The Houston Texans are walking into Week 3 with plenty of pressure on them, and the trip to face the Indianapolis Colts could swing all the way from a season-saving reset to a mess that looks a lot like what they’ve already lived through.
At 0-2, Houston is already staring at a rough start after an offseason that was supposed to clean up the roster’s weak spots. Instead, the Texans are one loss away from matching the 0-3 opening they had at this point last year. That’s the backdrop for this divisional matchup, and it leaves a pretty wide range of outcomes on the table.
The best version of Sunday for Houston is straightforward enough. The offense finally settles in, the red zone trips turn into points, and the defense does what it’s built to do by forcing takeaways.
The Texans have yet to record a turnover through two games, even with an elite defense and Pro Bowl talent on that side of the ball. Last week, the offense at least protected the football by finishing with zero giveaways against the Cincinnati Bengals, but that only solves half the equation.
What Houston needs now is a complete game. A cleaner offensive showing.
More consistency near the goal line. At least one takeaway, maybe more, against the Colts.
And, of course, a first win of the season.
The downside is easy to picture too, and it starts with the same problem that has already defined Houston’s early season: the offense simply not getting enough done. The Texans managed just six points against the Bengals and didn’t score a touchdown, which marked their lowest point total since their Christmas Day loss in 2024. If that kind of outing shows up again, the alarm bells get even louder.
That possibility is made worse by the personnel situation. Nico Collins is out for a second straight game, and the offensive line still hasn’t shown it’s any more dependable than it was last season. Put those pieces together, and another flat offensive performance is very much in play.
And for it to qualify as a true worst-case scenario, the defense would also have to let Jonathan Taylor take over. DeMeco Ryans has made it clear Taylor is the kind of playmaker Houston has to control if it wants to leave Week 3 in better shape.
That’s not just coach-speak; the numbers back it up. In the last eight games the Texans have played against Taylor, he’s averaged more than 23 touches, 120 all-purpose yards, and eight total touchdowns.
If Houston can’t slow him down, the day could get ugly fast. If the Texans can’t score touchdowns again, it could get even worse. That’s the range the Texans are living in heading into their first road trip of the season.
In Other News...
DeMeco Ryans Just Put The Texans' Biggest Early Problem On Himself
The Texans 0-3 start has already turned every narrow miss into a bigger conversation, and the latest one came in a 19-17 loss to the Colts. Houston has flashed enough on offense to suggest the pieces are there, but the results have not followed, and the frustration is starting to land where it often does in a young season, on the coaching staff and how it is handling the details that decide close games.
DeMeco Ryans put that burden on himself after the loss, saying he has not coached well enough and that the team needs better preparation and adjustments. For a Texans team trying to turn promising stretches into actual wins, the issue now is not just execution on Sundays but whether the sideline can help clean up the decision-making and urgency that have kept those games from flipping in Houstons favor. [Read more 🡒]
DeMeco Ryans Is Trying To Stop Texans Pressure From Getting Worse
The Texans are staring at an 0-3 start for the second straight year, and DeMeco Ryans is trying to keep the season from sliding any further before the schedule gets even more unforgiving. He acknowledged the adversity in front of his team and stressed the need for everyone to stay together and keep their attention on the work ahead, a familiar message for a club trying to steady itself after a rough opening month.
Week 4 brings the Dallas Cowboys, a test that will say plenty about whether Houston can clean up its issues and turn the page. Ryans knows the pressure is only going to build if the Texans keep falling behind early, so the next step is less about talk and more about finding a way to play cleaner football when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Are Already Asking Too Much Of C.J. Stroud
Houstons offense has already drifted into a familiar place early in the season, with the ground game failing to match the investment the Texans made at running back and along the offensive line. Through two weeks, the running backs have not consistently generated positive plays, and C.J. Stroud has ended up leading the team in rushing yards, a sign of just how quickly the attack has tilted toward the pass.
For the Texans, that puts an unfair amount on Strouds shoulders and leaves little margin for error if defenses keep treating Houston as a one-dimensional offense. David Montgomery and Woody Marks have not yet given the unit the steadier production it needs, and until that changes, the Texans will keep asking their quarterback to carry far more of the load than any young passer should have to. [Read more 🡒]