3 Reasons Texans Can Be Optimistic After 0-3 Start, And 3 Reasons Not to Be

After three weeks of NFL regular season action, the Houston Texans find themselves as one of five teams in the league without a win on their record— coming out to the same 0-3 record that they sat at this time last season.

And it was this time last season that marked the beginning of a drastic midseason turnaround for the Texans. While they would go 3-2 over the following five weeks, they'd go on to win a whopping nine straight to close out their schedule, finish at 12-5, and leap into the postseason for a third consecutive year.

So perhaps there's a chance the Texans are able to make a similar feat happen for a second straight year. However, even while there might be some built-in optimism based on the talent we know this Houston roster has, there's also a few reasons to point towards as to why another mid-season pivot could be a bit too tough to imagine this time around.

With that in mind, let's break down three different reasons as to why the Texans should have an increased sense of optimism moving forward, as well as three other reasons that can temper expectations a bit:

Reasons the Texans Can Have Optimism

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) catches a pass before playing against the Las Vegas Raiders at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nico Collins Has Only Played One Game

The Texans' air attack has been a pretty dire problem for the Texans––at least through their past two games––as the pass-catching talent around C.J. Stroud clearly hasn't provided enough explosiveness, separation, or catching ability to facilitate anything more than a below-average result.

However, it's also fair to keep in mind that the Texans haven't had Nico Collins in the lineup since his hamstring strain after Week 1, which has clearly been a devastating short-term loss knowing he's their No. 1 weapon and Stroud's favorite target when healthy.

Signs seem to be pointing towards Collins' return to the Texans' offense this week against the Dallas Cowboys, so perhaps his presence can be exactly the spark this team could use right now.

The Defense Remains Among League's Most Talented

For as many issues as the offense has had three games into the year, Houston's elite defense has managed to mostly step up to the occasion in two of their last three outings; the lone exception being Week 1 against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

Since then, the Texans' defense has limited Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to 201 passing yards and 20 points, generated four sacks and three turnovers on the Indianapolis Colts this past week, and showed that they're more than capable of rising back to the level they once were in 2025.

But the Texans' defense, when paired with a lackluster scoring attack, tends to not look quite as strong as they did finishing off the second half of last season. Because at the end of the day, that lack of scoring production is what's really limited Houston to a winless three games.

They've Been Here Before

You don't have to look too far back to find the last time the Texans started the season off 0-3, considering they were right in this spot last season after a Week 3 loss to their AFC South rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Back at that time, it felt like everybody in the building was on the hot seat, and the sky was falling. And it feels like a largely similar situation that this team was in last year.

So if us on the outside can recognize that, the players in the locker room certainly know how to approach this three-game skid and turn things around for an eventual double-digit win finish and a playoff appearance.

Of course, there's a lot of work to be done for that 180-degree shift to happen for a second straight year, but there's no team better equipped to pull off a midseason turnaround than DeMeco Ryans' group.

Reasons to Feel Pessimistic on the Texans

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley talks with head coach DeMeco Ryans during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another Potentially Failed O-Line Renovation

After a primary focus of the Texans' offseason was all about re-shaping the offensive line, by making moves such as drafting Keylan Rutledge and signing veterans like Evan Brown, Wyatt Teller, and Braden Smith.

But three games into the year, and this front certainly hasn't made the drastic shift that the front office had hoped for.

Run-blocking remains poor, Stroud has been sacked 10 times on the season already, and the signs are already pointing in the direction of another year of lackluster offensive line play killing the potential of this offense entirely. And if that's going to be the end result, it's hard to imagine this team having any different ceiling than a divisional round exit.

Zero Life in the Run Game

This point goes hand-in-hand with the Texans' offensive line shortcomings, but there's no doubt that Houston's running backs and overall plan in the run game have been nothing short of disappointing from what the coaching staff had hyped up through the offseason.

David Montgomery had a strong three-touchdown debut, but has remained a non-factor since, who's been inefficient as a ball carrier without any real explosiveness. Woody Marks has shown a bit more pop on his part, yet still averages a brutal 3.0 yards per carry.

If Stroud and this offense don't have a consistent run game to lean on yet again this year, it's going to backfire heavily on how well their production can look on a week-by-week basis. We learned this lesson last season, and even after an offseason of tweaks upfront and in the backfield, the results just haven't been there.

Does Houston Have the Right OC?

The general consensus around the Texans' offensive play-calling has been pretty poor three games into the year. Of course, Houston's hands have been somewhat tied behind their backs without the presence of Nico Collins for two of them, but even his presence on the field might not save where this offense stands.

And a large part of those offensive concerns are inevitably going to be attributed to coordinator Nick Caley, who's in his second year of calling plays for this Texans offense facing expectations of being miles better than his first, yet hasn't shown any signs of that aspired improvement whatsoever.

The team hasn't figured out the run game. Explosives have become a rarity. There hasn't been any real sense of creative play design. Tight ends remain a non-factor for a coach with a ton of experience working with the position.

So do the Texans really have the right guy as offensive coordinator? Even if Houston feels that they don't, it's probably too late to do anything about it now.

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