3 Biggest Texans Concerns That Could Cost Them Again in Week 5

The Houston Texans have looked far from perfect through the start of their 2026 campaign, which has inevitably left them with a deep 0-4 hole to climb out of moving forward.

This week, the Texans have a date with their AFC South rival Tennessee Titans on tap, which could offer a great opportnity for Houston to get back on track. The Titans are one of four teams in the NFL still left with a winless record at this point in the year, and have a combined record of 6-32 dating back to 2024.

However, for the Texans to right the ship in Week 5 in Nashville, there's a select few concerns this team will have to iron out to flip the script from their past four weeks. And if those aren't solved, maybe a Titans upset wouldn't be crazy to imagine.

Let's sort through three of the biggest concerns the Texans need to address heading into Week 5 with hopes they can spark their first win of the new season:

1. Lack of Juice in the Run Game

Oct 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) hands off to running back David Montgomery (32) during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' run game has been among the worst in the NFL through four games.

While the Texans' five rushing touchdowns place them within the top 10 teams in the league for the stat, their total rushing yards (335) and yards per carry (3.4) rank in the bottom five.

David Montgomery hasn't seen the same highs he reached in Week 1 with his hat trick of touchdowns, and while Woody Marks has looked a bit better than his rookie campaign, his upside of explosiveness and pass-catching ability still hasn't been able to save Houston's gloomy results on the ground.

Everyone in the building knows the run game has to take a step forward this week. DeMeco Ryans has made it an emphasis heading into this weekend, C.J. Stroud made it clear that he wants to see better success following Week 4's loss, and could lead to the running backs being more involved this Sunday.

If those blocks upfront continue not to hold up, though, or the running backs can't find any sense of efficiency in the opportunities they get, it'll once again be tough sledding for this offense to really build the necessary momentum to be the balanced group they want to be.

2. Secondary Continues to Stumble

Oct 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb (88) stiff arms Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (3) at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Head coach DeMeco Ryans returning to his post as the Texans' defensive play-caller might be able to inspire the change Houston needs on their defense. But what Houston really needs to get right on the defensive side of the ball is their secondary––because things have been rough four games in.

The Texans are one of six teams in the NFL to have allowed over 1,000 yards through four weeks of action. Keep in mind, this Houston defense has what many considered to be the best secondary unit on paper heading into the season, but now has numbers that rank them near the bottom of the pack.

Kamari Lassiter has been underwhelming by allowing over 100 yards in two of his four games. Reed Blankenship's fit in the secondary hasn't been as seamless as many had imagined, and leaves this defense with a huge problem to solve in order to lift back to their elite status of 2025.

Houston will have a much-easier task on their hands this week against a Tennessee passing offense, who's ranked in the bottom five of the league for total passing yards and passing touchdowns. So if this game can't offer a get-right opportunity for the Texans' secondary, it's hard to find a game on the schedule that will.

3. Turnovers Remain Limited (for the Defense)

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) prays before playing against the Buffalo Bills at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On one hand, the Texans' offense has done a great job of controlling the ball and limiting giveaways pretty effectively through the past four games.

Particularly in the case of C.J. Stroud, while he did give up two fumbles in game one against the Buffalo Bills, he has yet to throw an interception in any of his four starts thus far. That's a big win for the Texans' quarterback.

Yet, at the same time, the Texans' defense hasn't been able to complement Stroud's play with many giveaways coming their way.

Houston has gone without recording a turnover in three of their four games thus far, with their only takeaways coming in Week 3 against turnover-prone Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts, and even those couldn't help get a win on the board.

Coming out in Nashville to claim at least one turnover–– if not more–– will be key for the Texans to play to their full potential. If not, it puts more weight on Stroud's shoulders to carry the load offensively, and that doesn't tend to be as great of a formula for success as a dominant defensive day would be.

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