The Houston Texans dropped a 34-30 heartbreaker to the Dallas Cowboys after leading 30-27 with just 2:23 remaining. The loss was especially damaging because Houston has now repeatedly failed to close games, while its playoff hopes have shifted from Super Bowl expectations to a long-shot scenario.
Regarding playoff dreams, only one team since the 1990 playoff expansion has started 0-4 and still reached the postseason: the 1992 San Diego Chargers. They won 11 of their final 12 games to make the playoffs. That gives Houston a remarkable historical mountain to climb.
The biggest twist this year has been how different this team looks from the preseason expectation. Houston entered 2026 with Super Bowl expectations and a defense viewed as the foundation of the roster. Instead, the defense has repeatedly failed to protect leads, while C.J. Stroud and the offense have provided much of the team’s positive play.
Mina Kimes Says the Entire Stroud Narrative has Flipped
Kimes in ESPN’s NFL Live, pointed back to the offseason belief that Stroud only needed to be “average” for Houston to contend because the defense was expected to carry the team. Instead, she argued, how the gameplay has been the upside.
“This defense is so elite, they’ll carry him. He [Stroud] is the problem. And the opposite has been true this season,” Kimes said.
“CJ Stroud has 19 pass completions for 20-plus yards. That’s the most of any quarterback in football. He is sixth league-wide in completions percentage over expected.”
While Stroud ranks sixth in completion percentage, Kimes stressed that he has done this while missing his top two receivers for half of the games and playing behind a bottom-five run game. The Cowboys game strengthened that argument where Stroud completed 21 of 31 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a 126.7 passer rating and no interceptions.
Nico Collins returned against Dallas after missing two games with a hamstring injury and immediately changed the game. He caught seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard reception on Houston’s opening drive.
“He[Stroud] is evidence that wins are not a quarterback’s sound with his team being 0-4. He’s been playing great ball. And in this game alone, I thought he was slinging it all over the field. It’s just remarkable, I think, to take a step back and think about the discourse this offseason,” Kimes added.
Dak Prescott drove Dallas 74 yards in 11 plays, with CeeDee Lamb catching the winning 12-yard touchdown with 40 seconds remaining.
That collapse perfectly captures Kimes’ point. The Texans were supposed to win because of their defense while Stroud simply avoided being the reason they lost.
