Washington Commanders Opponent Preview: Houston Texans

After taking a look at matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, we dive into the Washington Commanders' week 14 opponent when they host the Houston Texans in an intriguing late season matchup.

2025 Record: 12-5, 2nd in AFC South

Key Players: CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Nico Collins, Derek Stringley, David Montgomery, Kamari Lassiter, Clen Bullock

Key Losses: Tytus Howard, Juice Scruggs, Tim Settle, Tommy Townsend, Christian Kirk, Christian Harris

Key Additions: Reed Blankenship, Braden Smith, Wyatt Teller, Jadeveon Clowney, Foster Moreau, Logan Hall

How They Fared:

The Texans did not get off to the best start in 2025, losing their first two games and sitting at 3-5 following a Week 9 loss to Denver. However, they turned it up in the second half of the season, winning their last nine games to finish the regular season 12-5. During the winning streak, they won all four divisional matchups and took down the Chargers and Bills. After giving up only six points to the Steelers in the Wild Card round, Houston’s season would end the following week in Foxborough to the eventual AFC champion Patriots. During the game, the Texans turned it over five times, with four of them being CJ Stroud interceptions. Stroud took another step back in 2025, missing three games and only passing for 19 touchdowns. Wide receiver Nico Collins had over 1000 yards for the third straight year, but he and tight end Dalton Schultz were the only ones to have over 50 catches. Running back Woody led the team in rushing with 777 yards at an average of 3.6 ypc, while the team as a whole finished at 3.9, 27th in the league. The defense was the main storyline for the team in 2025, finishing second in points allowed, first in yards, and third in takeaways. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are arguably the top pass-rushing duo in the league, with Hunter having a team-leading 15 sacks, and Anderson right behind him at 12. Anderson’s play earned him a First-Team All-Pro nod and second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr was also named a First-Team All-Pro, tying the team lead in interceptions with four and knocking down 15 passes. Three other players on Houston had four interceptions: cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safeties Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre. Houston’s defense was as strong as one could be in 2025 and will have big expectations heading into 2026 with roughly the same roster returning. 

2026 Expectations:

Draftkings has the Texans as the odds-on favorite to win the AFC South at +110. They are tied with the Packers at the ninth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1800. While the Texans defense is expected to be one of the league’s best, the offense has major questions with both the receiving corps after Collins and Stroud. If Stroud starts to find his rookie form again, Houston will be in contention for their first Super Bowl appearance. 

Key Matchup: Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter vs Washington Tackles

Anderson and Hunter are nightmares for opposing offensive linemen. Anderson was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2025 and didn’t lead the team in sacks. That belongs to Hunter, who had 15 compared to Anderson’s 12, and was named a Second-Team All-Pro. Over the last seasons, the two have combined for 50 sacks, 68 tackles for loss, and 87 QB hits. With the loss of left tackle Laremy Tunsil for likely the whole season, things just got a lot harder for this Washington offensive line. With last year’s first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr locked in at right tackle, the question becomes: who replaces Tunsil on the left side? 2024 third-round pick Brandon Coleman is an option, as is veteran Andrew Wylie. No matter who is in the starting lineup, though, they will have their hands full trying to block two of the best at getting to the quarterback in the league.