3 Texans Offensive Weapons Who Must Step Up After Falling to 0-2

The Houston Texans offense–– after their latest 6-20 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals to fall into another 0-2 start to begin the regular season–– hasn't looked as improved as it was talked up to be throughout the offseason.

And while that slow start to the year offensively can be attributed to a variety of factors, one of those is because of the lack of playmakers this team has shown to have on that side of the ball.

Especially as Houston was without Nico Collins in Week 2, only tight end Dalton Schultz stood out as a noteworthy chain mover, and thus pins a select few players with added responsibility in the weeks ahead to step up and help this offense turn things around in the right direction.

Let's take a look at three players in the Texans' offense who need to have a better performance in the weeks ahead if this scoring attack wants to bounce back from an 0-2 start.

RB Woody Marks

Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) celebrates running back Woody Marks (4) touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This could expand to the Texans' run game as a whole after an abysmal result in Week 2, where Houston's running backs couldn't average more than 1.5 yards per carry. But more responsibility for this team's offensive improvements might rely on Woody Marks' shoulders more than anyone else's.

Between the Texans' duo of Marks and David Montgomery, Marks is the one who offers the better edge of explosiveness and the better upside as a pass-catcher. Houston could certainly use an added dose of each to their offense, and was a large part of why he split carries with Montgomery throughout the course of last weekend against the Bengals.

Expect to see more of Marks moving forward, but in order to stay on the field, he'll have to see a bit more success in terms of efficiency as a runner. His 2.9 yards per attempt on the season is a drastic step below his 3.6 average as a rookie, which isn't too impressive as is.

WR Kayshon Boutte

Jun 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) waits for his turn at the podium after minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another explosive weapon in the Texans' offense who hasn't quite popped as expected to open the year; Boutte has only seen a couple of receptions in his two games with Houston that have, for the time being, effectively made Houston's preseason trade to acquire him an overall disappointment.

But there's certainly room for Boutte's tenure to pivot in the right direction. Last game against the Bengals proved that the Texans needed a little bit more potency to bank on at their wide receiver position, especially if Nico Collins is to miss any time. No pass-catcher outside of Dalton Schultz logged more than three catches and 40 yards.

Boutte is the big-play, downfield receiver that the Texans need to get more involved, and perhaps in the process, his upside as a playmaker in the red zone could help Houston's overall struggles in that area of the field turn around in the right direction.

TE Marlin Klein

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans tight end Marlin Klein (83) warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' second-round rookie tight end has only seen a select few snaps through two games of his first season. He's seen less than 20 reps on the offensive end and 14 on special teams, that's made him largely a non-factor thus far. He's made one catch for 16 yards in his debut against the Buffalo Bills, but that's about it.

However, Klein's slow start isn't for a lack of anything he's shown when he's on the field. When he got opportunities to produce in the preseason, he was a pleasant surprise. Instead, he's been a bit limited because of the lack of heavy, 12-personnel Houston has been running in their offense.

The Texans ran in 11 personnel (three wide receivers, one tight end) over 85% of the time against the Bengals, ultimately restricting how many tight ends outside of Schultz could really get involved throughout the day, including Klein.

The Texans need to make their second-round investment in Klein worthwhile by giving him more playing time in the weeks ahead, and with his blocking upside and ability as a vertical playmaker, his presence next to Schultz could be exactly the type of juice this offense needs in the weeks ahead.

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