Texans get off the schneid, and the kids are alright

As the Houston Texans were putting the finishing touches on a 26-0 win -- Houston's first shutout since 2010 -- over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon, two important questions ran through my head:

1. How much of this has to do with the quality of their opponent, the Tennessee Titans, who may very well be the worst team in the entire National Football League?

2. Was the solution to all of the problems that the Houston Texans offense has had really as simple as getting the rookies more involved in the action?

I suppose I could've made this exercise much simpler by just switching the order in which I asked these questions, but nonetheless, I want to answer the second question first.

I don't know if we can call getting rookies Woody Marks and Jayden Higgins their first NFL touchdowns 'the solution' to the problem that has been the Houston Texans' abyssmal offensive attack, but I do know that if there is a long-term solution, getting something from these two on a consistent basis is likely part of it.

Woody Marks goes from 'X-Factor' to Player of the Game

Just hours before kickoff, I earmarked 4th round rookie running back Woody Marks as one of the X-factors for the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. First of all, I'd like to thank Woody Marks himself for making me look much smarter than I actually am. I suppose I should be thanking DeMeco Ryans, Nick Caley and the rest of the Texans coaching staff as well for recognizing the same thing I did... Marks raises the ceiling of the Texans offense in a way that 30-year-old Nick Chubb can't.

Against the Titans, Marks finished the game with 17 carries for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, plus 4 receptions for 50 yards and an additional score. For the first time this year, Marks received more touches (21) than Chubb (15), and predictably, the explosive first-year back made the most of them.

Serious test awaits Texans in Week 5

No longer winless, the Texans can now breathe a little easier knowing they won't need to dig themselves out of an 0-4 hole which only one team in NFL history has managed to crawl out of. But even with their defense playing up to its potential through the first four weeks of the season, Houston can't afford to get too comfortable now that there's a notch in the win column.

Next week's test, an away game versus the Baltimore Ravens, will require the Texans to play by far their best game of the year, or they run the risk of getting run off the field just like they did on Christmas Day last season. There's no telling what the Ravens record, vibes or health will be like going into this game -- Baltimore still needs to deal with the Kansas City Chiefs today -- but so long as Lamar Jackson is the one taking snaps for the Ravens, this won't be a walk in the park.

If there's any silver lining for the Texans offense, it's that saying that the Ravens defense has looked vulnerable this year would be a tremendous understatement, so if there is any semblance of momentum to come out of today's win over the Titans, maybe CJ Stroud and co. will be able to carry it over to Week 5.