The Houston Texans left Week 2 with a familiar and ugly number next to their name: 0-2. Sunday’s 20-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was especially rough on an offense that never found its footing, and C.J. Stroud spent his postgame session laying out exactly where things went sideways.
One of the biggest blows came before the game even really got going. Houston was without Nico Collins, its No. 1 target, after the receiver was sidelined by a hamstring injury. Stroud made clear that absence showed up in more than one place, especially when the Texans needed a play on third down or a spark downfield.
“I'm not sure," Stroud said of where he felt the offense missed Collins. "I think the obvious: a couple of third downs and then just some explosive passing game, maybe.
A person like that, not having him, will affect the offense. It's not easy not to have him.”
The Texans also kept running into trouble once they got close to scoring range. They finished with no touchdowns and only six points, and Stroud pointed directly at the red zone and short-yardage failures as the kind of missed chances that usually decide a game.
“If you don't score in the red zone, you probably don't win the game. We get down there, but we got stuffed on a couple of short yardages.
Those are really tough. We have to be able to convert those.
I thought I tried my best to handle what I had to do without Nico I thought we threw the ball pretty decently, but it's those small downs, those downs where it's just, like ‘Dang, if we would have hit that or if we would have did this.’ I think it's tough not having a guy like Nico, for sure.”
Cincinnati’s defense, meanwhile, delivered one of its sharper outings in recent memory. The Bengals didn’t allow a touchdown, their first time doing that since 2022 against the New York Jets, and Stroud said they made life difficult with pressure and constant changes.
“They did a good job of changing it up. I thought a couple of times we picked it up, but some of those third downs we have to keep trying to get the ball out, but they had some good pressure packages. They did a good job.”
Stroud also noted the Bengals were leaning heavily on man coverage and said Houston’s receivers had to do a better job separating. He pointed to a stretch where the Texans tried to settle in offensively, with motion helping the rhythm, and singled out Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel, Jared Wayne and Kayshon Boutte for doing good work. Even so, he said the Texans can’t depend on calls going their way.
“They were just playing really man. Our guys were fighting to get off of some calls I think were questionable, but I think we just got to do a better job on the outside of just winning.
I think when we started to get in the flow of the game, started motioning, I think ‘Hutch’ [WR Xavier Hutchinson] played great. I thought ‘J-Noel’ [WR Jaylin Noel] did great.
I thought ‘J-Wayne’ [WR Jared Wayne] did good as well and of course, [WR Kayshon] Boutte. It's tough sometimes when you don't get the call but you feel like you should.
Can't rely on that. We have to be better.”
The ground game was just as bleak. Houston’s backs finished with 14 carries for 18 yards, a 1.4-yard average that left the offense stuck in mud far too often. Stroud said the Texans need to be able to run the ball better and said the issue will be addressed this week.
“I don't know exactly when, but I know that there was a certain point in the game where we were throwing the ball. Something I think we have to get better at is being able to run the football. It's something that we'll visit this week.”
Houston has been here before, and Stroud acknowledged that too. The Texans also opened last season 0-2, then fell to 0-3 before eventually climbing into the postseason as they did in 2023. That doesn’t make this start any easier, but it does mean the locker room has seen a bad opening stretch turn around before.
“Sadly, we've been here before, but I think we just have to hold each other accountable. We have to get better.
There are a lot of things that we need to be doing better if we're going to win. I think we'll have some conversations this week about that and, you know, get some things fixed.”
In Other News...
Texans Get Needed C.J. Stroud Relief After Scary Week 2 Scene
A postgame limp from C.J. Stroud had enough Texans fans holding their breath after Houstons Week 2 loss to Cincinnati, especially with the quarterback taking a beating while trying to keep the offense moving. Stroud later cleared up the concern, saying the discomfort was normal soreness rather than something more serious, a welcome bit of news after he still managed to finish the game.
For a team staring at an 0-2 start, any hint of trouble around Stroud would have only added to the pressure. Instead, Houston gets some reassurance that its quarterback is not dealing with a significant injury, leaving the Texans focused on fixing the rest of what went wrong while hoping their franchise passer is ready to keep carrying the load. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Have A Growing Jaylin Noel Problem They Cant Ignore
With Nico Collins sidelined in the Week 2 loss to Cincinnati, the Texans were looking for any kind of spark on offense, and Jaylin Noel provided one in a limited role. The second-year receiver turned three catches into 84 yards, flashing the kind of burst and route-running that can change the feel of a drive in a hurry.
DeMeco Ryans acknowledged the growth Noel has shown and hinted that his involvement could expand, which only adds to the intrigue for a Houston offense still searching for reliable answers. The wrinkle, of course, is Collins' eventual return, and how the Texans balance getting their top target back while also making sure Noel's momentum does not get buried on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
DeMeco Ryans Isnt Letting The Texans Hide From This Start
After the Texans were held to six points in a 20-6 loss to the Bengals, DeMeco Ryans made it clear he is not interested in leaning on history or searching for silver linings. Houston has lived through shaky starts before and still found its way into the playoffs, but Ryans said those past seasons offer no positive takeaway now, putting the focus squarely on playing better football and correcting what has gone wrong early.
The 0-2 record looks familiar, but the context around this weeks trip to Indianapolis makes it harder to shrug off. The Colts are next on the schedule in Week 3, and with division rivals also stumbling out of the gate, the Texans have an early chance to keep the AFC South from slipping away before the season really settles in. [Read more 🡒]