Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans watches a play against Detroit Lions during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NFL.com Urges Texans to Panic After Bumpy Season Start

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 12:30 PM ET

While the Houston Texans might still be in the early motions of the 2025 season with their less-than-ideal 0-2 start to the year, perhaps it might not be too early to hit the panic button on what could be in store for the rest of the way.

NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha recently dove into a bundle of teams around the NFL who've rattled off a disappointing start to the year for one reason or another, and sorted through whether each should be feeling a sense of panic or take a deep breath of patience.

The Texans, though, weren't fortunate enough to find themselves in that pool of patient teams.

Instead, Chadiha thinks it might be time to sound the alarms in Houston–– largely due to their lingering offensive issues and a challenging schedule ahead.

"It would be one thing if the Texans didn't have any real competition in the AFC South, as was the case last season," Chadiha wrote. "However, the Indianapolis Colts have jumped out to a 2-0 start, and Daniel Jones looks exactly like the next formerly beleaguered quarterback who's ready to resurrect a career in a new environment. The Texans can't afford to be down two games in their own division."

"The Texans proved on Monday that running the football could be a real challenge with Joe Mixon sidelined by a foot injury. The offense also has scored only 28 points in the first two games, which indicates that the acclimation period to new coordinator Nick Caley could take longer than the Texans would like. The schedule won't do Houston any favors, either."

"It already looks like they won't be favored in that many games as we move deeper into the season. Verdict: Panic."

Time for the Houston Texans to Panic?

It feels like the way Houston's begun the year offensively, there is some cause for concern considering how this offense has looked in two showings thus far.

The run game is still a few steps back without last year's leading rusher in Mixon residing within the backfield, and the offensive line and play-calling could have a few weeks of adjustment to face well.

But are those combinations of factors enough to let the Texans spiral out of control the rest of the way? That seems a bit overreactionary.

The Texans, while far from a perfect roster, have two key aspects to bank on: a stout defense loaded with stars, and the best quarterback talent with C.J. Stroud in the division. Those factors alone can keep Houston within the hunt for an AFC South title for a third-straight year.

Of course, for the Texans to find the ceiling of this roster, those strides come with tweaking those rough patches faced through the first two games. Stroud needs ample protection and an effective scheme to present himself as the elite talent he's able to rise as.

So to say any hope is lost for Houston across the rest of the way feels extremely premature. However, the tone of that conversation can certainly change depending on the results when the Texans travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in an attempt for their first win of the new season.