Following a Monday Night Football defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, the Houston Texans had a short week to prepare for what was arguably the biggest game of their 2025 season thus far.
At 2-4 and with the 6-1 Indianapolis Colts setting the pace in the AFC South, the Texans simply couldn't fall into a 2-5 hole. But given how subpar Houston's offense has looked over the first third of the season, and considering the injuries that would keep both Nico Collins and Christian Kirk out of today's game, a 2-5 hole seemed like a possible outcome if third-year quarterback CJ Stroud couldn't find a reliable target or two to get the ball to.
In the end, Houston walked out of NRG Stadium with a 26-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers, and as has been the case for the majority of the season, the defense did a lot of the heavy lifting. The 49ers offense didn't get its first 1st down until the final minute of the 2nd quarter, and in total, San Francisco managed only 223 yards of offense -- their lowest output since a mid-December loss to the Los Angeles Rams in 2024.
But some of the credi has to be assigned to the Texans offense, because unlike weeks past, CJ Stroud and company were able to extend drives and keep their defense rested on the sideline, winning the time of possession battle convincingly, holding onto the ball for over 41 minutes in the win.
Woody Marks and Nick Chubb combined for 118 yards on 28 carries and Stroud added 30 more yards on the ground, but the biggest takeaway from this game is that the Houston's passing offense finally got something going, even without their #1 and #2 receivers.
Former Iowa State Cyclones star in Texans' 26-15 win
Aside from a late 2nd quarter interception, CJ Stroud played nearly flawless football, completing 30 of 39 passes for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was Stroud's first 300 yard game since a Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills last season.
Without his go-to target unable to go because of a concussion, Stroud had to spread the ball around, getting nine different Texans pass-catchers involved in the action, but three stood out above the rest.
A trio of former Iowa State Cyclones -- Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel -- combined for 14 receptions, 166 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon, overwhelming San Francisco's undermanned defense with soft hands and yards after catch as opposed to strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Now sitting at 3-4, Houston will look to get to .500 for the first time this season next Sunday when the Denver Broncos come to town, before finishing off a three game home stand against the free-falling Jacksonville Jaguars in two weeks.