Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb (21) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans' Nick Chubb Looks to Build on Hot Start vs. Buccaneers

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 11:15 AM ET

Despite the Week 1 loss last weekend, the Houston Texans saw a solid day from their running back Nick Chubb in their season opener matchup vs. the Los Angeles Rams.

Across 13 carries, Chubb had 60 total rushing yards (4.6 yards/carry) in his first game donning a Texans uniform, showing to be a much more explosive and efficient runner on the ground than we saw across his last injury-riddled season with the Cleveland Browns.

While it didn't end with a winning effort, seeing the veteran runner back healthy and proving he can be productive early in the year is undoubtedly a great sign for what could be ahead down the line this season, especially as long as last year's starter Joe Mixon is sidelined with a foot injury.

And when asking Chubb, finding continuous improvement throughout the season is always the plan for him. To get that ball rolling in Houston begins with a positive outing on Monday night vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“That’s always the plan to get better as the season goes on, as weeks go by,” Chubb said ahead of Week 2 vs. Tampa Bay, via KRPC2's Aaron Wilson. “We had a great week of practice, so looking forward to going out there Monday night. I think as the game goes on, every running back is getting a better rhythm. As the game goes on, it only gets stronger. So, I’m here for that.”

Even with a nice debut in Week 1, though, the Texans were unable to cap off Chubb's performance with a win, losing 9-14 in a struggling offensive performance, now heading back to Houston 0-1 as the only current team in the NFL without a touchdown score to their name this season.

Needless to say, Chubb wants to be a part of different results for the Texans come Monday night.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t win the game,” Chubb said of his Week 1 debut. “So, that’s all that matters to me and this team just to win, whatever that looks like. So, I would love to get a win this week.

"It’s probably the biggest lesson, so take advantage of our defense being so good. Score some points for them and help them out a lot. I think, offense, I think we hurt us not scoring a touchdown in that game. Looking forward to going out this week and improving in that area."

Fast forward to this week, the Texans will be up against Tampa Bay on their home turf on Monday night in NRG Stadium.

That's home-field advantage for Houston, but in between the lines, the Buccaneers offer a similarly challenging task to LA on both sides of the field. And headlined with a stout defensive line led by Vita Vea, that makes things tougher for the run game led by Chubb.

However, for Chubb, he'll be relishing the opportunity to take on that talented defensive front, and in turn, hope to come out of it 1-1, rolling into Week 3.

“They’re a really good defense up front,” Chubb said. "Those guys up front play hard, stout, tough, very physical. It’s a challenge for us, and we look forward to it."