HOUSTON — It was a long wait, but Houston Texans wideout John Metchie III scored his first career touchdown to put the Texans up 23-7 against the Detroit Lions.
Metchie, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2022 and missed his rookie season, has been waiting for his breakout performance, and on Sunday, it finally came.
The Texans were operating their two-minute drill, and with 16 seconds left in the half, on third-and-10, quarterback C.J. Stroud found Metchie in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.
Metchie returned to football for the 2023 season but saw limited action and finished with 158 receiving yards. Early this season, his playing time decreased behind All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
But Collins (hamstring) and Diggs (season-ending knee injury) missed the matchup against the Lions, and Metchie took advantage. Not only did he score his first career touchdown, he exceeded his career high in receiving yards (65) in the first half.