If the Houston Texans are going to reach the pinnacle next season, it starts with the offense. The defensive side of the ball should be elite once again, but what needs to happen for the Houston offense early to find success?

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but the Texans started their 2025 campaign 0-3, leading to many in the city of Houston sounding the “fire everyone” alarm. That was until the team gained its footing at the conclusion of their gargantuan 19-point comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then hope returned to the fanbase. 

They never lost again, as Houston ended their campaign on a nine-game win streak and with their second 12-5 record in franchise history. 

Even still, after heartbreaking losses against the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jaguars to open their season, head coach Demeco Ryans and his staff had the arduous task of keeping the locker room together as they attempted to navigate rough waters early in the season. 

Specifically, offensive coordinator Nick Caley and his unit were seen as the primary culprits for the misfire. In week one, the Texans scored only nine points (no touchdowns) in a five point loss. In week two, a goal-line disaster on offense cost Houston four points in a one-point loss. In week three, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, one of which being a game-ending turnover near the Jaguars’ red zone area. Houston lost that game by only seven points.

Thus, the pressure was on that side of the ball to turn things around immediately and figure out how to put points on the board to support their elite defense. 

That same start won’t be acceptable in 2026, as it would certainly lead to understandable levels of urgency and subsequent calls for change within the organization.

Year two of the Caley-Stroud connection should yield more immediate success in the first month of the new league year.

The Texans led the NFL with the most field goals made at 48 (Ka’imi Fairbairn - 44, Matthew Wright - 4). While it certainly was a historic feat for Fairbairn (tied David Akers’ record for most made field goals in a single season), the reality was that it was an indictment on the Texans’ offense, as settling for field goals instead of seven points became the norm over their 17-game season. 

For context, the Super Bowl winning Seattle Seahawks made 41 field goals (second), while the runner-up New England Patriots netted only 27 (21st). The major difference being, Seattle was the third-best scoring offense at 28.4 points per game, while the Patriots were second-best at 24.4. The Texans finished as the 13-best scoring offense at 23.8. 

To make matters worse, the Texans finished as the fourth-best team in time of possession per game at 31:38. Meaning, they were great at dominating the clock, but not so great at actually making teams pay for allowing it.

If Houston wants to truly be taken seriously as a credible threat in the AFC, they have to make their possessions count. They have to convert in the red zone and score touchdowns, not lead the league in field goals attempts again (52). 

Last season, fans and media clamored for players like the rookie trio of Woody Marks (running back), Jayden Higgins (wide receiver) and Jaylin Noel (wide receiver) to be used in prolific manner by Caley. This was especially considering the alternatives like running back Nick Chubb and wide receiver Christian Kirk, who both struggled throughout the regular season with making consistent contributions to a better on-field product. 

For context, Chubb never eclipsed 70 yards rushing all season, while Kirk likewise did not eclipse the 70-yard mark all year, along with only having one receiving touchdown. 

Marks finally got his chance to be the bellcow back in week 10 with 63 yards and one touchdown in Houston’s historic 36-29 win over the Jaguars. He never looked back from then on. Higgins actually had a solid rookie season, finishing tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (six). Unfortunately, Noel’s impact was mainly as a special teamer (though he did set the rookie franchise record for most punt return yards in a season with 335). 

With Chubb and Kirk set to depart Houston in free agency, more opportunities should open up for dynamic playmakers to step up and take over games in a moment’s notice. Tank Dell will be making his return, and general manager Nick Caserio will presumably be adding more reinforcements through the draft and free agency. 

If the Texans want to take the next step to true Super Bowl contention, the most impactful players must get consistent reps from start of the season to the finish.