The Texans hosted the Cardinals on Sunday as part of the NFL’s Week 15 slate of action and wasted zero time in taking an early lead. Houston scored two touchdowns in the first 15 minutes and tacked on a field goal to finish the first quarter up 17-0 on the hapless visiting side.
The second touchdown of the day came from Woody Marks at the goal line in which the Texans appeared to creatively snap the ball right to the running back, rather than having C.J. Stroud hand it off.
Watch the ball 👀#ProBowlVote + Woody Marks
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 14, 2025
📺 : @nflonfox pic.twitter.com/6oCS7y2oBy
A cool idea, and it obviously worked to perfection. However, the play has sparked controversy and confusion among the fantasy football community.
For those unaware, the final weeks of the NFL season coincide with fantasy football playoffs. In most leagues Week 15 is the first round of fantasy football postseason play. Therefore there were many people, both Texans fans and otherwise, ecstatic to see Marks score the touchdown.
Those same people were subsequently dismayed to learn that, in some leagues, Marks’s touchdown didn’t count as a rushing touchdown. ESPN and other major fantasy companies ruled that Marks didn’t run it in. Rather, they ruled Marks recovered a fumble and then scored—which, in standard ESPN leagues, does not count for any points.
It’s not entirely clear why that’s the case. The end zone view showed the play was pretty clearly designed as an intentional snap to Marks. But it did hit the ground, which could have been enough to change the ruling on the play from a rushing TD to a fumble recovery.
ASÍ ES… WOODY MARKS NOS DA OTROS 6️⃣ 7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/QbmoTCIIkt
— Somos Texans (@SomosTexans) December 14, 2025
As you can imagine this ruling was not well-received by anyone in the fantasy football community. Fans were outraged and more than a little confused as to why Marks was not credited for a rushing touchdown.
GIVE WOODY MARKS HIS POINTS!!!!
— Swoop (@Mike_Swoop) December 14, 2025
Switching platforms next year if you don’t give Woody Marks his TD back
— ` (@Backstreet5iveL) December 14, 2025
Don’t care give woody marks his TD!!!!
— Blake Cwieka (@bcwieka) December 14, 2025
Woody Marks was robbed, do your job, direct snap
— Bean Soup (@ClaudeArizona) December 14, 2025
Woody Marks should have a TD run. The play’s designed progression was not disrupted.
— GHG27 (@ghg2716091) December 14, 2025
Woody marks direct snap td… espn is a joke… how does he not have those points right now? I’m getting both my leagues off espn next year
— Mike Himmel (@MHimmms) December 14, 2025
@CBSFantasy Why isn't Woody Marks awarded 6 points for the TD he scored?? pic.twitter.com/srrzIOXI96
— David White (@HonestInjun19) December 14, 2025
@CBSFantasy @JameyEisenberg bro it’s ridiculous that Woody Marks TD hamst been scored on CBS!?! Come on guys good grief
— The Peoples Champ (@ScottG305) December 14, 2025
@ESPNFantasy COUNT THE WOODY MARKS TD PLEASE IT WAS CLEARLY A RUSH IF I LOSE MY PLAYOFF GAME BECAUSE OF THIS I WILL BE PISSED
— piano.135 (@Pgh_memes123) December 14, 2025
It is pretty strange to see. But ESPN and other fantasy companies have the ability to change the ruling again at any given time. It will be quite interesting to see if that happens and how it swings the outcomes of fantasy football championship runs across the NFL’s fans.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Texans’ Creative TD for Woody Marks Sparks Confusion Among Fantasy Football Fans.