The Houston Texans are trying to fend off elimination from playoffs just four games into the 2026 season after falling to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. Wide receiver Nico Collins hit the field for the first time since week one, and the Houston offense looked completely different. But just when the offense seemed to find some footing, the Texans' defense, especially their secondary, let them down (again).
After a Woody Marks touchdown gave Houston a 30-27 lead with 2:23 left in the game, it came down to one stop. The Cowboys proceeded to put together an 11-play, 74-yard drive to take the lead back for good. Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb recorded five receptions, 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown on that drive.
In total, Lamb caught a career-high 17 passes for 189 yards and the lone touchdown. The Texans tried guarding Lamb with six different players, and he had a reception on all of them. Houston was supposed to have one of the best defenses in the league in 2026, but its secondary has been brutal.
The Texans secondary is underperforming, and it's costing them games
Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter is having his worst year as a pro by far. In his first two seasons, Lassiter allowed a quarterback rating of 73.3 (2025) and 70.8 (2024), per NextGen Stats. So far in 2026, the average quarterback rating with Lassiter in coverage is 107.4. He was targeted 11 times against the Cowboys, allowing eight receptions for 136 yards, all of which were team highs.
The rest of the secondary hasn't been much better, and Reed Blankenship has been the worst. Blankenship is the only Texans defender to allow more than one touchdown reception this season. Jalen Pitre has allowed 14 catches on 20 targets, and cornerback Calen Bullock has given up nine receptions on 14 targets. He's a linebacker, but Azeez Al-Shaair (who missed the Cowboys game with an injury) has allowed ten catches on 11 targets.
Aside from the pass rush, teams have no reason to worry about throwing against the Texans. Houston is allowing 260 passing yards per game, which is fifth-worst in the league. In week five, the Texans will travel to Nashville, TN, to face the Titans. It will be a worst-on-worst situation, as Tennessee is the fifth-worst passing offense in the NFL (172.3 ypg).
The Texans and Titans are two of five winless teams in the NFL, and the only ones residing in the same division. According to ESPN's FPI, Houston has a 66% chance to win. However, if it can't find a way to beat the Titans, given the talent differences across the board, there is a 100% chance of somebody getting fired (or at least there should be).
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