Houston Texans Have A Great Reason To Avoid Panic Despite 0-2 Start

The Houston Texans have put themselves in a difficult position through two weeks, but their season is far from over. Houston dropped its second straight game Sunday, falling 31-28 to the Cincinnati Bengals to begin the year 0-2. After also losing to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, the Texans have already taken losses against two teams they could be competing with for a playoff spot later in the season.

Despite the rough start, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell still believes Houston has the best chance of any 0-2 team in the NFL to make the postseason. Barnwell gave the Texans a 41.8% chance of reaching the playoffs according to the Football Power Index, putting them ahead of the other teams that have yet to win a game.

That number shows that Houston’s playoff hopes have taken a hit, but they certainly haven’t disappeared. The Texans entered the season with expectations of competing for the AFC and still have plenty of football remaining to change the direction of their season.

The immediate focus, however, is on Sunday’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. At 0-2, Indianapolis is in the same boat as Houston, and Barnwell considers this a de facto playoff game.

Barnwell described the game as essentially a playoff game for the Texans while explaining why the 0-2 start isn't necessarily cause for complete panic, "A win against the Colts on Sunday in what amounts to a de facto playoff game would calm concerns in Houston. And after what happened in 2025, there isn't the same sort of panic after an 0-2 start that there would typically be for a team with championship aspirations. Given those expectations, though, starting the season by losing to a pair of teams that the Texans would expect to see again in the postseason picture is a disappointing start. And if the Texans do fall to the Colts next week, their margin for error would grow perilously thin."

That final point is the biggest concern for Houston. An 0-2 start can be overcome, but dropping to 0-3 would make the road considerably more difficult, especially with an in-division loss in Week 3.

The Texans still have an opportunity to change the conversation quickly. Beating Indianapolis would move Houston to 1-2, put the team back into the AFC South race and provide some much-needed momentum after two frustrating losses. Houston doesn't need to make up the entire deficit in one week. It does, however, need to start winning soon.