It’s only week 4 of the NFL season, but the Houston Texans 23-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills means the Texans have already eclipsed their win total from 2013. It’s not time to pop the champagne, but the Texans are still alone in first in the AFC South heading into next week’s intrastate showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.
There is much to dissect with every Texans game, but the focus here is on 6 takeaways from the Texans win over the Bills …
Is J.J. the best DL ever?
Ok, we know it’s still too early for a bust in Canton & the proclamation of the greatest ever, but for Texans fans, it would be a resounding yes!
The turning point in the game was J.J. Watt’s pick 6 in the 3rd quarter, when the defensive lineman intercepted E.J. Manuel’s pass & ran it back for a TD. It gave the Texans a lead they never relinquished.
J.J. Watt is just the 2nd player since the AFL-NFL merger to have a TD interception on defense & a TD on offense in the same season. He also had 5 tackles & pressured the QB throughout the game, just adding to his defensive MVP caliber of play.
Is it time to worry about the offensive line?
The OL (Duane Brown, Derek Newton, Ben Jones, Brandon Brooks, and Chris Myers) definitely needs to get better as a unit. When there is a paltry running game (18 yards 
total for Arian Foster & Alfred Blue) & the QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is constantly getting pressured on passing plays, the OL is culpable. Buffalo has a lot of good defensive personnel, but the way they consistently won the battle of the trenches & overpowered the Texans is a red flag. It may be time for the early 2nd round pick, Xavier Su’a Filo, to get significant playing time at guard or even tackle, because he is a big, strong, athletic offensive lineman that the Texans could use.
Texans star playmakers didn’t look like themselves today
Arian Foster had a terrible game with 8 carries for 6 yards, and afterward he said he “wasn’t 100%”, so the 
hamstring injury is still a big concern as the season progresses.
Andre Johnson had 6 receptions & 71 yards, but fumbled a catch & at one point left the game with an ankle injury, so that bears watching.
The Texans have found a superstar in the making with DeAndre Hopkins, but Andre Johnson is still the all-time receiving leader for the team & needs to be completely healthy to help out a QB like Ryan Fitzpatrick, who isn’t going to win games by himself.
Randy Bullock had a Texas size leg today
Bullock had 55 yard & 50 yard field goals, giving the Texans 2 huge 
kicks that proved to be the difference in the final score. Since almost being cut the middle of last season, Bullock has been nearly perfect in his field goal attempts.
While his pudgy build reminds some of Sebastian Janikowski, it’s his leg that is more of a resemblance. Bullock can extend the field with his range & along with punter Shane Lechler, give the Texans weapons on special teams that have been a big part of their early success.
Darryl Morris has been a pleasant surprise
The Texans secondary has come under a lot of scrutiny over the last few years, but cornerback Daryl Morris, the 2nd year free agent cornerback out of Texas State, has been a find for Rick Smith & company. Morris had the interception 
that sealed the game, and also had 4 tackles & an assist. If he can continue to play at this level for the Texans, he will bolster a secondary already looking better & more physical with a healthy Johnathan Joseph, an aggressive A.J. Bouye, and a solid Kareem Jackson.
Fitzpatrick had a good game, but will Texans regret not drafting a QB early in draft?
Ryan Fitzpatrick gave a motivational pre-game speech that fired up his teammates to beat Buffalo, and finished 25 of 37 for 288 yards with 1 TD & 2 picks. Despite the 2 interceptions, 
which were not blatantly his fault, Fitzpatrick had some gutsy scrambles & directed drives when the Texans needed them, especially on a day the Texans had no running game.
But despite his grittiness & leadership, it is evident by his age & skill level that he is not the long-term answer at the position. Judging by the way that the Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater, the Jaguars’ Blake Bortles & the Raiders’ Derek Carr have shown a lot of promise in their early play, did the Texans err by not making a franchise QB the top priority in this past year’s draft?
There is still a long way to go in the season & the Texans may very well have found their future QB in Tom Savage, and they could also draft another in 2015. However, as long as the other QBs they passed on in the 2014 draft flourish at the most important position in the NFL, the Texans will be questioned.
