The Houston Texans are 0-4 after four weeks, yet the team has been competitive in nearly every contest. The team led the Buffalo Bills late in Week 1 before losing 36-31, then fell 20-6 to Cincinnati, and finally dropped a 34-30 thriller to Dallas. The problem is not completing in games; it is Houston’s repeated failure to finish them.
Stroud’s performance against Dallas earned him PFF’s quarterback honor. He was outstanding even though the result went against Houston. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, a performance that led PFF to name Stroud its Quarterback of the Week.
It must also be noted that his negatively graded play rate was just 1.8%, the lowest among quarterbacks who started a game in Week 4. Through four games, Stroud has thrown for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, with a 95.9 passer rating. PFF currently gives him an 82.7 overall grade, ranking ninth among 36 qualified quarterbacks.
Nico Collins returned against Dallas and immediately made his presence felt, catching seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. PFF also selected him as the Flex player on its Week 4 Team of the Week. The Texans now have 343.8 total yards per game, good for 14th in the NFL, but their rushing attack has struggled to provide balance.
Texans’ Defense Continues to Let Them Down
Houston entered the season with a defense expected to be among the NFL’s best, but it has struggled to make enough stops when the games are on the line. The Texans have recorded 14 sacks, third in the NFL, yet they have only one interception through four games. The lack of takeaways has made it harder for the defense to create the short fields needed to support an offense that is still developing.
Houston’s offense had done its job when Stroud led an 87-yard scoring drive that put the Texans ahead 30-27 with 2:23 left. However, the defense gave Dallas one final opportunity. Dak Prescott moved the Cowboys 74 yards in 11 plays, including a crucial fourth-down conversion, before finding CeeDee Lamb for the winning 12-yard touchdown.
The Texans cannot keep asking Stroud and the offense to produce perfect football. PFF’s Week 4 honors showed that Stroud and Collins are capable of making big plays, but the defense has to protect those efforts. Houston is now preparing for an 0-4 vs. 0-4 AFC South matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. With the season already slipping away, Ryans needs his defense to turn pressures into stops, limit explosive plays and finally finish a close game.
