Two high-profile Week 5 decisions prompted the same question Sunday: what were they thinking? The Washington Commanders ran out the clock late in overtime while in field-goal range against the New York Giants, and the Houston Texans followed their first win of the season by trading for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
In overtime against the Giants, the Commanders advanced into field-goal range but ran the clock down and the game ended without Washington getting an opportunity to attempt a potential game-winning kick. The play call and clock management in the closing minute of overtime drew immediate attention.
The Texans, coming off their first victory, acquired Harrison from the Arizona Cardinals in a deal that sent Houston’s second- and sixth-round picks to Arizona in exchange for a seventh-round choice and Harrison. The move came from a Texans club that was 1-4 and whose playoff chances sat at 23.2 percent after Sunday’s win, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
Harrison entered the 2024 draft as one of the most highly regarded wide receiver prospects in recent memory after a standout run at Ohio State. Scouts and draft analysts projected him among the top players in the class. The trade suggests Houston views Harrison’s college profile and age—available soon after he turned 24—as a rare opportunity to land a player with that background.
Harrison’s pro production has so far fallen short of lofty expectations. Since 2024, he ranks 70th of 130 wideouts in yards per route run (1.54) and 44th in receiving yards per game (47.8). The Texans already have Nico Collins on the roster, and the franchise’s willingness to move sizable draft capital recalls an earlier aggressive decision: after drafting C.J. Stroud in 2023, Houston traded two first-round picks and a second to move up and select edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
