Boasting a terrifying defensive front, Houston must embrace a grit-and-grind identity as questions linger over C.J. Stroud’s ability to elevate the offense into a Super Bowl threat.
The Houston Texans enter the 2026 season with one of the NFL’s most intimidating defenses, but their spot at No. 7 in The Athletic’s preseason power rankings comes with an important caveat: the offense still has plenty to prove.
The Athletic’s recent ranking highlighted just how dominant Houston’s defensive front could be, writing, “There’s no defensive line in the NFL more feared than the Texans’, which boasts an embarrassment of riches after adding Jadeveon Clowney to a group that already featured Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. So we know the defense should be very good.”
That part is difficult to dispute. The Texans have assembled a defensive line capable of completely changing games, and the rest of the defense has enough talent to make life difficult for opposing offenses. Houston should be able to win games simply by suffocating teams and creating short fields for the offense.
The bigger concern is whether the offense will actually take the step forward necessary to turn the Texans into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Athletic pointed directly at C.J. Stroud, noting that “the big question is what can C.J. Stroud do in Year 4 after his 2025 campaign ended with a terrible playoff performance.” That uncertainty has followed Stroud into the offseason, particularly after an uneven 2025 campaign that failed to match the standard he established as a rookie.
Houston has made moves to improve the offense, including adding David Montgomery and making changes along the offensive line. However, there is still a legitimate possibility that this group simply does not become a high-powered unit in 2026. That could leave the Texans playing a very specific brand of football.
As The Athletic put it, “They may have to win games 17-14.” That is not necessarily a bad thing. With this defense, Houston is built to win ugly. A 17-14 victory counts the same as a 34-17 win, and the Texans have enough defensive talent to make close games uncomfortable for opposing teams.
The problem comes when the defense inevitably has an off day. Houston cannot realistically expect its defense to hold every opponent under 20 points throughout a 17-game season. There will be games where the offense needs to score 24, 27 or 30 points to win, and that is where the Texans' ceiling could ultimately be determined.
If Stroud and the offense finally take a meaningful step forward, Houston could be much more dangerous than its No. 7 ranking suggests. If they do not, the Texans may spend much of 2026 relying on their defense to make sure 17 points is enough.
