Is this it for the Houston Texans in 2026? Is this the unceremonious closing of their Super Bowl window? These may be questions you find easy to answer now, but were you expecting that to happen so early into this season?
Some believe that’s it’s hard to get a read on any NFL teams until a quarter of the way into the season. Of course, you can often glean which teams are truly great and which are awful right away, but the majority of teams fall between those two extremes and require a sample size
of a few games to figure out. Now that we’re four games into the regular season, it’s a bit easier to determine which teams are trending in the right and wrong direction…and Houston is going in about as wrong of a direction as you could possibly imagine. Four losses in a row is a new low for this new era of Texans football, the last time it occurred was the 2020 season and resulted in head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien being fired when he was arguably at the peak of his powers within the organization.
Unlike 2020, however, there’s a head-spinning mishmash of newfound problems that haunt the 2026 Texans: the insistent, exhausting struggling of the offensive line and rushing attack now in their third year of failing to improve, the surprising development of significantly worse defensive coverage (partially caused by playing more zone rather than man outside the numbers), and, of course, the injuries. The injuries to the offensive line, wide receiver, and linebacker position groups have been truly disastrous to the team’s cohesion, and the depth of the roster has not been able to pick up the slack in the way I’m sure general manager Nick Caserio intended.
So, what does this all mean for the Texans’ spot on the power rankings? It means that they’re going down, way down, and it will require a miracle for Houston to break into the top half of the list by season’s end. The only NFL team to go 0-4 and still make the playoffs was the 1992 San Diego Chargers, and after last month’s showing, I strongly doubt any pundits will be betting on the Houston Texans from repeating that remarkable feat. Here’s where the Houston Texans are ranked following their 34-30 loss to the Dallas Cowboys:
NFL.COM:
23. Houston Texans (0-4)
I think it’s safe to remove the “elite” tag from the Texans’ defense. For a second straight week, C.J. Stroud gave Houston a late lead, and the defense failed to protect it. Kamari Lassiter had an especially terrible day, giving up eight receptions for 136 yards on 11 targets as the closest defender, per Next Gen Stats. Houston’s defense didn’t generate organic pressure, resorting to blitzes against a quarterback (Dak Prescott) you certainly should not blitz often. The Texans paid the price and have wasted a rather strong stretch from Stroud, who is no longer the problem in Houston.
ESPN:
24. Houston Texans (0-4)
Week 4 result: Lost to the Cowboys 34-30
Week 4 ranking: 21
Four words to describe the first four weeks: Pass defense is struggling.
The Texans’ pass defense has fallen off a cliff in 2026. Last season, Houston was fifth in passing yards allowed (179 per game). So far in 2026, it’s 28th (260). For a team with three Pro Bowlers in the secondary, that’s inexcusable. There are a bunch of reasons, but a noteworthy one is that Houston hasn’t pressed as much as last season. The Texans have the second-lowest press rate (25%), per ESPN Research, compared to the 12th highest in 2025 (56%). That has been a little confusing, as All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter are best when pressing
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
20. Houston Texans (0–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 16
Last week’s result: lost to Cowboys, 34–30
This week: at Titans
Of the teams whose seasons are theoretically dead in the water, Houston provides the faintest glimmer of hope. Braden Smith, Tank Dell and Kayden McDonald are on the way, the Titans are up next on the schedule and 1–4 looks far better (with three examples of playoff teams in the last 25 years, by the way).
BLEACHER REPORT:
28. Houston Texans (0-4)
Last Week: 27
Week 4 Result: Lost vs. Dallas 34-30
The Houston Texans understand what it means to start poorly then rally to earn a postseason appearance. However, the team has never started 0-4 and made the playoffs. Only one team in NFL history has.
What makes Houston’s situation particularly concerning is the team could rely on its defense last season. This year is a different story. Houston went from fielding the league’s best defense to sitting outside of the Top 20. Houston currently ranks among the bottom five pass defenses.
Derek Stingley Jr. and the Texans’ secondary couldn’t slow CeeDee Lamb. Instead, Lamb set a new Dallas Cowboys franchise record Sunday with 17 receptions in a single game.
Ironically, Houston’s offense was the bigger concern entering the 2026 campaign. It’s currently ranked sixth overall.
CBS SPORTS;
26. Texans (0-4) (Last Week: 27)
They’ve made the playoffs after opening 0-3. But this year it’s 0-4. Can they climb out from that hole to make the playoffs? Good luck.
USA TODAY:
27. Houston Texans (25): Even if an 0-4 outfit wanted to wave the white flag, the contracts of players like DE Danielle Hunter and WR Nico Collins are basically untradeable due to their salary cap ramifications.
YAHOO! SPORTS:
26. Houston Texans (0-4, LW: 24)
With 2:23 left on Sunday, the Texans scored to take a 30-27 lead. A defense that was expected to be one of the best in the NFL could win the game with one stop, or at least make sure the game went to overtime by holding Dallas to a field goal. The Cowboys went downfield and scored a touchdown.
Dallas has a good offense but Houston was supposed to have a good defense. The Texans don’t. They are surprisingly average: 14th in DVOA after Sunday’s games and 26th in EPA (expected points added) allowed per play. Defensive dominance can vary more season to season than offensive excellence, but it’s still surprising that the Texans are winless and a middle-of-the-road defense is a big reason for that.
“It sucks, because we know we’re the ones out there on the field,” Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. said, via the Houston Chronicle. “The coaches put us in the right position to win and we’ve got to do it. They can’t do it, we’ve got to do it. We’ve got great coaches, we’ve got great everybody. We’ve got to go out there and do our job.”
THE ATHLETIC
24. Houston Texans (0-4)
Last week: 22
Sunday: Lost to Cowboys 34-30
Concern level: Sky-high
This was supposed to be a team that could compete for the Super Bowl in a wide-open AFC. Instead, a defense that we thought had a chance to be an all-time great has looked awfully mediocre through the first four weeks. It’s the main reason for the Texans’ winless start.
Up next: at Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
24. Texans (No. 17; 0-4): Where did the Houston defense go?
Average Ranking: 24.67 (Last Week: 22.56)
Yeah, ouch. The Texans started the season as one of the Super Bowl favorites in the AFC, and now they’ll be lucky to dig themselves out of the 20s by January. What are the chances that they even mount a comeback? Well, like SI’s Conor Orr stated, they’ll be getting quality players back from injury soon, and the 0-4 Tennessee Titans (the same team that kickstarted Houston’s comeback last year) are up next. By comparison, that 1992 0-4 Chargers team that made the playoffs was led by QB Stan Humphries, WR Anthony Miller, RBs Ronnie Harmon, Marion Butts, (current Chiefs offensive coordinator) Eric Bienemy on offense, and DE Leslie O’Neal and LB Junior Seau on defense. A lot of big names on that team, but nothing like the endless line of pro-bowlers that Houston has on their starting lineup right now!
So, does that mean the Texans are more likely to make a comeback considering the star-power they have on both sides of the ball, or are they more likely to continue floundering since they’ve sunk this far down even with a great roster? Depends on if you’d rather see the glass half-full or half-empty. Personally, I have to believe that the Texans will turn it around as players like RT Braden Smith, WR Tank Dell, LB Henry To’oTo’o, and rookie DT Kayden McDonald gradually return to the field, so I’m rooting for a historic comeback!
What do you think, though? Are the Houston Texans primed to get their season back on track, or will this upcoming game in Nashville against the woebegone Titans be the ugliest showcase yet? Are the Texans in need of a new offensive or defensive coordinator, or even a new head coach before they can start winning again, or are you happy with the current coaching staff? Is this season truly over, or will we be talking about a historic return to form a few weeks from now? Get all of those prickly emotions out down in the comments below, I want to know your real thought on Nick Caley!
Go Texans!
