Houston is now 0-4, but the record does not tell the whole story. The Texans have held fourth-quarter leads in three of their four losses. They lost by five to Buffalo, 14 to Cincinnati, two to Indianapolis and four to Dallas. The margin for error has been tiny, but Houston has failed to make the plays needed to finish games.
Houston led the Cowboys 30-27 with 2:23 remaining, only for Dallas to drive 74 yards and score the winning touchdown with 40 seconds left. C.J. Stroud played arguably his best game of the season, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns, while Nico Collins returned from injury and caught seven passes for 118 yards and two scores.
The Texans entered 2026 with legitimate Super Bowl expectations. Four weeks later, they are at the bottom of the AFC South and their playoff path has become extremely difficult.
Here is Houston’s standing in most of the media outlet rankings
Where Are the Texans Ranked in the Week 5 NFL Power Rankings?
FOX Sports: 26(-4)
ESPN: 24(-3)
NBC Sports: 22(-7)
USA Today: 27(-2)
CBS Sports: 26(+1)
What Do National Pundits Say About the Texans?
“The DeMeco Ryans-C.J. Stroud era in Houston has been wildly successful. So what’s gone wrong in 2026? The defense, mostly. It has just three takeaways this season — a stark drop from when the Texans had 29 last year (third in the NFL). Considering they get good pressure (14 sacks, including 4.5 from DE Will Anderson), that’s a ridiculously low number,” Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports
“The Texans’ passing defense has fallen off a cliff in 2026. Last season, Houston was fifth in passing yards allowed (179 per game). So far in 2026, it’s 28th (260 yards per game). For a team with three Pro Bowlers in the secondary, that’s inexcusable. There are a bunch of reasons, but a noteworthy one is that Houston hasn’t pressed as much as last season. The Texans have the second-lowest press rate (25%), per ESPN Research, compared to the 12th highest in 2025 (56%). That has been a little confusing, as All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter are best when pressing,” DJ Bien Aime, ESPN
” Even if an 0-4 outfit wanted to wave the white flag, the contracts of players like DE Danielle Hunter and WR Nico Collins are basically untradeable due to their salary cap ramifications,” Nate Davis, USA Today
“They’ve made the playoffs after opening 0-3. But this year it’s 0-4. Can they climb out from that hole to make the playoffs? Good luck,” Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
“This is not the same defense as last season. Houston, you’ve got a problem. I’m not completely giving up just yet, though,” Taylor Wirth, NBC Sports
