The Houston Texans are sitting at a brutal 2-5, a gut punch after a season that saw them tie a franchise record for 12 wins and hit the divisional round three straight times. Anticipation was through the roof this year, with key defensive starters back and weaknesses like the offensive line and running game supposedly fixed in the offseason. Defensive reinforcements like free agent Reed Blankenship and draftee DL MacDonald, an All-American, were supposed to push them over the top. Instead, the optimism evaporated once the regular season kicked off.
The Collapse in Houston: Defense and Coaching Under Fire
It’s been a tough pill to swallow for Texans fans. Not only is the team 2-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference, but they are an alarming 0-4 at home. Zero wins in their own building! Penalties are still a massive issue, four years into the Ryans regime, and head coach Ryans is facing the most negative press of his career. You know it’s bad when fans are calling for Nick Caley to be “fired into the sun.” The chatter isn’t just about Caley either, with fans debating whether DC Matt Burke or DB coach Dino Vasso deserves the “worst coach” award. The defense is getting absolutely picked apart through the air, and too often, defenders look completely lost on coverage schemes and assignments. It’s a mess.
Stroud Shines Amidst Offensive Chaos
Surprisingly, the offense is getting a C grade, mainly because of C.J. Stroud. People figured if the Texans struggled, it’d be on him after his stunning 2025-26 playoff performance and only getting a 5th year option while Will Anderson Jr. got his big second contract. But Stroud is proving everyone wrong, putting that negative press behind him. He’s 5th in the league in passing, and the Texans are 8th in total passing yards. Get this: only three turnovers against him all season, and two of those were in the first game! Nico Collins is still Stroud’s go-to guy, and you could feel his absence when he missed two games due to injury, with the offense only managing two total touchdowns. Jaylin Noel, the second-year receiver who was having a breakout season, is now out with a season-ending injury suffered against the Giants. Dalton Schultz is a solid tight end, but the rest of the receiving corps, including new guy Marvin Harrison Jr., are mostly just… there. It’s not a great look.
Then there’s the running game. Remember how that was a “fixed weakness?” Yeah, it’s not better. Outside of the opener against a weak Bills defense and the London game against Jacksonville, the team has struggled to rush for more than 80 total yards a game. David Montgomery, who had three touchdowns in Week 1, has offered nothing since and missed two games with an injury. Woody Marks is back as the RB1, but he, or any other back on the roster, hasn’t managed more than 66 yards in a single game. This running game needs a serious jolt.
With the season quickly slipping away at 2-5, the Texans need to figure out how to stop the bleeding fast. Their ability to turn things around is critical to salvage any hope and get this team back on track after such high expectations were absolutely blown up.
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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