Texans’ spirit remains unbroken following 40-0 shutout loss to the Bills
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans sustained their worst loss in franchise history during a 40-0 defeat to the Buffalo Bills, Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium. And veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks wasted no time lifting the team’s spirits.
Cooks’ message to the team shortly after the shut-out loss was to keep getting better every day — not just with football but just in life.
Texans’ defensive back Tavierre Thomas said Cooks held everyone accountable — including himself — for their abhorrent performance against the Bills, but his post-game message resonated within a disappointed locker room after the game.
“If everybody sticks together, we can turn this thing around,” Thomas said Monday morning while speaking to reporters. “It’s on everyone. Not just the defense. Not just offense. But everyone. Everybody has to stick together and just keep balling, and it will turn around.”
Cooks’ message to the team corresponds to David Culley’s perception about his ball club amid a 1-3 start to the season. Culley says despite the blowout loss, he still feels good where the Texans are as a team, but mentioned that he must be a better coach in hopes of Houston reaching their ceiling in 2021.
One way Culley feels the Texans can enhance their on-field production is by limiting the number of turnovers. During their three-game losing streak, the Texans have committed seven turnovers with five coming against the Bills.
“In practice, we just have to make sure our focus and our concentration are better than what it was,” Culley said. “I felt like we practiced well, but obviously, somewhere along the line, we missed something there as far as our focus and concentration because we didn’t have that yesterday.”
The Texans have not given up on the season despite their 1-3 record, and David Johnson still believes this is a team that has a chance to make the playoffs.
Following the loss, Houston is tied with the Indianapolis Colts for second place in the AFC South, as the Tennessee Titans remain the only team with a winning record within the division at 2-2. In the words of Johnson, “it’s all about winning the division.”
“The mood is still high, especially since we’re still early in the season and our division isn’t doing well as a whole — so we’ve still got a chance,” Johnson said. “I feel like we still have a lot of hope. Everyone’s still positive. The biggest thing is just watching film and trying to correct it.”
