Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks on before the start of a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Texans Are Close, But That's Not Good Enough

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Houston Texans are still looking for their first win of the season, but they haven't been able to get the job done in any of their first three games.

The Texans have been close, so head coach DeMeco Ryans isn't worried quite yet.

“We were close in our three games. We were there in the fourth quarter. We were close to finishing and closing those games out. There are plays in each game that we've had, these first three games, that we didn't finish and win the game," Ryans said.

"So, I'm not talking about close as a team, I’m talking about winning the football game. That's what we're here to do. We're here to win football games. We've been in a position to win those games, and we have not won the game. We got to find a way to win the game. We got to make the plays in the fourth quarter of the games we've been in. We got to make those plays to put us in position and to just ultimately win the football game.

"That's what we're here to do. That's what we work tirelessly and hard for is to win football games. So, the games have been close. We've been right there in the games. We just got to find a way to get it done.”

This isn't the first time the Texans have faced adversity and it won't be the last. The team started out 0-2 in the 2023 season, Ryans' first in Houston, but went on to win the AFC South and make it all the way to the Divisional Round.

Ryans will try to dial into some of that resiliency in order to get the Texans back on track.

"For me right now with our team, when you go through different… Each team, no matter what year it is, each team has its own, it's faced with its own adversity and different issues that arise," Ryans continued. "So, for me as the head coach, it's a matter of, ‘Hey, different set of problems, different set of challenges,’ and I'm up for it."

"That's why I'm here. That's how we attack it, we'll get it all corrected, and we'll get this thing going in the right direction. I don't compare year to year for me. I say this is a different year, 2023, completely different team; 2024, completely different team.

"We're here, we have different issues here in 2025. But, we go and we attack it the right way. We attack it with the right attitude and we're going to get this thing rolling in the right direction.”

The Texans have issues in protecting the quarterback, C.J. Stroud getting the right passes out, and the secondary causing penalties, but despite those obstacles, the team has still been capable of winning football games.

The only issue with the Texans going through these issues is that the margin of error now is razor thin. They are already three games back of the division lead before having to play teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers, all of whom were playoff teams a year ago.

Assuming they lose all four of those games, that means the Texans have to win out to get to 10 wins, and that won't be easy.