The Houston Texans broke a franchise record by intercepting five of the Detroit Lions’ passes Sunday night. Since 2000, quarterbacks were 2-31 in games when they threw at least five interceptions. That improves to 3-31 after Jared Goff led Detroit to a 26-23 comeback win.
Matt Ryan threw five interceptions in 2012 when the Atlanta Falcons beat the Arizona Cardinals 23-19. Tony Romo also led the Dallas Cowboys to a 25-24 win over the Buffalo Bills in a 2007 game where he threw five interceptions.
In the Super Bowl era (since 1966), there have been 155 instances when a quarterback has thrown at least five interceptions. Those teams were 9-146 when that happened. Over 94% of teams win when they force a quarterback to throw at least five interceptions, but Houston fell short after scoring zero second half points.
“It’s frustrating of course,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of the team’s loss despite forcing five turnovers. “To play against that high-powered offense and to be able to take the football away, that’s what we hang our hat on … We took the ball away, but it’s about team football. We didn’t play complimentary football today, and that’s what wins games.”
Goff threw a career-high five interceptions in three quarters. One of those came on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half, but the other four were true mistakes by the quarterback. Goff entered this game throwing 14 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He had two touchdowns and five interceptions Sunday night.
The Texans have had three or more interceptions in 23 games prior to Sunday night. They were 22-1 in those games and are now 22-2 after breaking the franchise’s single-game interception record.
“I’m proud of the defense for going out and getting five turnovers, that’s a big day for any defense,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game. “The thing about turnovers is, what are you doing with those turnovers? And it’s getting the points off those turnovers, that’s how you swing the game. I don’t think we got enough points off of the turnovers.”
Houston led 23-7 at halftime with all the momentum. The red-hot Lions looked beatable, Houston’s defensive game plan was nearly perfect against one of the NFL’s best offenses. Houston just couldn’t move the ball in the second half. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions on the first three drives of the third quarter. Houston’s offense gained 82 total yards in the second half.
Goff’s fifth interception of the game came with 8:26 left in the third quarter. He went 7-for-10 with 112 yards and a touchdown from that point on. Rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter left the game with a concussion in the third quarter and never returned. He intercepted Goff twice before leaving and has been great in coverage for Houston all season. Lassiter’s presence was missed in the fourth quarter.
Houston falls to 6-4 after losing a game that 94% of teams have won since 1966. The way to beat Detroit was by forcing turnovers, it just didn’t result in enough second half offense for the Texans.
