Davis Mills Leads Houston Texans’ Comeback Victory Over Jacksonville Jaguars
The Houston Texans entered their Week 10 showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars facing a tough challenge, with starting quarterback C. J. Stroud sidelined due to a concussion. However, Texans backup Davis Mills—Stroud’s predecessor—had something to say about the team’s fortunes, and even more to share after the contest.
The Texans surely hope to have Stroud back for next week’s road game against the Tennessee Titans, but Mills took care of business against the Jaguars in his first start since Week 18 of the 2022 season, just before Stroud was drafted.
Davis Mills Sends a Message With Strong Performance
Mills finished the game with 292 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception on a 60% completion rate, improving his record to 3-1 all-time against the Jaguars. Reflecting on the victory, Mills told reporters on November 9:
“I think our team had a really great week of practice. [Offensive coordinator Nick] Caley put together a great offensive game plan, along with the other offensive coaches, and we were able to go out there today and execute. I think anytime you kind of start off a little slow, the mentality of our team is to attack every play with aggression, and just going out there to try to execute every play at a high level. So, we were able to do that. Coaches stayed aggressive. I have always had the mentality to stay confident regardless of what happened on the play before. It’s kind of like the old basketball mentality, ‘shooters shoot.’ If you stop, you’re not going to see shots go in.”
Mills called it a “great team win,” highlighting the Texans’ defensive and special teams units as well as the offense’s steady improvement until they were able to “go down three and find a way to win.”
Danielle Hunter’s Encouragement Boosted Confidence
Mills spoke glowingly about the Texans’ “faith” that they would emerge victorious against the Jaguars, who had defeated them in Jacksonville earlier this season in Week 3. He praised the number of playmakers on the team, including defensive end Danielle Hunter, who offered words of encouragement.
“We just needed to get things clicking,” Mills said. “Danielle was joking around with me in the locker room. He was like, ‘Our defense is good, man.’ And he was like, ‘Keep finding ways to go down and score points on offense,’ and that ‘We’re going to keep getting you guys the ball back.’ So, having that in the back of my head, and being able to trust the guys around me, especially on the other side of the ball, to go out there and make plays, it was just a hard-fought win. It was fun. That’s what you got to do.”
For his part, Hunter recorded 7 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in the Texans’ win over Jacksonville. The Texans scored 26 unanswered points while pitching a shutout in the fourth quarter.
Davis Mills Opens Up About Backing Up C. J. Stroud
Before the game, Mills spoke candidly about always being ready and recalled the previous time the Texans passed him over in favor of Case Keenum when Stroud missed games due to concussion during Mills’ rookie season. After the win, he shared more about the mindset that helped him feel confident and prepared:
“I think with my current circumstance, being back up to C. J., I come in with the mentality every day that I’m gonna bring my best self to the facility every morning, I’m going to push everyone around me to become the best football player they can be, and I’m going to push myself to become the best football player I can be. I’ve had that mentality; kind of cool, calm, and collected at all times. I’m here to work and do my job,” Mills said.
“It was fun. The guys had faith in me that I could go out there and get the job done. But we’ve done that every single day when we come to work. Continuing to just execute the little things and go out there and find a way to get a win. It was fun.”
Fortunately for the Texans, Mills having fun and doing his job resulted in a crucial win on Sunday, keeping the team’s playoff hopes alive while they await Stroud’s return.
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