Houston looks for complete game in Indianapolis
Published 5:15 am Thursday, September 24, 2026
The Houston Texans (0-2) are serving as a prime example of the ebbs and flows of the early stages of an NFL season.
A 36-31 Week One loss against the Buffalo Bills suggested an improved offense and disappointing defense. Last Sunday’s 20-6 home defeat revealed the inverse.
Defensively, while questions still linger around Houston’s secondary, the Texans defensive front seven performed its job in bringing pressure against Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, with a sack a piece for defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, as well as eight tackles for loss as a team.
The problem was an offense that eked out just six total points, clearly missing the services of wide receiver Nico Collins. Collins strained his hamstring in practice last Wednesday and could miss more time. Quarterback CJ Stroud threw for a respectable 353 yards but the Texans were 0-for-4 converting touchdowns in the red zone. Bengals wide receiver Jamar Chase posted 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ryans says he could have used a few stars of his own.
“That’s where we’ve got to check ourselves,” said Ryans. “If you call yourself a playmaker, like where are your plays? Are you making those plays to put the Texans into position to win football games?”
“We just didn’t convert as an offense,” said Texans wide receiver Keshon Outer, who had three catches for 37 yards last week. “Can’t go down and just kick two field goals. Touchdowns matter and that was the difference in the ball game.”
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Up next for the Texans is the season’s first road game at the Indianapolis Colts (0-2) Sunday at noon. Like Houston, the Colts are also looking for victory number one in 2026. The heartbeat of their offense is running back Johnathan Taylor, who signed a two-year contract extension in August. Taylor already has four touchdowns through the first two games of the season.
Meanwhile, Houston’s running back tandem of David Montgomery and Woody Marks combined for just 18 rushing yards on 13 carries. The Texans were so poor in short yardage situations, Ryans opted for a 58-yard field goal instead of going for it on a fourth-and-1 with the Texans down 10-3 in the third quarter. The result was a miss by kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
“We got outplayed up front,” said Ryans.
After allowing Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to wreck havoc in the backfield, another front line disruptor presents a challenge to the Texans offensive line in the form of Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Buckner had a strong game last week, with five total tackles, a sack and a deflected pass in a 33-30 loss at Kansas City.
Sunday’s winner grabs an early lead in the AFC South. Ryans says it’s time to get the Texans clicking on both sides of the ball.
“We have to be connected. It’s too many times where…what we’re expecting to happen isn’t happening. I’ve got to coach it better. If I coach it better, we’re playing a little bit better,” said Ryans.
Lane Fobbs is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Drop him a line on Twitter/X @fobbstalkinball