Trey McBride waited, knowing the reporters were down the hall listening to Jonathan Gannon, knowing that everyone wanted to talk to him even though – after another harsh loss, this one in Houston, 40-20 – McBride probably would've rather just headed to the bus.

The tight end wore the emotion of the afternoon on his face in front of his locker. He had a great day, despite everything. "He's the best tight end in the league," his quarterback, Jacoby Brissett said. "And I don't think it's really close." He was the owner of two more NFL records for tight ends.

And yet.

"Honestly, it's whatever," McBride said. "It's cool. Yeah, it's great. But it doesn't really matter.

"I'm proud of the team, I'm proud of the way we fought. It's not about me. It's about the team."

For the record – or is it for the records? -- McBride had his first five catches on the Cardinals' second drive, his last a touchdown to cap an impressive individual showing on one possession. It also made sure early that he would own the NFL record for consecutive games – 16 and counting at this point – of at least five receptions by a tight end.

His 12 catches, tying his career-best for a game, put him at 105, making him the first tight end in NFL history to have back-to-back 100-catch seasons. Zach Ertz's NFL record of 116, set in 2017, seems destined to fall with three games left.

McBride's 134 yards, the best game of his career in that category, put him over 1,000 yards for a second straight season. His two touchdown catches gives him 10 this season – remember when McBride supposedly had trouble getting to pay dirt? – and broke the franchise record of TD catches in a season, which was nine by Hall of Famer Jackie Smith.

"I'm proud of him," Gannon said. "He kept his composure. (The Texans) obviously had a plan for him. He still makes plays."

That was the thing. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said in his halftime TV interview his team needed to slow McBride. They couldn't.

"There isn't much more to say about him. You turn the film on … his will to win jumps out," Brissett said. "They are doing everything in their power to take him out of the game and he (still) goes off."

-- Gannon said he thought the makeshift offensive line didn't do a bad job considering the Texans' defensive firepower. Rookie Josh Fryar got the start at left tackle, but Demontrey Jacobs subbed in to get work at the position as well, in a move Gannon said was planned to get a look at both.

-- It was not a great day for the defense, but rookie Walter Nolen III returned to the field after missing the past two games. He drew a holding call, he knocked down a pass, and on Akeem Davis-Gaither's sack, he ticked C.J. Stroud's foot just enough to slow the Houston QB down as ADG hammered him from behind as Stroud tried to get away.

-- Calais Campbell last had a field-goal block in 2022. He had one Sunday, the 10th of his career and the seventh as a Cardinal. He's been great on special teams his whole career, but when you look up his special teams snaps and see that he still gets a significant amount (and has every year) now late into his 18th season, it's just a marvel.

-- Running back Michael Carter almost had 100 yards from scrimmage running and receiving and averaged 4.0 yards per carry in a quietly solid game. Bam Knight did not look in great shape after hurting his ankle, so the Cardinals may be down there again. Cory Kiner got his first two carries for Arizona, gaining 11 yards.

-- Wide receiver Andre Baccellia provided a scare with his neck injury, and while he was able to fly home with the team, I think the Cardinals have had enough of the devastating on-field injury stoppages. Baccelllia was the fourth Cardinal – after James Conner, Tip Reiman and Travis Vokolek – who had to be carted off the field this season.

-- Cardinals adjacent, but with Philip Rivers playing Sunday for the Colts after five years out of the game, his Hall of Fame clock officially resets. (Players must be out of the game for five years before being Hall-eligible; so Rivers now moves to the 2031 first-timers.) The thing was, Rivers was a Hall semifinalist this year – alongside Larry Fitgerald. There were 26 semifinalists, so that shrinks to 25. There will soon be a cut to 15, and then the final vote is announced Super Bowl Week early next year.

-- The last word goes to McBride, who pushed back on the idea the Cardinals have been affected by being eliminated from the playoffs a couple weeks ago.

"No. not at all. I feel like we are right there. We just have to play better as a team collectively. We've got to play as a team. And we're not right now."

That's all for today. Time to fly home.