From 0-3 to Dangerous: How the Texans Became One of the AFC’s Toughest Outs
Back in September, when the Houston Texans stumbled to an 0-3 start, the writing seemed to be on the wall. History hasn’t been kind to teams that dig themselves that kind of hole-especially not in a league where every game feels like a playoff audition.
Statistically, the odds were stacked sky-high against them. And frankly, through those first three weeks, Houston didn’t look like a team ready to defy the math.
The defense? It was solid from the jump.
But even with a few flashes of promise, it wasn’t clear if that unit could carry the weight of an offense that, at the time, looked stuck in neutral. For most of September, the Texans offense was one of the most ineffective groups in football.
It wasn’t until late in their Week 4 win over the Titans-specifically, the fourth quarter-that we saw the first real signs of life. That’s when something shifted.
Was it Davis Mills stepping in for a concussed C.J. Stroud that sparked the turnaround?
Maybe. Or maybe it was just the moment everything started to click.
Either way, the Texans began to look like a team that had figured something out.
Since then, it’s been a slow, steady climb. The offense found its rhythm.
The defense, which was already playing well, took things up a notch-getting to the quarterback more consistently, forcing turnovers, and playing with a level of physicality that made every snap a battle. Suddenly, this wasn’t the same team that started the season in a fog.
This was a group that looked like it belonged in the playoff conversation.
Now here we are, staring down the first weekend of December, and the Texans are sitting at 7-5. Not only are they alive in the AFC playoff race-they might be the most dangerous team that isn’t currently in the field.
That’s not hyperbole. That’s the kind of respect they’ve earned over the past two months.
And it all starts at the top.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans has done more than just steady the ship-he’s built a culture. A culture of belief, toughness, and accountability.
The kind of environment where players don’t flinch when things go sideways. Where they play for each other, trust the process, and bring the same energy whether they’re up 10 or down 14.
“We have that true resolve,” Ryans said. “No one play is going to get us in a tank and nobody's going down. Everybody understands it's a 60-minute battle each and every time we step out there, and we're playing full 60-minute games now, and that's the difference.”
That mindset has clearly taken root. Defensive end Danielle Hunter pointed to discipline as the key difference between the early-season Texans and the version we’re seeing now.
“At the beginning of the season, there was one play where one guy would be out of position,” Hunter said. “Whether it be offense, defense, or special teams.
Football is a game of inches. It’s a game of whoever makes the least amount of mistakes.
That’s the team that comes out on top.”
Safety Calen Bullock echoed that sentiment, highlighting how the team has bought into the idea of finishing-on every play, in every phase of the game.
“Everybody is just going out there believing and doing their job and knowing that their brother is going to do the job already,” Bullock said.
And then there’s Will Anderson Jr., who’s been a tone-setter on defense and a vocal leader in the locker room. His take? It’s all about energy and chemistry.
“Everybody's been coming up to work with great energy, great vibes,” Anderson said. “We’re just going to gel and play complimentary football, and that’s what you got to have in this last push.”
That “last push” is where things get real. The Texans are in the thick of a crowded AFC playoff picture, and every game from here on out is going to feel like a must-win.
But if you’ve been watching this team closely, you know they’re built for this. They’ve already taken the hard road.
They’ve already faced the adversity. And they didn’t just survive it-they got better because of it.
Whether it’s discipline, resolve, belief, or energy-pick your word. They all apply to this Texans team. And if they keep trending the way they are, we may look back on that 0-3 start not as the beginning of the end, but as the spark that lit something special.