Stroud's TD pass with 18 seconds left lifts Texans to 24-20 win over Jaguars

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans hadn't scored in the second half and had punted on five straight possessions Sunday when they got one last chance to avoid being upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

C.J. Stroud connected with an unlikely option to make sure the Texans came out on top.

Stroud threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns, capped by a 1-yard pass to third-string running back Dare Ogunbowale with 18 seconds left, to give the Texans the 24-20 victory.

Thrust into action with starter Joe Mixon and backup Dameon Pierce out with injuries, Ogunbowale scored a TD for the first time since 2022.

“It's obviously always good to get a win, but when you can help your team win it’s special,” he said.

Houston forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with less than three minutes to go.

Stroud then led a nine-play, 69-yard drive to give the Texans (3-1) their first points of the second half and survive a scare by the winless Jaguars (0-4).

“We were just locked in,” Stroud said. “Defense gave us another shot, and that’s all we needed.”

The Texans bounced back from a 34-7 rout at Minnesota to get the victory despite fumbling a punt return early and committing 12 penalties to give them 35 combined in their past three games.

Nico Collins helped Houston to the win with a career-high 12 receptions for 151 yards and a TD for his third 100-yard game this season. He has 489 yards receiving this season to become the first Texans to surpass 450 yards receiving in the first four games.

“I feel like there’s always room for improvement on your game,” he said. "My mindset, man, don’t get too comfortable. Continue to build, continue to take care of my body, continue to be available for the team and ... all the pieces will fall into place.”

Trevor Lawrence threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns as his streak of consecutive starts without a win stretched to nine games.

The Jaguars fell to 0-4 for the first time since opening the 2021 season with five straight losses.

Coach Doug Pederson seemed caught off-guard when he was asked if he's worried about his job status after the dismal start.

“My status? I mean, no,” he said. "That’s kind of a strange question, but OK.”

After getting blown out by the Bills on Monday, they had plenty of chances in this one. They led through much of the second half after a touchdown reception by Christian Kirk with about six minutes left in the third.

They had a chance to pad the lead after that when a 58-yard run by Tank Bigsby got them to the Houston 4. Two runs by Bigsby moved them to the 2 before an incomplete pass by Lawrence.

Jacksonville went for it, but Lawrence was stopped for no gain on the first play of the fourth quarter.

“We had a lot of opportunities, run game and throwing the ball down the field,” Lawrence said. "Didn’t capitalize on all of them unfortunately. That’s why we’re here now and didn’t win the game in my opinion is because we didn’t take advantage of some of those opportunities.”

Ogunbowale grabbed a short pass and evaded three defenders for a 31-yard gain on third-and-18 on Houston’s next drive.

But the Texans couldn’t do anything after that. They had a run for no gain, a holding penalty on left tackle Laremy Tunsil and an incomplete pass before Stroud was sacked to force a punt.

Derek Stingley knocked down Lawrence’s pass to force a punt with about six minutes left.

The Texans couldn’t get anything going on their next drive that ended with a holding penalty on Tunsil followed by two incomplete passes.

Kirk put the Jaguars up 20-17 with an 8-yard TD grab with about six minutes left in the third quarter. Brian Thomas powered that drive with a 32-yard reception and a 13-yard run.

The Texans forced a punt on Jacksonville’s opening drive, but Steven Sims fumbled it, and it was recovered by Daniel Thomas at the 2. Lawrence connected with Brian Thomas Jr. on the next play to give the Jaguars an early lead.

Houston tied it when Stefon Diggs scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 6-yard run with about 7½ minutes left in the opening quarter.

The Jaguars were up 10-7 after a field goal before a 3-yard touchdown reception by Collins put Houston on top 14-10.

Jacksonville added a 52-yard field goal with about four minutes left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-13.

The Texans led 17-13 at halftime after a 30-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn with 3 seconds left in the second quarter.

Jaguars: DE Josh Hines-Allen left the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Texans: Mixon (ankle) and Pierce (hamstring) sat out with injuries. … Tank Dell missed the game with hand and rib injuries.

Jaguars: Host the Colts next Sunday.

Texans: Host the Bills next Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale (33) runs from Jacksonville Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas (20) and cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) reacts after being stopped on a fourth down play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) carries the ball up field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., center, runs past Houston Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr., left, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk catches an 8-yard touchdown pass in front of Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre, right, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk celebrates after catching an 8-yard touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks to pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brendan Donovan hit a solo homer in the third and followed it up with an RBI single two innings later and Alec Burleson drove in three runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals past the San Francisco Giants 6-1 on Sunday.

José Fermín hit an RBI single in the sixth as the Cardinals backed rookie righty Michael McGreevy (3-0), who stuck out six with no walks while allowing one run on five hits over eight impressive innings.

Manager Oliver Marmol considered giving the ninth to McGreevy, but he had reached 91 pitches.

“It feels a heck of a lot better just going into the offseason with more positivity,” Marmol said. “But the way we did it was fun. McGreevy was excellent, went out and gave us eight, mixed well.”

Giants rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong (5-6) struck out 10 of the initial 15 Cardinals hitters and finished with 11 Ks in his 16th start for San Francisco — one off his career high. It marked Birdsong's second career double-digit strikeout game after fanning 12 at Colorado on July 21.

He gave way to Taylor Rogers after back-to-back RBI singles by Donovan and Burleson in the fifth. Burleson also had a two-run single in the sixth.

San Francisco finished 80-82 — with one more win than last season's 79 victories — in manager Bob Melvin's first season and with a total home attendance of 2,647,736 over 80 home dates since the Giants hosted a doubleheader. The Giants won the NL West in 2021.

“Regardless of what our record was it was going to be disappointing based on what we felt like the team was all about to start the season," Melvin said.

Brett Wisely's seventh-inning RBI single got the Giants on the board.

San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman exited to a warm ovation in the top of the third when replaced on defense by Casey Schmitt. Chapman, who earlier this month received a $151 million, six-year contract for 2025-30, started 153 games this year.

And right fielder Mike Yastrzemski exited to cheers when removed from his spot in the top of the sixth.

Both Chapman and pitcher Logan Webb spoke from the field afterward thanking the fans.

The Cardinals missed the playoffs for a second straight season after three consecutive wild-card defeats following an NL Championship Series berth in 2019. They finished 83-79, including 39-42 on the road while ending the season in San Francisco for the first time since 1960.

“I've learned a lot this year, as a person and as a baseball player,” Donovan said. “If you're constantly learning in this game I think you can continue to get better.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: 3B Nolan Arenado sat out a second straight day to end the year.

Giants: OF Mark Canha was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb sprain after getting injured in the first inning of Saturday's 6-5 win. ... OF Heliot Ramos was held out of the lineup with a hamstring injury and plantar fasciitis.

ROSTER MOVES

The Giants recalled OF Luis Matos and RHP Trevor McDonald from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned RHP Landen Roupp to Sacramento.

McDonald, San Francisco's 11th-round draft pick in 2019, made his major league debut at age 23 in the top of the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning with three groundouts before staying in the next two frames.

UP NEXT

The Giants' Cactus League opener is against former manager Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers on Feb. 22, 2025, in Surprise, Arizona.

St. Louis will face the Marlins on Feb. 22 in Jupiter, Florida.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald (49) sprints towards first on an infield single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald (49) scores the game-winning run on a throwing error by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) during the eighth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong (60) stands on the mound as St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, back left, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home during the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong, right, throws against St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar, left, during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, right, is congratulated by Paul Goldschmidt (46) after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, right, is congratulated by third base coach Ron Warner (75) as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giats, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)