Luke Kuechly Breaks Down Why Texans Are a Nightmare to Face

Across their recent six-game winning streak, the Houston Texans have slowly been rising up the ranks as one of the NFL's most potent teams heading into the final stretch of the season.

Their defensive has remained elite in virtually all areas, the offense has been gradually improving both on the ground and through the air on a weekly basis, and now as a result of their latest surge, now find themselves right in the mix for a Wild Card appearance next month.

They're a scary team for any team to match up against from now until their season ends, and in the mind of former NFL All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly, they're the one team that nobody in the AFC wants to see right now.

"If you talk to anybody in the AFC the last team that they want to play right now is the Houston Texans," Kuechly said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

"The defense has played extremely well. DeMeco Ryans has those guys rolling, and I think they're going to keep getting better on offense. C.J. Stroud probably hasn't had the year that he's wanted, but they're big. They can run. Nico Collins is a very good football player."

"If you talk to anybody in the AFC the last team they wanna play right now is the Houston Texans..

The defense is playing extremely well and they're gonna keep getting better on offense" @LukeKuechly #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VLxeSgI1XZ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 17, 2025

It's some high praise for the Texans coming from a top defender of his era like Kuechly, and one that went to the Super Bowl himself back in 2016 behind a commanding Carolina Panthers defense.

Texans Are Scary Sight for Any Team in the NFL

If the Texans have proven anything through the past six weeks, it's that they're able to compete with any team in the league, and if the offense is clicking as it has been, this group is one of the toughest to stop in the league.

They've gotten the best of some top-tier quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes on a primetime stage, have shown that when their own signal-caller is healthy, this offense can take care of business, and with a defense that's been the number-one scoring unit for most of the year, the Texans essentially have a fighting chance to come out on top in any given week.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) high-fives tight end Cade Stover (87) during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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That ceiling down the stretch and into the postseason might rely on the variable that is C.J. Stroud and Houston's offense. Since returning from his three-week concussion absence, the Texans’ scoring unit has been steadily getting better, but we've seen what the result is when that offensive attack sputters.

If the hot hand can be sustained on both sides of the ball, the sky's the limit for the Texans in the remaining weeks ahead of the NFL season, and for anyone in front, they'll have to bring their best on both ends to slow them down.

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