Houston Texans to Face Shorthanded New York Giants on Sunday

The Houston Texans (2-4) are familiar with this position. A year after starting the 2025 regular season 0-3 through three games and 2-4 through six games, they are right back in the same position in 2026.

We all know how last year ended for the Texans. Houston won nine straight games to finish the regular season. With a favorable schedule, it's not out of the question that the Texans could do it again.

This week we learned that the Texans may be facing an undermanned squad from the New York Giants (3-2-1) to add to their favorable schedule. Newsweek's Rowan Fisher-Shotton provided an update on the Giants' health entering the game.

"Aside from (Jaxson) Dart, the Giants have also lost star pass rusher Brian Burns to a season-ending ACL injury and just lost top linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to a torn chest muscle and right shoulder injury, which will also sideline him for the rest of the 2026 season. Cornerback Greg Newsome II is also set to miss the Texans game with a concussion.

As if all that wasn’t already enough, the Giants are also set to be without two key starters on Sunday, with NFL insider Adam Schefter reporting that safety Jevon Holland (concussion) and tight end Theo Johnson (neck) were both downgraded to out on Saturday after initially being listed as questionable and doubtful.

Holland has been one of the Giants’ best defenders this season. Through six games, he’s already recorded 30 tackles, three interceptions (leading the league), two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September, and losing him adds another name to a long list of key playmakers gone from the Giants’ defense. Jason Pinnock and Ar’Darius Washington are expected to take more responsibility at safety in the meantime."

To be sure, the Giants will not be a pushover. Playing with third string quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who they traded for not long ago, New York nearly erased a 34-10 deficit to come back against the New Orleans Saints. The Giants fell just short in the 34-27 defeat.

Even so, New York will not have its full assortment of players. For that reason, it is certainly within the realm of possibility that the Texans could follow a four-game losing streak with three consecutive wins.

Only one team has come back from a 0-4 start to a season to make the NFL playoffs. A win on Sunday could put the Texans in the hunt this season.