In Week 1, the Houston Texans fell to the Buffalo Bills 31-36, but it wasn't all bad for the Texans. Week 1 provided a completely new perspective on what Houston Texans football could look like. Last season, the Texans defense allowed the fewest yards per game and was 2nd-best in points allowed per game (espn.com).  To contrast, the Texans were 18/32 in the NFL in total offense (foxsports.com). The Texans' defense won games last season, but the offense always lagged behind. However, the game against the Bills told a different story. The Texans' defense appeared sluggish: the defensive line was largely unable to pressure Josh Allen, the secondary gave up many explosive plays, and many uncharacteristic mistakes were made by the defense.  However, on a day when the defense was downright awful, the offense came just over 15 yards from bailing them out. The offense scored 31 points, but not only did they score, but they also RESPONDED! This game featured EIGHT lead changes. The Texans' offense was able to keep up with the Bills' offense for nearly the entire game. Cj Stroud looked like an above average quarterback, completing 26/38 of his passes for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns (espn.com). The offensive line also looked much better than last season, and debut running back David Montgomery had an amazing 3-touchdown day. However, two strip sacks on Cj Stroud proved too much for the offense to overcome. The first one allowed Buffalo to begin the drive in field goal range and settle for three points, and the second allowed the Buffalo Bills to kneel the ball and win the game. There is a real reason to be optimistic about the offensive group in Houston this year, but now the question becomes whether or not the Texans defense can return to form. Last year the Texans started off the season slow, losing their first 3 games, but still found themselves playoff-bound by week 17. This defense should bounce back, as there is no lack of talent and good coaching. If the offense can continue to grow while this defense returns to its 2025 season level, then the Texans could become the most dangerous team in the AFC. Be watching for the defense to have a get-back game in Week 2 against the Bengals after being utterly humiliated by the Bills at home.

Week 2 was a major disappointment, as the Bengals handled Houston 20-6. As I expected in the Week 1 reaction, the defense did bounce back and had a decent game.  The defense came up with 5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss (ESPN.com).  The secondary still lacks, but it has shown flashes at times. However, the Texans defense has yet to create a turnover this season, which is a huge factor in why the Texans begin this season 0-2. To make matters worse, miscues plagued the Texans' offense and special teams. The Texans ruined 2 field goal attempts, one of which was a result of faulty placeholding, and the other fell just inches short of being good. Additionally, the offensive playcalling from Nick Caley was disappointing. On 4th and 2 inches inside the 30, he called an outside zone run instead of the usual tight end sneak, which got blown up for a loss. In the first 3 quarters, Cj Stroud was playing very well, but several key third downs were given to running backs Woody Marks and David Montgomery on a day when neither of them was averaging more than 2 yards. In the final quarter, pass protection broke down, and Cj Stroud was sacked 4 times and was forced into an intentional grounding penalty (ESPN.com). Although pass protection didn't deteriorate too much until the final quarter, run blocking was awful, and multiple penalties were called on the offensive line throughout the entire game. This game was a wake-up call for the Houston Texans. The secondary must be sharper, the defense must make plays, special teams must do their jobs, and the offense line needs to show up. The defense took a step in the right direction, but the offense took a huge step back. Special teams and offensive execution must be better if this team still has its sights set on a deep playoff run.