The morning sun rose upon a new day last Sunday, and as the Houston Texans suited up for their week six game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a fortunate wind blew in their favor. After succumbing to multiple heartbreakers to start the season, the Texans have now won two in a row following a thrilling, nail-biting, tubthumping, eye-popping whale of a game against the Jaguars, capping it off with a 49-yard game-winning field goal by one of the best to ever kick a football: Ka’imi Fairbairn!
That kick may have only been to improve to a record of 2-4, but it meant so much more than just one win for this team. The Texans found themselves in rather uncharted territory starting the season at 0-4, and the journey back to a successful season was going to require a win like this. They had to prove they could beat a good opponent at some point, and now – thanks to the brilliance of the QB CJ Stroud – they have! Stroud had one of his very best games as an NFL quarterback last Sunday, granting the primarily British crowd at Wembley Stadium the opportunity to bear witness to the triumphant return of 2023-era Stroud, the emergence of a true speed demon in WR Jaylin Noel, and, finally, a game-winning drive from the Texans themselves instead of their opponent! They may still be searching for answers on defense, but at least the Texans have finally got the MVP version of Stroud to awaken from his slumber!
This 34-31 victory was all about Stroud and his ability to pull off impossible throws like he’s pulling rabbits out of his hat. He made full use of his long cast of talented receivers, even hitting TE Foster Moreau for two touchdowns, including one of the most impressive catches you’ll ever see:
Despite all the fanfare, the Texans are still just 2-4, and multiple games outside of the AFC playoff race. This may have been an impressive win against a true contender, but the Texans are still working to dig themselves out of the hole they fell in after losing four games in a row. But, this kind of victory, even if it’s just one win on paper, can do a lot to improve the morale of the team going forward. Now, they have captured some amount of the ever elusive, undefinable “momentum” that all football organizations are searching for. Like an ancient artifact, momentum is a concept that is hard to define, yet all football teams yearn for it, even as many claim not to believe in it. The concept of carrying some sort of abstract, positive force from one week of football to the next is something that doesn’t really make any sense, yet seems to have an impact on the NFL season every year, like some sort of invisible hand that guides the best teams to the top of the heap. Have the Texans found their momentum? Well, it certainly feels like they have, but we probably won’t know until the momentum has long passed, so for now, let’s just see where all of those Power Rankings pundits have placed the Texans, now!
Here’s where the Houston Texans land after their 34-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars:
NFL.COM:
14. Houston Texans (Last Week: 25)
Don’t look now, but the Texans are clawing their way back into relevance! Houston’s defense isn’t the shutdown unit it was in years past, but the talent-laden group has inched itself closer to familiarity since DeMeco Ryans took the play-calling reins. Most importantly, C.J. Stroud is playing some of the best football of his career. His performance in London was simply exquisite (save for his late interception in the end zone), and if the Texans can sustain their turnaround, he’ll force his way into the MVP conversation.
ESPN:
16. Houston Texans (2-4)
Week 6 result: Beat the Jaguars 34-31
Week 6 ranking: 21
Biggest issue on offense: Lack of a run game
The Texans’ passing attack is humming, as quarterback C.J. Stroud ranks second leaguewide in passing yards (1,712), but an effective run game would take this offense to the top tier. They’re averaging 84.8 rushing yards per game (25th) and have 32 rushing first downs on the season (tied for 22nd). Running back David Montgomery, who was acquired via trade in March, is averaging a career-low 2.7 yards per carry and missed Week 6 because of a groin injury.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
14. Houston Texans (2–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Last week’s result: beat Jaguars, 34–31
This week: vs. Giants
Forget about the defense. The narrative heading into the trade deadline should be: How much more help can Houston provide C.J. Stroud, who is playing at a top-10 level over the course of the last month and seeing the field better than he has in two years. My take? Call Philadelphia and see what Saquon Barkley has left in the tank.
BLEACHER REPORT:
19. Houston Texans (2-4)
Last Week: 26
Week 6 Result: Won vs. Jacksonville 34-31 (London)
The Houston Texans didn’t get their first win of 2026 until Week 5. They’ve now won two in a row and have reentered the AFC South picture with a victory over the rival Jacksonville Jaguars.
Houston’s defense hasn’t been nearly as dominant as it was a year ago. However, C.J. Stroud is playing at a Pro Bowl level and leads a balanced offense—when healthy—that will give the Texans a chance to win more often than not.
New wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had just three receptions for 34 yards in his Texans debut on Sunday, but he should help open up the passing attack.
Climbing out of a 2-4 hole will be difficult, of course. However, Houston did exactly that last season and made it to the divisional round. This is a team that must be taken seriously moving forward, even if it is still chasing the early playoff field.
CBS SPORTS:
15. Texans (2-4) (Last Week: 23)
That was a big-time victory in London over the Jaguars. C.J. Stroud is really playing at a high level, but the defense has to pick it up.
USA TODAY:
20. Houston Texans (26): They continue to have one of the league’s least-efficient run games. But that defense, QB C.J. Stroud’s inspired play and an upgraded wideout corps − not to mention DeMeco Ryans calling the defensive plays again − suggest this team could go on another long heater.
YAHOO! SPORTS:
17. Houston Texans (2-4, LW: 24)
The 2025 Texans started 0-3, blew out a hapless Titans team, then got a 44-10 win against the Ravens and that led to a 12-5 record and a playoff berth. This season’s Texans started 0-4, blew out a hapless Titans team and then got a huge 34-31 win against a good Jaguars team in London. The next four games are vs. Giants, at Chargers, at Browns, vs. Colts. Those teams rank 28th, 31st, 21st and 25th in DVOA. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but there’s an opportunity for the Texans to be 6-4 in a month.
The play of C.J. Stroud offers long-term optimism. He led all quarterbacks in EPA per play in Week 6 through Sunday’s games, and did so against a Jaguars defense that was playing well. Stroud has been up and down this season, but has generally been good as long as Nico Collins is in the lineup. If he continues to play well, digging out of an 0-4 hole is very possible.
THE ATHLETIC:
17. Houston Texans (2-4)
Last week: 21
Sunday: Beat Jaguars 34-31
Fantasy focus: C.J. Stroud
Houston’s slow start was not the fault of its quarterback. Stroud, who is in the fourth year of his rookie deal and is headed toward interesting contract negotiations with the Texans, is 16th in the league in fantasy scoring (112.2) and on pace for the best passer rating (100.9) and EPA per dropback (0.15) numbers of his career. The Texans have won two in a row after Sunday’s victory in London.
Up next: vs. Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
19. Texans (No. 24; 2-4): They’re in the same position they were in a year ago, but with a better record in the division.
Average Ranking: 16.78 (Last Week: 22.67)
They just keep moving on up! It’s a great sight to see after Houston’s precipitous fall down the rankings to start the season, though one analyst in particular hadn’t given up hope on Houston: Sports Illustrated Conor Orr. Orr kept Houston higher up in his rankings even as they dropped to 0-4, and was rewarded for keeping them at #14 last week with a victory this week. That’s not all of the good news, either, as head coach DeMeco Ryans announced during his Monday press conference that WR Tank Dell is finally be making his return to the gridiron this Sunday when the Texans host the New York Giants (3-2-1) in their week seven matchup:
Goodness gracious! Houston seemed like they might be primed for their most disappointing season in recent history following their poor start, and now just two weeks later, it feels like the world has been flipped completely upside down! WR Tank Dell will enter a very, very crowded room of receivers, but, considering Dell’s and CJ Stroud’s connection with one another that dates back to their rookie seasons, I expect Dell to be utilized in the offense right away. He may not be catching 50-yard bombs like he was in 2023 right away (that honor might still belong to Jaylin Noel), but Dell will certainly be getting open, and Stroud will be looking his way at some point on Sunday.
If CJ Stroud and offensive coordinator Nick Caley can keep this high-flying offense airborne for the next few weeks, they should be able to soar past the Giants and into their bye week with a 3-4 record. After that, they should be fully prepared in week nine to get back to .500 when they visit Los Angeles to face the currently winless Chargers. The Chargers, much like the Texans, had very high expectations dashed away by a terrible start to the 2026 season. Although, there’s one thing that has separated these two teams and allowed the Texans to begin their climb back to relevance: momentum! Okay, well maybe it has more to do with Stroud playing the quarterback position at a much higher level than Chargers QB Justin Herbert, but I like to imagine the invisible hand of “momentum” pulling the Texans along, as if a force beyond our comprehension has elected Houston to be the recipient of great fortune. What is momentum, anyways, besides a wind that tips the football in your favor? The ball certainly tipped Houston’s way against the Jaguars last week, so I’m going to bet on that trend continuing until Stroud cools off from this heater he’s currently on. Hopefully that doesn’t happen for the rest of the season!
What do you think, though? Are the Texans going to continue their hot streak and push themselves back into playoff contention right away? Or, is this struggling defense going to drag them back down into the pits of despair? Will DeMeco Ryans calling plays on defense really result in marked improvement from that group in the coming weeks, or will they remain a middling group that Stroud must compensate for over and over again? Holding Jacksonville to a field goal at the end of the game following Stroud’s end-zone interception was a sign of improvement to me, but they still ultimately gave up 30+ points against the Jaguars, which marked their third time allowing as many points this season already. Last year, this defense only gave up 30 points once: week 18 against the QB Riley Leonard-led Indianapolis Colts. They have a long way to go to get back to that level of dominance, but even if they don’t, reaching an average-level defense might be enough to send the Texans to the Super Bowl. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!
Go Texans!
