Another game. Another loss. Apparently, the Houston Texans want to be the first NFL team ever to start 0-3 and make the playoffs in 3 separate seasons. At least that's what I'm telling myself to keep from losing hope... It is safe to say that the Houston Texans defense is back. The secondary still needs improvement, but the defense allowed just 19 points, produced 3 turnovers, 6 TFLs, and 4 sacks (ESPN.com). However, the offense has never looked worse. The Indianapolis Colts came into this matchup as the worst defense in the league and still held Houston to only 17 points. Reed Blankenship had an interception, and Will Anderson Jr. had not one, but TWO strip sacks that were recovered by the Texans, and yet the Texans only scored 7 points off of those 3 turnovers. The defense delivered in fashion, but the offense failed again. The Houston Texans' offensive troubles were a result of injuries, poor playcalling, and even poorer run-blocking. Cj Stroud has been a huge target of criticism since the 2025 postseason, but make no mistake, he is currently the only bright spot on this offense. Montgomery and Marks both averaged 3 yards per carry, and the longest run of the day was 9 yards. The two running backs combined for 48 carries, and the best result was a 9-yard run (ESPN.com). To say the running game has been poor would be an understatement. To make matters worse, Cj Stroud's top 3 wide receivers are all injured. Nico Collins missed the game with a hamstring injury, Jayden Higgins tore his ACL before the season started, and Tank Dell is still on IR. Houston lacked quality and depth in receiving going into the game, and it showed. I am unable to find exactly how many, but multiple catches were dropped by Texans receivers, and several of them were on crucial downs. Nick Caley again decided to call an outside zone to the right on a crucial 4th down in the red zone (yes, the same play that failed against the Bengals), and it failed horribly. Again. This is just one example of poor playcalling from Nick Caley, who seems to be allergic to running the ball to the left side of the field. The right side of the offensive line looks downright awful. The Texans need Ed Ingram and Braden Smith back from injury for the running game to stand a chance. Cj Stroud has been left without a run game, with mediocre pass blocking, and an extremely inconsistent receiver room. Anyone who blames the offensive woes on the quarterback hasn't been watching the games. Cj Stroud isn't the problem; the group surrounding him is. The defense isn't the problem; the offense is. Cj Stroud has definitely improved this season, but the rest of the offense seems to have regressed. Hopefully, the return of receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell can give this offense a spark, but if they don't, a serious change could be coming in Houston. Nick Caley received a mediocre offense, and now it is one of the worst in the NFL. If the Texans lose to the Cowboys next week, then postseason hopes could quickly be out the window. This Houston Texans core is too young and too talented to watch other teams pass them by, so changes must be made.

Yes. You are reading correctly. Will Anderson Jr. is the player of the week for the second straight week. It would be impossible to pick a player from the offense for this game, which leaves the defense. Nobody made bigger plays than Will Anderson Jr. Anderson had 2.5 sacks today, and 2 of them were strip sacks. The first strip sack was recovered by Anderson as well and gave the Texans the ball in field goal range. Unfortunately, poor playcalling on a fourth and 1 resulted in a turnover on downs for the Texans offense. However, Anderson's second strip sack allowed the Texans to score a touchdown and claim their only lead of the game late in the 4th quarter. Will Anderson also played a huge role in holding Jonathon Taylor to an average of 3 yards per carry. Will Anderson Jr. had 3 TFLs and was so effective that the Colts were forced to stop running in his direction. Will Anderson Jr was a monster against the Colts, and forced them to avoid him at all costs.