Texans' 4 Biggest Concerns to Address After Another 0-2 Start

The Houston Texans have started their new season off with an 0-2 record for the third time in four years.

That means, based on what this new-look Texans roster has shown through the first two weeks of the year, they just aren't cutting it.

A select few glaring issues have inevitably popped up on both sides of the ball through Houston's first two losses at home to the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, and thus tasks this group with making the necessary tweaks in the weeks ahead if they want to vault back into the playoff picture––as they did in 2023 and 2025 after those rocky starts.

With that in mind, let's sort through four of the biggest concerns the Texans have showcased throughout Weeks 1 and 2 that need to be addressed in order to turn this ship around:

Building Consistency in the Run Game

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) hands off to running back David Montgomery (32) in the first quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. The Bengals led 7-3 at halftime. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After the Texans saw David Montgomery explode for a three-touchdown day against the Buffalo Bills in his debut, it only took one week for this rushing attack to revert back to bad habits from 2025 when they faced the Bengals this past weekend.

The running backs fell into a negative game script, but also combined for less than 1.5 yards per carry, couldn't get any help in terms of run blocking from their offensive line, and now leave big questions up in the air of whether or not this ground game can really improve as much as they expected heading into the year.

For a Texans run game that was below-average in nearly all key metrics in 2025, there has to be some type of momentum building up on the ground for this offense to have any hope at a different result from last year's woes.

Because if Houston can't run the ball, it puts C.J. Stroud in a position to throw the ball 55 times like he did against the Bengals. Clearly, that's not a recipe for success, and isn't exactly one for any quarterback in the NFL.

Red Zone Effectiveness

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

The Texans looked like they had found some type of success on the offensive side of the ball against the Bills to open up the year in Week 1. But this past weekend's performance against the Bengals––and against defense that might be just a tad better––showed that Houston still has real troubles in the red zone.

Houston went an abysmal 0/4 in the red zone against the Bengals, and hit pay dirt a whopping zero times en route to their six-point day, which also came in part due to some special teams errors on a bobbled snap for a field goal in the first half, and another missed 58-yarder in the third quarter.

Regardless of how that six-point result came to be, though, it's no excuse for this offense to finish the day with zero touchdowns. A lot of the work this front office has done this offseason was primarily accomplished with the focus of improving offensively, and so far, those tweaks haven't amounted to much.

It's proof that Houston's execution in the red zone has to be better, both via on-field performance and play-calling from second-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley, and will rely on a combination of better success in the run, on the offensive line, and likely the return of Nico Collins to truly turn things around.

Limiting Explosives on Defense

Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) makes a touchdown catch against Houston Texans safety Reed Blankenship (6) and safety Calen Bullock (2) during the third quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans' defense entered this season being viewed as nearly impenetrable after bringing back virtually all of their starters from last year's group. But even with that elite personnel, one issue that seems to keep arising on this side of the ball for Houston is the amount of explosive plays that have been allowed.

And it's a trend that's lingered through both of their games in Weeks 1 and 2. Josh Allen had his way with the Texans' secondary in Week 1 by averaging 12.6 air yards per attempt, his highest in a game since 2022. Joe Burrow completed all three of his deep passes (20+ air yards) to Ja'Marr Chase for 73 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2.

Even if the Texans' defense can hold their weight to force the Bengals into eight punts this past weekend, the ability to put together a chunk play here and there shows that Houston has holes to exploit, and clearly has been the way to pick apart this group for the first two weeks of the new year.

Generating More Turnovers

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

Through two games of the Texans' regular season, this defense hasn't been one to get its hands dirty when it comes to taking the ball away from opposing offenses. There hasn't been a fumble recovery or interception recorded thus far, and last season, there wasn't one occasion where Houston went back-to-back weeks without logging a turnover.

So the Texans and their defense would love to get their hands on the ball more in the coming weeks. That's especially so knowing that if those turnover numbers turn around in the right direction, it'll only allow for this offense to get the ball in their hands and find more opportunities to get into the end zone––which they most certainly could benefit from.

With talent like Houston has in their secondary, and the likes of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter coming off the edge ready to pounce on a strip sack opportunity, their time to record some turnovers will come. And when it does, it'll allow for this defense to look a lot scarier than it has been to open the new year.

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