Down for the count, tied for last in the AFC South at 0-2 with the Tennessee Titans, the Houston Texans are in desperate need of a get-right game. The first two games against NFC playoff teams were a real shock to the system, and now the Texans will seek their first win against a familiar opponent: the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Since quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans joined the Houston Texans in 2023, they’ve kept the pesky Jaguars under control. They’ve gone 3-1 against Jacksonville,
with Stroud passing for seven touchdowns and averaging a passer rating over 110 while facing them. Such a small sample size of games should be taken with a grain of salt, though, especially considering the elephant in the room: the current state of Houston’s offense.
Between penalties and head-scratching sacks, the Houston Texans offense has generated only brief spurts of movement downfield. Largely relying on great routes by their wide receivers or the occasional 6-10+ yard rush by their running backs, the Texans are clearly still a work in progress in offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s scheme. Wide receivers Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, and tight end Dalton Schultz have tried their best to make up for an inconsistent ground game, but points have still been exceedingly difficult to come by.
This pitiful state has dumbfounded many Texans fans, including myself, who were expecting a snappier offense. Maybe it’s the high rate of pressure in the pocket Stroud is still receiving, maybe it’s a result of a poor rushing attack, or maybe it’s just Stroud himself, but whatever it is, it has every other Texans fans theorizing in their armchairs about what is really going on with the offense.
While the answer likely resides somewhere in the middle of all of the theories, the Texans can make those claims all moot by unleashing the offense against today in Jacksonville. But, how will they do that? What will need to change to get this show on the road? Well, out the many, many avenues to curing a stagnant offense, I can think of four paths Houston can take today in order to get the offense back on track:
4. Take advantage of WR Christian Kirk in the short-pass
One major evolution to the offense that doesn’t require any schematic changes will be the return (or the arrival) of Christian Kirk to the starting lineup. Kirk missed the first two games due to a hamstring injury, but he will now suit up for his first game in battle red…against his former team.
Besides the added emotion of a revenge game, Kirk’s speed, savvy, and knowledge of the opponent will provide the perfect compliment to Nico Collins’ outside-receiver acumen. As a slot receiver in an offense that steals notes from Sean McVay’s and Josh McDaniels’ schemes, Kirk should expect to receive a hefty amount of targets in his first game of the 2025 season. He may not be the x-factor superstar like Tank Dell was in 2023, but Kirk has plenty of juice to be a deadly chain-mover. Slants and out-routes will be his specialty, and if he’s covered, then this next player won’t be:
3. Get rookie RB Woody Marks the football in space
Rookie running back Woody Marks may not be exploding onto the scene, but his handful of touches against Tampa Bay made all of the difference in Houston’s second scoring drive. It may just be one play, but it was enough to reenergize my bullish attitude towards him.
Before that big play, Woody Marks had already earned some fans (me) in the preseason, where his punishing rushing style between the tackles and blistering speed as a scatback could offer flashbacks to Joe Mixon before he suffered an ankle injury that will keep him sidelined seemingly indefinitely. But, now that the regular season is underway, Nick Caley has kept Marks largely behind the curtain. Some wondered when Marks received only scant snaps in the preseason if that had been intentionally done so in order to surprise regular season opponents with his functionality in the offense…and, well, if that were true, I couldn’t think of a better time to unveil his talents to the NFL world.
Against Jacksonville, Marks will be another weapon that the Texans can deploy to overwhelm the Jaguars’ defensive coverage, a weakness the Cincinnati Bengals exploited to beat them last week. Jags’ slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis is only one person, so he won’t be able to cover all of the speedsters Nick Caley may throw his way. You may not suspect Marks to get a lot of attention in today’s game, but the amount of pressure CJ Stroud could face from Jacksonville’s defensive line may force his gaze down to the flat, precisely where Woody Marks excels. But, besides those beloved dump-off pass, there is one counter Stroud could employ downfield that would turn the tides of the game…
2. If Stroud can manage the pocket and target the Jags’ CB Jarrian Jones
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud arrives as the symbolic face of the modern Houston Texans, for better and for worse. Whether the blame rests at his feet or not, Houston’s regression on offense in 2024 became the albatross around the neck of every major figure associated with the team. The major reshuffling of the entire supporting cast around Stroud has gone a long way to make the offense look fresh on paper, but the hot-and-cold woes that plagued the offense in 2024 appear to still be present. Battle Red Blog’s Mike Bullock went on to say in Brand new Houston offense, same old Texans results:
So far, Caley has many wondering why exactly Bobby Slowik was shown the door. The 2025 Texans offense ranks:
8th worst in total passing yards with 395
Tied for second worst in passing touchdowns with 1
3rd worst in passing first downs with 14
12th worst in rushing yards with 198
Tied for 5th worst in rushing first downs with 11
Tied for 2nd worst in touchdowns scored with only 2
Granted, the Texans faced some talented NFC defenses to start the season, but that hasn’t stopped the questions surrounding Stroud and Nick Caley to start the season.
Enter Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Similar to Stroud, Jones has had a bit of a disjointed start to the 2025 season, giving up six catches, four first downs, 71 yards, and a touchdown in the first two games. He hasn’t been a complete disaster, but Stroud would benefit to look in his direction in today’s game. Xavier Hutchinson or Jayden Higgins could be Stroud’s favorite targets against the Jaguars…as long as he gets enough time in the pocket. If Stroud could turn back the clock to exactly two years ago, week three of the 2023 season, and return to the kind of high-arching, anticipatory throws that made him a rookie sensation, then he may find himself on the winning end of a get-right game in Jacksonville once again.
Another wildcard to this matchup is Jags rookie and Heisman Trophy winner CB/WR Travis Hunter. He earned more reps on defense last week against the Bengals and may end up receiving the lions’ share of CB2 reps yet again. Although, even if the offense continues to be stuck in the mud, Stroud might still be able to come away with a big win because of the #1 ticket to victory in today’s game: the Texans defense and special teams maintaining their dominant pace and giving the offense layup opportunities.
1. Score touchdowns, not field goals on short fields granted by special teams and defense
So far this season, the Texans have started their offensive drive in opposing territory three times, once against the Rams and twice against the Buccaneers. In those three drives, Houston’s offense returned with just 13 points total; two field goals and one touchdown. The defense, as we’ve come to expect, has been top-of-line since the season began, kicking opposing offenses off the field like a bad habit and even forcing a massive turnover in week one against the Rams that could have won Houston the game if the offense successfully capitalized on it. Just like last year, both the defense and special teams have shown the power to take complete control over a contest, making momentum-swinging plays so that Stroud and the offense have a shorter field to work with.
Special teams specifically is where one of the more positive developments of the Houston Texans resides, as well. Kickoff, punt returner, and wide receiver Jaylin Noel has quickly become a fan favorite, utilizing his 4.39s 40-yard dash speed to rack up return yardage. He may earn some more highlights today as well, as the Jaguars currently have the lowest ranked special teams in the league. Battle Red Blog writer Clayton Anderson has been following the rookie Iowa State Cyclones very closely in his weekly reports, and he end up with glowing reviews for each of them by the end of the day!
More offensive production would steady the hearts of Texans fans the world over, but they could ultimately struggle on offense yet again and still win convincingly. If the Texans defense and special teams play like they did last week, Stroud should get plenty of opportunities to strike the knockout blow against the glitter kitties. Both Nick Caserio and Nick Caley have worked together to assemble a modern offense for Stroud, but it also reveals how their shared time in New England during the Tom Brady era maintains a lingering influence on them to this day. Many of the 2010s Patriots teams excelled at scoring off of turnovers, killing teams by ensuring they maximized on their mistakes. The ingredients to a similar offense are in Houston now, but to make it work, C.J. Stroud needs to be a catalyst to more touchdown drives and fewer field goals.
And that’s the list! I think we’re all a little desperate for a win here. Even the most skeptical Texans fans among us are probably are little surprised by the deflating start they’ve had in 2025, getting a notch in the win column could go a long way towards shaking off this rust that appears to be clinging to the offense. Much of the offseason was spent hyping up the new o-line and especially these new wide receivers, yet the results of these efforts have yet to appear; but that changes today. Even though Jacksonville’s defense has shown some moxie, I think we’ll finally get to see Stroud really take advantage of these new weapons, forcing Jacksonville into a hole that it won’t be able to climb out of.
What do you think, though? Will this finally be Stroud’s big return to rookie form, or will it be another defensive slugfest that the Texans will need to win via field goal? Let us know down in the comment section below!
GO TEXANS!!!!
