Safety Grayland Arnold recovered a Lance McCutcheon fumble and the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-20 to earn their second preseason win of the exhibition slate Friday night at SoFi Stadium.
The Texans did not have a takeaway throughout the game until defensive back M.J. Stewart forced the fumble. Arnold, who finished with four combined tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and 1.0 sack, collected the loose ball on the game’s final play to ensure first-year coach Lovie Smith started off his Texans tenure perfect in preseason play.
Quarterback Davis Mills and the first-team offense was in the game for the entirety of the first half, comprising six drives. Mills went 10-of-17 for 96 yards and a touchdown while taking two sacks and posting a 94.2 passer rating.
Receiver Nico Collins had the lone touchdown pass from Mills on the evening along with his team-high four catches for 48 yards. Receiver Phillip Dorsett also had a team-high 48 yards on three catches.
Houston’s backup quarterbacks were equally productive. Kyle Allen completed nine of 12 passing for 71 yards and a touchdown. Jeff Driskel threw the go-ahead touchdown to tight end Mason Schreck for eight yards to push Houston ahead 24-20.
The Texans’ defense generated six sacks against the Rams. First-team defensive linemen Jonathan Greenard and Roy Lopez had sacks in the first quarter. Derek Rivers, Demone Harris, and linebacker Christian Kirksey also had sacks for the Texans.
Royce Freeman was the leading rusher for Houston as he carried nine times for 30 yards. Marlon Mack saw eight carries for 29 yards with the first team, averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
The Texans go back to NRG Stadium on Aug. 25 to take on the San Francisco 49ers to complete their preseason slate. The Texans also have to cut their roster from 85 players to 80 by 3:00 p.m. Central Time on Aug. 23.
