The memory that defined the Texans rise centers on a November 5, 2023 shootout with the Buccaneers. Rookie QB CJ Stroud erupted for 470 passing yards and five TDs, while Tank Dell piled up 114 yards and two scores in a 39-37 comeback that sent Houston on a playoff trajectory. Noah Brown added an 85-yard bomb, Dalton Schultz produced 130 yards, and Dare Ogunbowale case-marched in as emergency kicker to seal the wild finish.

Now Houston returns to prime time to host Baker Mayfield and TB in a home opener that tests the current version of Stroud and the offense. The win cemented Stroud as a franchise cornerstone and Dell as a budding threat, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame honoring Strouds breakout jersey as a tangible symbol of the scaling height the Texans have reached since that game.