C.J. Stroud’s growth and DeMeco Ryans’ defense drive the Houston Texans’ playoff ambitions. But two weeks into the 2025 season, the balance has shifted. The offense has stalled, while the defense carries the load in increasingly high-stress situations.

C.J. Stroud said post-game:

“It’s a long season. It’s week two. Hopefully, we learned our lessons and learned to put teams away and learn to put points on the board. We can say a bunch of different things about what could have gone right. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning games. And those last plays that are in between, those are the games. Those are the plays that you end up winning or losing on.” 

Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, Houston’s struggles became clear.

The Texans moved the ball inside the 1-yard line but failed to score on four attempts. They converted only 4 of 13 third downs and finished with just 17 points. Quarterback C.J. Stroud had some inaccurate throws, finishing 13-of-24 passing for 207 yards. That inefficiency erased solid gains from Nick Chubb.

Defenders sacked him three times, pressured his throws, and disrupted the offense’s rhythm.

In contrast, the defense at least kept things competitive. Since Week 1 of 2023, Houston owns six regular-season wins by more than one possession, with a point margin of 18 (16th).

They’ve averaged 21.6 points per game while allowing 21.1. And in that span, the Texans have played in 24 one-score games—tied with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams for the second-most. Their 14-10 record in those contests (.583) ranks ninth league-wide.

Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter did their part, combining for three quarterback hits on Baker Mayfield. But Tampa leaned on its ground game, rolling up 169 rushing yards and finishing the night with the kind of decisive drive Houston couldn’t match.

Coach Ryan said this following the game.

“It’s a collective effort, but we go two for nine on third down. What do we expect if we can’t get the ball in at the goal line? What do we expect is going to happen? Defense, we’ve got to make a play there. We had multiple opportunities at the end of the game to close it out. We’ve got to tackle better, and we’ve got to make the plays. It’s no magic secret; we’ve got to stand up and make the plays.”

Houston’s defining moment came when it failed on second-and-one at the goal line and turned it over on downs. Vita Vea overpowered Laken Tomlinson in a mismatch, and Houston’s run game vanished aside from Nick Chubb’s 25-yard score.

Houston Texans’ defensive core shoulders the burden

The pattern is troubling.

Houston finished 19th in points per game in 2024, a drop from the previous year. That trend has carried over, placing even more strain on Ryan’s defense. When the offense stalls, every defensive mistake turns costly. Sustained drives against them often swing momentum, leaving little room for error.

“Throw it to Nico as many times as we can, of course. Everybody knows. That’s a question everybody wants to answer. Of course, we want to get the ball to Nico. He’s one of our best players,” DeMeco Ryans said earlier this week.

The Texans couldn’t stop the run, giving up 169 yards at 5.6 per carry just a week after holding Kyren Williams to 66 yards on 18 attempts.

Wide Receiver Nico Collins kept faith, telling Chris Long’s Green Light podcast,

“Them boys are swarming everywhere. I feel like our defense got the opportunity to be the best defense in the league.”

Nico Collins’ praise for Houston’s defense makes sense given the personnel. Will Anderson Jr. pairs with Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter on the edge, Azeez Al-Shaair holds down the middle, and Derek Stingley Jr. leads a loaded secondary with Calen Bullock, Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, and Super Bowl champ C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

The path forward is clear: DeMeco Ryans needs sharper run defense and stronger late-game execution. Quicker tackling and better gap discipline will cut explosive plays, while C.J. Stroud must speed up his reads and stay upright behind sturdier protection.

“Anything that’s linebacker depth and in front. That’s the kill zone,” Collins said.

The Texans have the talent. But unless the offense finds consistency, Ryans’ defense must push from solid to dominant or risk being wasted.