Houston Texans opened 2026 season with back-to-back home losses, falling 36-31 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 before the Cincinnati Bengals handed them a 20-6 loss in Week 2. The Bengals game was especially frustrating because Houston managed only six points despite C.J. Stroud throwing for 353 yards.
The Texans failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season, while the offense struggled to run the football. Cincinnati’s defense generated 27 pressures on 62 dropbacks. That leaves DeMeco Ryans’ team facing another familiar problem. Houston previously started 0-2 during Stroud’s 2023 rookie campaign before recovering to reach the playoffs. Now, the Texans must prevent history from repeating itself.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has included Houston among the 0-2 teams that still have a realistic path to the postseason. His ESPN Football Power Index projections give the Texans a 41.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to the analysis published this week.
Barnwell’s argument is tied partly to what happened last season. “The Texans aren’t going to be a below-average unit for very long, and they’re going to look a lot better when they’re facing the likes of Daniel Jones and Cam Ward in the weeks to come. It would be stunning if they really struggled for months on end,” he wrote.
Injury Concerns and Offensive Questions
Houston Is Already Managing Several Important Injuries. Nico Collins remained out Wednesday with his hamstring injury. He missed the Cincinnati game, and his absence was felt immediately in the passing game. Trent Brown also missed practice with knee/wrist issues, while Jadeveon Clowney was held out with a knee injury. Guard Ed Ingram was also a non-participant because of a groin issue.
The Texans rank 28th in rushing success rate, 29th in EPA per designed run and 30th in yards per carry on designed runs through two weeks, according to Barnwell’s ESPN analysis. Running back David Montgomery averaged only 2.7 yards per carry through the opening two games.
The team travels Indianapolis to face the Colts on Sunday, at Lucas Oil Stadium for kickoff scheduled at 1 p.m. ET. It is the only Week 3 matchup between two teams entering the week at 0-2, giving the game extra importance in the AFC standings.
Houston does not need to solve every problem in one afternoon. But the Texans need to show progress in the areas that hurt them against Cincinnati: run blocking, early-down efficiency, red-zone execution and offensive balance.
