The Texans came back from Wembley with a win that carried real weight. Houston went across the pond, took on the division-leading Jaguars, and came away with a result despite Jacksonville having already played in England the week before and not dealing with the same body-clock issues. That made the victory stand out even more for a Texans team that is now 2-4 but has won two straight road games against division rivals.
Now Houston returns home to NRG Stadium for a Week 7 matchup with the New York Giants of New Jersey, and the early betting market is leaning hard in the Texans’ direction. FanDuel opened with Houston favored at home, a number shaped by the Texans’ recent run and the uncertainty hanging over the Giants at quarterback.
New York enters at 3-2-1 and still sits atop the NFC East, but the last two weeks have not gone smoothly. The Giants tied Washington and then lost to New Orleans, dropping a 34-27 decision in which the Saints had built a 34-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
With starter Jaxson Dart out for the season, the Giants had to go with backup Jameis Winston, and then turned to recent trade acquisition J.J. McCarthy in the fourth quarter.
McCarthy finished 11-of-21 for 243 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT, and he helped put New York in position to possibly tie or win on the final drive.
That quarterback situation is a big reason this line opened where it did, but Houston isn’t exactly bulletproof right now. The Texans are still having issues on defense and have yet to win at home, sitting at 0-3 at NRG. They’ve also had very little success against the Giants historically, winning only once in six meetings, and that came back in 2002.
Even with all of that, this matchup has the look of a spot where Houston is being given the benefit of the doubt. The Giants have the roster questions, the Texans have the momentum, and this is landing in a tricky stretch for Houston between an international game and a bye week. That’s why the line could move as the week goes on, especially once the Giants’ quarterback picture becomes clearer and both teams work through their injury situations.
In Other News...
Texans Got The Win They Needed But One Concern Just Grew
The Texans got the kind of win they badly needed against Jacksonville, and the game looked a lot more like the sort of close, physical AFC South fight they have to win if they want to stay in the mix. Houston was evenly matched with the Jaguars on both sides of the ball, but there were signs of real progress too, especially in the run game, where the Texans turned in their best rushing performance of the season. The passing attack also showed more life, with Jaylin Noel, Nico Collins and Marvin Harrison Jr. all part of a better-looking afternoon through the air.
DeMeco Ryans also managed the game more cleanly, particularly late, when clock control and end-of-game decisions mattered most. Even with those encouraging signs, the bigger concern is hard to ignore: the defense does not look like the steady force it was in previous seasons. For a team trying to build momentum, the offenses gains are encouraging, but the Texans still have to prove the other side of the ball can hold up when the schedule starts demanding more. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Just Got The Texans Weapon Fans Wanted
The Texans trip to London ended with a win over Jacksonville, giving Houston back-to-back victories and another reminder that the offense can look dangerous when it gets rolling. The bigger storyline for plenty of fans, though, was Marvin Harrison Jr. finally making his Texans debut after the trade from Arizona, putting him back alongside C.J. Stroud after their Ohio State days.
Harrisons first game in Houston came with immediate usefulness, as all three of his catches moved the chains for first downs and covered 34 yards. Stroud continued to drive the offense with 312 passing yards and three touchdowns, and the early chemistry between the quarterback and his new target is the kind of development the Texans have been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
Carnell Tate May Be Giving Titans Offense Exactly What It Needed
The Titans finally got a jolt of life with their first win of the season, and wide receiver Carnell Tate had a hand in the kind of play that can change a sidelines mood fast. Tate pointed to his consistent preparation as the reason he was ready when the opportunity came, turning a long-awaited touchdown into more than just a stat line and giving Tennessee a needed reminder that the work can still show up on game day.
For the Texans, news around the division has a little extra weight right now, especially with Jacksonville off to a 4-1 start and owner Shad Khan publicly upbeat about the direction there. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has kept the focus on the Texans own energy and persistence despite long playoff odds, but a division in motion means every small spark elsewhere still matters, particularly when a rival like Tennessee suddenly looks a little harder to overlook. [Read more 🡒]