Remember all that talk about the Houston Texans’ defense carrying the squad this season? Yeah, well, last weekend’s game against the Buffalo Bills threw a wrench into that narrative faster than you can say ‘touchdown.’ The Texans’ defense surrendered the most points they’d given up in a game since way back in the 2023 season, letting Josh Allen snag an elusive W at NRG Stadium. Meanwhile, the offense, which we all thought was a long way from prime time, actually put up 31 points and came within one play of hitting 37 and pulling off a win. Crazy how fast things flip, right?
Early Season Jitters and the Injury Bug Bites Hard
What a brutal way to kick off the season. The defense, which was supposed to be the backbone, looked anything but. Houston’s secondary, especially newly added safety Reed Blankenship, got absolutely torched, smoked like a Rudy’s brisket time and again. The only real bright spot? David Montgomery, who exploded for 3 scores in his H-Town debut, proving he’s here to play. But it wasn’t just on the field that things got messy. Legendary receiver Andre Johnson publicly criticized C.J. Stroud for “pouting” and “bad body language.” And honestly, the team did not look well prepared when they took the field against the Bills. Talk about a rough start!
Then came Wednesday, and another gut punch. Just when you think things can’t get worse, Nico Collins suffers yet another hamstring injury at practice. Doctors “don’t believe it’s serious,” sure, but his status for Sunday’s game against the Bengals is officially in jeopardy. Add that to Jayden Higgins already being on IR, and suddenly the Texans are down both of their starting wide receivers. Henry To’oTo’o is also on injured reserve. It’s only week two, and this 53-man roster is already down three starters. Nick Caserio better hope that “solid Houston Texans depth chart” he supposedly assembled can actually weather all these early injuries, because they need to slow down already!
Is It Time to Panic? Hold Up.
So, the wheels seem to be falling off, right? Injury after injury, a defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and a quarterback getting bashed for his attitude. Should every Texans fan start praying for the 2027 season? Not so fast. While this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals is crucial, let’s pump the brakes on the doomsday talk. History actually offers a little comfort: the Texans’ week one record over the last five seasons isn’t a solid predictor of how they finish. In 2025, they lost week one but finished 12-5. In 2024, they won but finished 10-7. They’ve even gone 0-3 to start a season and still made the playoffs, twice! So while this team needs to tighten up ASAP, especially that secondary, there’s no reason to throw in the towel just yet. Let’s see what they bring against the Bengals this weekend, because these guys have got to prove they can bounce back.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Battle Red Blog.
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