In an AFC South showdown between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans, the outcome was marred by a series of contentious refereeing decisions that left both teams and fans questioning the fairness of the game.
Sunday’s contest served as a stark reminder of how officials can significantly influence the course of a football game. The numerous late penalties, heavily tilted towards one team, raised suspicions among spectators that the integrity of the match was compromised.
WOW: The #NFL refs call this a holding on #Texans CB Steve Nelson (21) and the Houston coaching staff is LIVID right now
😳😳😳😳
pic.twitter.com/tAKAemVlDU— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 26, 2023
WOW: The #Texans get away with a holding and intercept the ball.
An absolute GAME CHANGER😳 pic.twitter.com/vQ31cwHHBz
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 26, 2023
I mean, we just pretending the Refs are unbiased at this point. No flag for this? But a Texan DB sneezes on a WR and it’s P.I.? #WeAreTexans #Refs pic.twitter.com/g4LSvA7CXz
— Ramon Robles Jr (@RamonRoblesJr) November 26, 2023
Where the hell is the penalty on this play on the #Texans…. Penalty called 20 seconds after.
Refs call anything there days 🤦♂️pic.twitter.com/4lf9HPWGNI
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 26, 2023
Ultimately, the Texans found themselves on the losing end of a 24-21 scoreline, a defeat that might have been avoided had their kicker successfully converted two field goal attempts. The narrow margin of victory for the Jaguars left lingering doubts about the impact of the officiating on the final result.
Literally on their next drive… background check these refs I’m officially convinced one of them has Jaguars ML https://t.co/MKoJACxkCj pic.twitter.com/MMHYkdXt43
— Shayne Trail (@ShayneTrail) November 26, 2023
Any regular nfl fan who doesn’t think that Texans game was fixed is a complete dumbass.
— Billy Orth (@WillAstrosCoogs) November 26, 2023
#Texans game is straight up fixed. Never in my life seen something like this.
— ChrispyChickens (@ChristopherPry) November 26, 2023
Fixed!!! I can’t bear to watch this fixed game. It was definitely decided that the Texans were going to lose before kickoff!
— Joshua (@Joshua1981aaa) November 26, 2023
Amidst the controversy, C.J. Stroud, the Houston Texans’ promising quarterback and the 2023 No. 2 overall draft pick, etched his name in the NFL record books once more. Stroud surpassed Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s record for the most passing yards by a rookie in their first 11 games. Going into the AFC South showdown in Week 12, Stroud needed 263 passing yards to claim this milestone, and he exceeded expectations by amassing 304 yards. His impressive performance has contributed to the Texans’ season, bringing their record to 6-5.
Looking ahead, the Texans are set to face the resurgent Denver Broncos in their next matchup. The outcome of this game will undoubtedly be closely watched, given the recent controversy and the Texans’ determination to rebound from their narrow loss.