The Houston Texans uneven start to their 2022 season continued in Week 2 with a tough 16-9 loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos. After tying with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, the Texans fell short in their second straight winnable game to start the season. Considering how wide open the AFC South looks to be right now, Houston has missed some big opportunities to start the season.

Despite the talent on the Broncos roster, Houston stayed right with them throughout this game. Had a couple of things gone their way, they probably could have upset Denver. Instead, they couldn't capitalize on their opportunity to take down Denver, and are left confused as to what the potential of their team is this season.

For the most part, Houston didn't have a horrible game. But it's clear that, considering they lost, there were some players who struggled throughout this contest. Let's take a look at three such players and examine why their struggles ended up hurting the Texans so badly.

3. Christian Kirksey

It's tough to put Christian Kirksey on this list, because all-in-all, he had an OK day. He finished with five tackles, 0.5 sacks, a QB hit, and a pass deflection. But Kirksey was responsible for the only touchdown of the day, and it ended up being the difference in the game.

The only touchdown scored by either side was a 22-yard pass from Russell Wilson to third-string tight end Eric Saubert. It was a great throw and catch from the quarterback and tight end, but Kirksey ended up finding himself in coverage on this play. For the most part, he was beaten by a good throw, but he gave Saubert the room he needed to make a play on this pass.

It may be unfair to put Kirksey on this list, but considering the lack of action in this game, allowing the only touchdown of the game isn't a great look. Christian Kirksey still had an OK day, but he ends up on this list for being responsible for the touchdown that allowed the Broncos to sneak away with a win here.

2. Derek Stingley Jr. 

The third overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Derek Stingley Jr. has had a bit of a rough start to his career in the NFL. Stingley spent most of his debut going up against Michael Pittman Jr. on the Colts, who ended up finishing with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Week 2 didn't go much better for Stingley against Courtland Sutton.

Even after Jerry Jeudy was forced out of the game with a rib injury, Sutton got pretty much whatever he wanted against Stingley. Sutton hauled in seven passes for 122 yards, and was the only Bronco to catch more than two passes in this game. Stingley had some good plays, such as a goal-line breakup on a pass intended for Sutton, but for the most part, Sutton had his number in this one.

Stingley isn't in a great situation considering he started the season as Houston's top cornerback and is being forced to learn on the fly, but he's going to have to play a lot better moving forward for the Texans. This is two straight weeks he's allowed the opposing team's top wide receiver to cook him, and while he's still young, Derek Stingley Jr.'s expectations as the third overall pick mean improvements should be expected moving forward.

1. Davis Mills

The Texans had every chance to win this game considering they held Wilson and the Broncos offense quiet for most of the day. The main reason they didn't win is because Davis Mills had a very poor game for the Texans under center. If Mills plays even a little bit better here, Houston could have won this game.

Mills finished the game with a very pedestrian statline (19/38, 177 YDS) and failed to take advantage of the countless opportunities he had thrown his way in this game. He struggled to handle Denver's pressure throughout the game, and he wasn't nearly accurate enough to lead Houston to a win here. It was a very strange all-around performance from Mills.

Mills didn't turn the ball over (although he did fumble twice, with both being recovered by Houston) so it's not as if he made any major mistakes; he just didn't do anything to win Houston a game that was being served to them on a silver-platter. That's ultimately what makes him come in at the top of this list.

It's tough to include Stingley and Kirksey on this list because the Texans defense as a whole played well, but no one was really given a shot to perform on offense thanks to Davis Mills' struggles, which is why he ends up with the top spot on this list.