The Houston Texans preserved a historic streak in their 37-21 win over 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The Texans’ win extended a 20-year streak of #1 overall quarterbacks not winning their first start. The last quarterback to secure a win in his regular season debut was David Carr, who led the Texans to a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the Texans’ first ever game as a franchise in 2002.
The Houston Texans were able to protect a streak of David Carr’s with their 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. https://t.co/biYlmPs7Zx
— The Texans Wire (@TheTexansWire) September 13, 2021
The list of quarterbacks who did not win their first start include: Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Alex Smith, JaMarcus Russell, Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow.
Murray led the Arizona Cardinals to a 27-27 tie with the Detroit Lions in 2019. (RELATED: Giants Head Coach Joe Judge On Fans Leaving Stadium: Team Must ‘Earn The Fans’ Respect’)
Despite the loss, Lawrence had a strong showing in his first career start. The first-overall selection completed 28 of 51 passes for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 3 interceptions.
In addition to preserving the historic streak, the Texans also defied the expectations of many. After going into the team as 3.5 point underdogs, Houston scored 27 points in the first half and cruised to victory behind quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running backs Mark Ingram Jr. and Philip Lindsay.
The Texans, who were projected as the worst team in the NFL according to several power ranking polls, are currently in first place in the AFC South after the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans lost their season openers.