3 Key Lessons From Cardinals’ Crushing Loss vs Texans

For the 11th time in their last 12 games, the Arizona Cardinals found themselves in the loss column, as they were beaten 40–20 by the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.

Houston was able to score early and often, with its first touchdown coming on the second play from scrimmage. The Texans totaled 40 points, marking the fourth time in the past six games that Arizona has allowed its opponent to score 40 or more points.

The defensive struggles continued from last week against Los Angeles, while a potent passing offense produced 235 yards from Jacoby Brissett, but the rushing attack was poor once again.

Houston outgained the Cardinals 399-307, as the Texans' edge was firmly in the run game, but they also maintained slightly more passing yards as well.

While Trey McBride’s incredible performance was clearly the highlight, there were still a couple more takeaways to be made from the latest Arizona loss.

RECAP: Cardinals Humbled Again as Texans Hand Them Week 15 Loss

Trey McBride is a historic talent

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) and tight end Pharaoh Brown (49) celebrate a touchdown during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It’s obvious that McBride is the most impressive player on the Cardinals roster, but he just keeps performing week after week and might be getting even better.

His 12 receptions were a season high and tied his career high from a season ago, while his 134 yards set a new career high for the tight end. With two touchdowns to top it off, McBride had a terrific day that showcased just how effective he can be.

Especially against a defense like Houston’s, he was finding ways to get open at will and was the most dependable option for Brissett throughout the ballgame. McBride made history on Sunday as well, passing Travis Kelce for the most consecutive games with five-plus receptions.

He obviously totaled more than double that, but his now 16-game streak set a new NFL record in the statistic. McBride might not be at Kelce’s level in terms of all-time tight ends, but he’s certainly on that trajectory.

After facing the Texans, McBride has 937 yards on the season, and there’s little doubt that he’ll surpass 1,000 yards next week against the Falcons. He just keeps executing at such a high level, and the matchup with Houston certainly opened some eyes during an otherwise forgettable performance.

The defense keeps putting the Cardinals out of reach

The score obviously tells enough of the story, but based on the individual drives, it’s apparent that Arizona’s defense is putting the team out of games before the offense can even get settled.

In this one, the Texans scored on the second play from scrimmage, while last week against the Rams, Los Angeles scored points on each of its first five drives. The Jaguars and Buccaneers games were much closer losses, but against the 49ers and Seahawks before that, the defense put those games out of reach in the first half as well.

The Cardinals are severely undermanned, as CB Max Melton, S Jalen Thompson, and S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson were all ruled out with injuries ahead of the contest. LB Mack Wilson Sr. is also on injured reserve, giving Arizona four key starters out, which is a main reason why the defense was so poor against Houston.

But every team deals with injuries, and the Cardinals have not responded. The defense just hasn’t been good enough, and Brissett and the offense aren’t being put in positions to compete. With 17 Texans points in the first quarter, this one was arguably over after 15 minutes, as it’s clear that major changes need to be made to the defense moving forward.

READ: How Cardinals Were Doomed in Week 15 Loss to Texans

Brissett might be a viable option for next year

Some might disagree with this, but I think Brissett might be Arizona’s best option at quarterback for next season.

With Kyler Murray’s tenure in Arizona looking finished, the Cardinals will have a decision to make. Some options include drafting a quarterback in the first round, trading for a quarterback, or signing one in free agency, but having Brissett run it back might be the best of all the possible scenarios.

He’s under contract for another year, and during his time as the starter this season, Brissett has thrown for 240 yards in all nine starts.

The matchup with the Texans actually included the lowest passing-yardage total at 249, which speaks volumes about his effectiveness this season.

Brissett has also thrown a touchdown in every single start this year, and multiple touchdowns in all but one of those games. He’s not the flashiest or most exciting quarterback out there, but he’s been good enough to win games.

Unfortunately, he’s 1–8 on the season, but because of defensive miscues and special teams mistakes, like the fumbled kickoff against Houston, other areas on the Arizona roster have been the main issues.

Change is coming, and it’s just a matter of how much change occurs for the Cardinals, but a switch at quarterback might not be the best idea. The 2026 draft class isn’t particularly strong at the position, and Brissett hasn’t been bad by any stretch of the imagination.

The loss in Houston was further evidence of that, even though the 40–20 result wasn’t the way the Cardinals wanted things to go.