Texans Have One X-Factor to Lean on vs. Colts in Key Week 3 Matchup

The Houston Texans are heading into this weekend's divisional matchup against the Indianapolis Colts facing some prety high stakes.

In fact, both sides are.

Whoever comes up short with a loss in Week 3 between the Texans and Colts will inevitably sink to a lowly 0-3 record to start their 2026 campaign, and thus dig themselves into a further hole to try and get out of moving forward into the year.

For the Texans, it'd be their second year in a row kicking off the season at 0-3. Avoiding that three-game skid, especially in an AFC South contest like this one, will be crucial for Houston to do to provide some much-needed positive momentum.

But for the Texans to make that Week 3 win come to fruition, they'll have to rely on one X-factor in their lineup to hold their own on Sunday. Because if they fall short once again, it could be the difference between Houston walking out of this weekend with a victory on their record.

That X-factor in question? It has to be running back David Montgomery, who rolls into Week 3 hungry for a bounceback performance after last week's disappointment vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Why David Montgomery Is Texans' Week 3 X-Factor

The Texans' run game in their last outing in Week 2 against the Bengals was, well... not too great.

While the team did generate a total of 60 yards on the ground, only 18 of those came from Houston's running backs. Montgomery, the Texans' highlight acquisition on the offensive side of the ball from this offseason, only totaled six carries for 10 yards, coming out to just 1.7 yards per carry.

It's a result on the ground for the Texans that honestly looks similar to a lot of Houston's rushing performance in 2025, even with better personnel.

The offensive line couldn't hold up in front of them, they saw little success on early downs or in the red zone, and a negative game script in which C.J. Stroud threw 55 passes didn't help either.

Such a rushing performance for any team doesn't tend to win a lot of games. And that means for Week 3, the Texans have no choice but to see their production in that area of their offense trend in the right direction. A lot of that responsibility leans on Montgomery's shoulders.

Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (32) is introduced before playing against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Montgomery is going to be the one setting the tone on early downs, the go-to ball carrier in the red zone, and against a lowly-ranked Colts run defense, will have a perfect combination of opportunity and a strong matchup to have an even better game than he did in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.

Bottom Line

So if the Texans are able to see Montgomery show shades of playmaking from his debut, become a bit more efficient than the 2.7 yards per carry he's seen so far this season, and hand him a heavy workload on top of it, a strong performance from his part puts a Week 3 win well within sight.

However, if Montgomery falls flat in back to back weeks, this offense just might not have the firepower in the pass game without Nico Collins to overcome those shortcomings. And if that's the case, the questions surrounding his investment via trade this offseason will only be getting louder.

So there's no doubt about it: there's an important weekend ahead for Montgomery; both for himself individually, and for the Texans' offensive success as a whole.

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