Are The 2025 Houston Texans A Sleeping Giant?

If there is one calling card for DeMeco Ryan’s team right now, it is defense. The Texans allow the fewest points (14.7) and the fewest total yards (266.9) in the league. Houston is tied for third in interceptions (8), fifth in rushing yards allowed (88.4), and fourth in passing yards allowed (178.4). Cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter (two interceptions, team-high 45 tackles), 2024 Pro Bowler Derek Stingley Jr (two interceptions), and Jalen Pitre (3 interceptions) have had strong starts. Defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. (five sacks, one forced fumble, one defensive touchdown) and Danielle Hunter (four sacks, one forced fumble) have put solid pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The Texans’ Young Offensive Core

Houston has a young core on offense that has the potential to be something special…if they can keep all of them healthy. Quarterback CJ Stroud has looked solid in his third season. The Ohio State product has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1623 yards and 11 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. The offensive line has done a much better job of protecting Stroud this season, allowing just 15 sacks. That is a pace to put them at close to 17 fewer sacks than last season.

The Texans have a trio of young, talented wide receivers in Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Xavier Hutchinson. Over the last couple of seasons, they have all shown flashes of what they are capable of. The issue has been getting them all on the field at the same time. Collins leads the team this season with 26 receptions, 339 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in six games. He already has two 1000-yard seasons under his belt, despite missing 18 games over his four-and-a-half seasons. Dell, who has not played yet this season, has shown that he can produce when he is healthy, as well. Hutchinson (three touchdowns) has just started to show what he is capable of.

When you sprinkle in the team’s veterans, Houston looks like they are an offense just waiting to break out. Christian Kirk, Nick Chubb, Joe Mixon, and Dalton Schultz have all put up big numbers in the past. Their veteran presence will be key if the Texans can find their way into the playoffs.

What Is Holding Houston Back?

The Texans’ biggest weakness has been their health. Mixon (a five-time 1000-yard rusher), safety Jimmie Ward, tight end Irv Smith Jr., and Dell have not played yet due to injuries. Denico Autry (63 career sacks) has been limited to two games because of a knee issue. Kirk has only seen the field in three games due to a hamstring injury. The league has not seen this team at its best yet this season. Can you imagine that defense with Autry and Ward added in, or the offense when it has Dell, Kirk, and Mixon?

End Of My Houston Texans Rant

Houston is desperate to do something to make its fans forget about the Deshaun Watson debacle and the fact that they were unable to keep future Hall of Famer DeAndre Hopkins in the fold. It has been years, and those memories still linger for some reason. Losing in the divisional round of the playoffs the last two seasons has not been enough to move the needle. The Texans have the talent to make a decent playoff run. They just need to get that talent healthy.

Maybe the losses of Mixon and Dell will be too much to overcome this season. Houston has an incredibly tough schedule remaining. They still have single games against the Denver Broncos (6-2), Buffalo Bills (5-2), and Kansas City Chiefs (5-3), plus two games with the Indianapolis Colts (7-1). So, they will have to get healthy fast to try to sneak into the playoffs. If they do pull it off and those walking wounded get healthy, I would not want to face them in a Wild Card matchup.

Even if it doesn’t happen until next season, this team has all the parts to be successful. They just need to plug all those parts into Ryan’s machine at the same time. The Texans may be lying dormant now, but this team will awaken at some point…and when they do, look out!