Ryan Fitzpatrick

When the Texans needed him the most, they got a quarterback that took care of the football and helped ice the game late. In the 4th quarter, he was 4 of 4 for 49 yards and on 3rd downs he was 5 of 7 for 53 yards with a 71.4% completion rate. Add in the fact, he had a key 3rd down run late in the 4th quarter to extend the drive that ended up giving Washington little time to work.

Fitzpatrick with a clean pocket was 13 of 16 for 192 yards and 1 touchdown for a 137.5 quarterback rating. When given time, Fitzpatrick showed he can be what the Texans need him for, a game manger.

Pass Rush is Alive

Some have been waiting for some time for the defensive pass rush to show up and that is what they did against Washington. With 14 quarterback hits, 12 hurries and three sacks, it is enough to make any NFL quarterback’s afternoon a rough one. Romeo Crennel generated pressure from every angle and had Washington guessing where the pressure was coming from.

Tackling

The Texans tackled better than we have seen in some time and it started with the secondary who were superb in that role. The biggest factor was their ability to tackle in open space and starters Johnathan Joseph Kendrick Lewis, D.J. Swearinger and Kareem Jackson combined for one missed tackle all game, which is rare for a Texans defense. With the speed issue that Washington posed for the defense, some plays made were touchdown saving ones.

Finishing

If there was one thing that previous Texans teams did not have, it was the ability to finish games. Bill O’Brien refused to let his team falter late in the game. If it was the mentality of the players or how O’Brien and Crennel called the game, it all worked together to put together an all important win. The Texans’ calling card has always been struggling late and losing heartbreaking games, but this 2014 team showed a killer instinct to finish off Washington especially late in the 4th quarter.