3 Texans Keys to Victory vs. Titans in Week 4

The Houston Texans are now only one of six teams in the NFL that have not claimed a win throughout the first three weeks of the 2025 season.

After rattling off the league's worst scoring total through three weeks of action, coming off their latest 10-17 loss vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, they'll now have another AFC South tilt on tap in the form of the Tennessee Titans– also 0-3 heading into Week 4, setting the stage for a battle to avoid last place in the division, and thus, mark their first win of the new year.

But for the Texans to get that monkey off their back in Week 4 and put a win on the board, that outcome relies on a few major aspects swinging in the Texans' favor come this weekend on their home turf. If they do, C.J. Stroud and Co. could finally have an opportunity to get this nightmarish season back to some form of normalcy.

Here's three keys to a Texans' Week 4 victory over the Titans:

1. Establish a Balanced Ground Game

Houston Texans quarterback CJ. Stroud (7) hands off to Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb (21) during the fourth quarter between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday September 21, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texans strayed away from the run too quickly in Week 3 vs. the Jaguars, despite Nick Chubb and Woody Marks being effective in their limited opportunities. Each averaged over four yards per carry on the ground, but only had 15 combined attempts on the day, which restricted this offense from the jump.

The Texans have a multitude of issues to address offensively, and they likely won't all be fixed as early as Week 4. But establishing a better presence in the run game and getting both Chubb and Marks more involvement could be the first step to getting this operation as a whole back on the rails.

2. Better Third-Down Execution

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws the ball during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

An issue that's plagued the Texans' offense since Week 1: lack of effectiveness on third down. Houston currently ranks at the bottom of the NFL in terms of third-down efficiency, converting on just eight of 33 total attempts (24.2%). That number has to take a step forward if Houston's offense wants to fix its bad habits at the start of the year.

Luckily, the Titans are similarly shaky on third-down to start the year, converting on just 13 of 43 opportunities through their own 0-3 start, 29th-best in the NFL.

The turning point of this matchup might be how each performs within the confines of third-down, and for the Texans, it starts with preventing detrimental penalties and mistakes that put this offense in multiple negative situations a game, and climbing out of more third-and-long holes than those that might be more favorable, like 3rd-and-1 or 3rd-and-2.

3. Limit Costly Late-Game Mistakes

Sep 15, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans high fives Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale (33) before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

A common trend in the first three Texans' matchups of the year has to be ironed out in Week 4 for Houston to finally get a win on the board: late-game mistakes.

In Week 1, Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that stopped a Houston comeback vs. the LA Rams in its tracks. Week 2 resulted in a game-winning drive from Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final two minutes, and Week 3 in Jacksonville wound up with Houston logging two turnovers in the final four minutes, which now drops them to 0-3.

It goes without saying that the Texans have to hone in on mistake-free football in a must-win Week 4, and certainly so once the game is in balance within the final minutes of the contest. If those lapses can be kept to a minimum, Houston's first win of a brutal 2025 season start could finally be in reach.

1. Establish a Balanced Ground Game

2. Better Third-Down Execution

3. Limit Costly Late-Game Mistakes

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