Despite playoff heartbreak, three historic victories and a stellar defense might prove 2025 the Texans' greatest regular season yet.
Even though the Texans yet again finished on the short end of the stick of a painful AFC Divisional playoff loss, many believe that there are many silver linings to the 2025 regular season.
For starters, the notion that this could be considered the best regular season in franchise history. Here are three reasons why some may lean toward that way of thinking.
Overcoming an 0-3 Start (Again)
In 2018, the Texans became the first team since the 1998 Buffalo Bills to start a season 0-3 and still make the playoffs. In 2025, the Texans became the only team in NFL history to start 0-3 and make the playoffs twice as an individual franchise.
Houston got out of the blocks slowly this year, dropping their first three contests in a row by a combined 13 points (14-9 vs. Los Angeles Rams, 20-19 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 17-10 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars).
At the time, many in and around the fanbase had thoughts to just punt on the season and start trading away pieces to build for the future (Danielle Hunter, Christian Kirk, Christian Harris, etc). Thankfully, head coach Demeco Ryans and the coaching staff didn't think the same way.
The team then went 12-2 over the rest of the season, including a franchise-tying nine-game win-streak that began in week 10 against the Jaguars.
They finished 12-5, which tied the 2012 Texans' franchise record for most regular season wins in a season.
Defeating the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens in Season
The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens have been titans in the AFC for almost a decade now. With that, the Texans have frequently found themselves right outside of that core group in both national and local conversations in terms of postseason viability.
That changed this year, as Houston took down all three clubs in the same regular season for the first time in franchise history.
Making it even more historic is the fact that Ryans and co. defeated two of the three opponents on the road (Arrowhead Stadium Chiefs, M&T Bank Stadium - Ravens), while continuing their recent string of dominance against the Bills (Houston has won six-straight home games against the Bills).
Specific to the Ravens, Houston had never won a road game in Baltimore before. That ended in week five, as the Texans drubbed the Ravens 44-10.
The Best Defense in Franchise History
From 2011-2016, the JJ-Watt-led Texans solidified themselves as one of the most formidable defensive units in the NFL. Although there might have been lulls along the way (2013), Houston mostly maintained a reputation for hard-nosed intensity that could grind offenses to a screeching halt on any given Sunday.
2011 was their best total defensive output as a team ever, finishing the regular season ranked fourth in points per game (17.4) and second in yards per game (285.7). That was the first time ever for Houston to finish with a top-five defense in both categories.
2025's Texans upped the ante and shattered that record, as they became the most dominant defense in team history. For the first time, they finished as a top-two defense in both points (17.4) and yards allowed per game (277.2).
Their elite performances were the engine that powered the historic in-season turnaround by the team this year, and is the reason why many in the media and fanbase have such confidence for an even deeper playoff run in 2026.
Do you think this was the best regular season in Texans history? Let us know in the comments section below and by mentioning us at @Texans_RTB on X and @Texans.Roundtable on TikTok!