One of the positives for the Houston Texans heading into 2023 was their offensive line. Regardless of whether C.J. Stroud won the quarterback battle with Davis Mills, the offense surely would benefit from having a blend of quality veterans at four of the five starting positions.
Injuries took their toll, and Houston slowly had to work from having just one intended starter in right guard Shaq Mason in Week 2 to a nearly restored Week 5 lineup that saw Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil return and right tackle Tytus Howard use his versatility to man left guard.
According to Zoltan Buday from Pro Football Focus, while the Texans gave away victory in their 21-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons Oct. 8, Houston’s offensive line put together a noteworthy performance; something to build on in coming weeks.
The Texans’ offensive line recorded the highest pass-blocking efficiency rating in Week 5 after allowing just three pressures on 35 dropbacks.
Stroud completed 20 passes on 35 attempts for 249 yards and a touchdown despite Houston falling to 2-3 on the season. The Falcons landed just two quarterback hits, but weren’t able to drop the No. 2 overall pick for a sack. In fact, Stroud has not taken a sack since Week 2.
Where the Texans’ offensive line could stand to improve is in the run game. The Texans are tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the lowest yards per carry in the NFL at 3.0.