Falcons competitive throughout the contest.
On the defensive side, Will Anderson Jr. was the standout performer for Houston, recording nine tackles and three sacks, disrupting Atlanta's offensive rhythm. His relentless pressure was pivotal in the game's turning point, forcing a critical turnover that swung momentum in Houston's favor late in the fourth quarter. Despite A.J. Terrell Jr.'s interception for Atlanta, it was the Texans' defense that ultimately held firm to secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 33 | 18 | 55% | 251 | 2 | 3 | 61.5 |
| John Mateer | QB | 25 | 13 | 52% | 108 | 1 | 2 | 43.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 18 | 76 | 4.2 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 13 | 23 | 1.8 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | HB | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Ahmad Hardy | HB | 12 | 18 | 1.5 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ryan Coleman-William | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Mateer | QB | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nyck Harbor | WR | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | 2 | 67 | 33.5 | 56 | 1 | 59 | 0 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 5 | 65 | 13.0 | 18 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 40 | 1 | 39 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 5 | 50 | 10.0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 24 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 19 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Luke Musgrave | TE | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Nyck Harbor | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Raheim Sanders | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ahmad Hardy | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ryan Coleman-William | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Ramsey | FS | 6 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | CB | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Danielle Hunter | REDG | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylin Smith | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DeForest Buckner | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| E.J. Speed | SAM | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hughes | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ar'Darius Washington | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Sharp | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reed Blankenship | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakorian Bennett | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Henry To'oTo'o | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bailey | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chad Ryland | K | 2 | 3 | 1 | 47 |
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

