3 Texans Takeaways From 17-19 Loss vs. Colts: Offense Keeps Spiraling

The Houston Texans have lost their third straight game of the 2026 season in their Week 3 outing against the Indianapolis Colts, falling in a narrow 17-19 defeat on the road to now drop down to 0-3 on the year.

And there's certainly a bit to wrap your head around after this one. The Texans' run game remained uninspiring, the passing game might've looked even worse, and Houston now find themselves in a pretty deep hole to begin the new year because of it.

Let's sort through three of the biggest takeaways from the Texans' Week 3 loss in Indianapolis:

When Nico Is Gone, This WR Room Feels It

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) participates in early pregame warmups against the Las Vegas Raiders at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Man, it was tough to watch this Texans passing offense. C.J. Stroud recorded just 167 total yards against a Colts secondary that, to this point in the season, hasn't caused many teams problems.

And that lowly result feels like mostly a consequence of the Nico Collins' absence. Without his presence, it's clear how much this air attack can struggle.

Between those that were out on the field, they simply either weren't explosive enough, couldn't gain separation, or dropped the pass that Stroud delivered to them. The leading receiving on the day ended up being Xavier Hutchinson with three catches for 51 yards, while nobody else on the offense managed to eclipse 30.

The Texans better hope that Collins is back healthy and at 100% next week to give this offense any chance at improvement from what's been seen three weeks into the season. Without him, Houston doesn't seem to have many answers on how to consistently move the ball down the field and get points on the board.

An "Improved" Run Game Continues to Disappoint

Sep 27, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (4) reacts after rushing for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Texans' run game wasn't quite as dreary as it was in last weekend's outing when their running backs combined to average less than 1.5 yards per carry vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, the offense still couldn't gain enough traction to really facilitate a successful attack on the ground.

David Montgomery had just 33 yards on the day from his 11 carries, and while Woody Marks did hit the end zone for his first touchdown on the year, he wasn't much more efficient than his veteran counterpart in the five carries for 15 total yards he recorded.

Against a Colts run defense that has sunk to the bottom of the league in effectiveness two weeks into the season with over 350 yards allowed heading into Week 3, this felt like the best matchup for the Texans to really shift the narrative here. Instead, they've only added more fuel to the fire of concerns.

A Familiar Yet Ugly Spot at 0-3

Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts as he coaches against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans are once again at an 0-3 record through three weeks of the NFL season. It's quite a similar spot to what they've seen just as recently as last year, when they fell in a divisional matchup to the Jacksonville Jaguars after Week 3 that led to many hitting the panic button for the season.

And while on one hand, knowing that the Texans have been here before might give more confidence that they can inevitably bounce back, it feels like the concerns that have been shown three games into the year this season are different than they were in 2025.

The offense has been less explosive, the defensive hasn't been as elite as it was throughout last season, and in the second year of an offensive system led by Nick Caley, and a fourth year under DeMeco Ryans, the belief was that the start of this season would look much improved instead of showcasing a ton of concerns.

So is it too early to say the Texans' season is over? Certainly. If any team can climb out of an 0-3 hole, it's the team that was in this spot one year ago. However, there is a ton of work to do before this team can feel good about where they stand moving forward.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google