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.
“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.”
