Why Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Texans Debut Was Bigger Than The Stats

It will be some time before the Houston Texans and their fans can assess whether the team's recent trade for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be worth the hefty price.

But no one is going to grumble about MHJ's debut.

The Texans defeated their AFC South rivals, the division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-31 on Sunday, Oct. 18, at London's Wembley Stadium. Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled a game-winning, 49-yard field goal as time expired to avert overtime.

Harrison didn't have a major statistical impact on the game, catching three passes for 34 yards. But, with just a few practices under his belt, he was a significant component of a Houston pass game that carried the offense against a stout Jags defense.

“Marvin Harrison Jr. – they brought him in, he had no really time to practice, and he did exactly what they needed him to do,” said former former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, now an NFL Network analyst, on “GameDay Final.”

Harrison's three catches matched his season high with the Arizona Cardinals, and his 34 receiving yards represented his second-best output of the season in that department.

“He had three first-down catches today," McCoy added. "He’s a big-bodied receiver, and they needed him to go in, catch the ball, help us move the chains, and they did that today. I’m excited to see what this team has moving forward, because that defense will be better. If the offense is rolling like this, everybody look out for the Texans.”

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, a teammate of Harrison's at Ohio State, passed for 312 yards and a season-best three touchdowns while leading the game-winning drive inside the final two minutes − on the heels of Jags kicker Cam Little tying the contest with a 60-yard field goal.

In addition to getting a first down on all of his receptions, all three of Harrison's catches occurred on a Texans scoring drive.

"He looks great to me, quick as ever, fast, stronger," Stroud said before the game. "He likes our offense a lot, likes where he can see himself fit in. I thought he absorbed the playbook as best he can. I think he'll do a great job. He's smart kid, so he should be good."

Harrison joined the team just days before its flight to London.

"I think I can do it all, really," he said. "I'm confident in all my abilities to play this game at a high level. I know all the work that I put in day in and day out. I like to look at myself as a well-rounded receiver. I feel like I can do a lot of things. Whatever role I have on the team, I'm going to do my best with my ability to perfect that role and help the team win games."

Marvin Harrison Jr. trade compensation

The Texans surrendered a second- and sixth-round pick in next year's highly-anticipated draft for Harrison, the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft, and a Round 7 choice in 2027. The Texans, who are projected to be more than $40 million overspent on next year's salary cap, per Over The Cap, must also decide whether to pick up Harrison's expensive, fully-guaranteed fifth-year option (for the 2028 season) next spring.

More: Marvin Harrison Jr. trade winners and losers include C.J. Stroud and Cardinals GM

Has an 0-4 team ever made the NFL playoffs?

It's happened just once, the 1992 San Diego Chargers reaching postseason after dropping their first four games. The Texans, who are now 2-4, are trying to replicate the feat, though they do have recent experience digging out of holes − and with Stroud and coach DeMeco Ryans. Houston won the AFC South in 2023 after starting 0-2 and recovered to salvage a wild card last year after losing its first three games.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Texans debut was bigger than the stats