The Houston Texans have an eye-opening weakness that could limit their playoff run
The Houston Texans will enter the 2025 NFL Playoffs coming off their second straight AFC South title. Head coach DeMeco Ryans had completely revitalized a franchise that was coming off three straight postseason absences. The Texans will now face the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Chargers as they try to win their second playoff game under their head coach. Despite this success, it's been a trying season at times for quarterback CJ Stroud and company.
The Texans have picked up some eye-opening losses throughout the season such as the 31-2 home blowout to the Baltimore Ravens and the midseason defeat to the lowly New York Jets. These defeats came after Houston started the season at 6-2, looking like a contender for a top-two seed in the AFC. However, the inconsistencies on both sides of the ball led to a middling end to the season, with the team going 10-7 overall.
Some people still consider the Texans to be Super Bowl contenders despite these struggles at certain points this season. However, there is a major weakness that will likely be the reason this team is at home in early February. Here is our pick for Houston's fatal flaw.
The Houston Texans' offense is their fatal flaw
The Texans' offense has had a disappointing season after being a pleasant surprise last year. Despite the lack of gaudy stats in 2023, entering a season with a defensive first-year head coach and rookie quarterback is usually not a winning recipe in the NFL. That was not the case for this franchise which was also coming off a 3-13-1 season overall in 2022. Ohio State star quarterback CJ Stroud was a revelation for the Texans immediately, dominating the Rookie of the Year race for most of 2023.
The Rancho, Cucamonga native completed 63.9% of his throws for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns. Stroud only threw five picks while setting a league record for most attempts without an interception to start his career at 186. Overall, the Texans averaged 22.2 points a game last year which ranked 13th in the NFL.
The passing offense put up 245.5 yards per contest, which was good enough for seventh. Unfortunately, both those averages have taken a dip in 2024. The more noticeable of the two has been through the air. The CJ Stroud-led offense is only putting up 207.4 passing yards a game this season. Houston's quarterback has regressed statistically in his sophomore season as star wideouts Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs have been less available than in previous seasons.
In Diggs' case, the four-time Pro Bowler is out for the season with a knee injury he picked up in Week 8 against the Colts. Collins has recorded his second 1,000-yard season despite playing just twelve games this year. At running back, the Texans upgraded this season, adding former Bengals star Joe Mixon this offseason. Mixon has not been a disappointment by any means.
Despite an improved ground game, the Texans have struggled heavily to convert in the red zone. Houston is only scoring when inside the 20 49.12% of the time, which ranks toward the bottom of the NFL. The key heading into this game will be both red zone and third down conversion rate.
The Texans are lackluster in both categories, despite being among the best in time of possession. With a defense that has at times been susceptible to physical rushing attacks, this team can get worn down with an offense that isn't in rhythm.
Overall, the Los Angeles Chargers share some of Houston's weaknesses heading into this matchup. This game is primed to be a defensive slugfest with two elite, young quarterbacks who have the potential to break out. However, the offensive inconsistencies that DeMeco Ryans' team has shown throughout the season, show that this team is not quite ready to go on a Super Bowl run.
To win four straight postseason contests, a team needs to be able to win defensive slugfests, high-scoring shootouts, and everything in between. The Texans have not shown that kind of versatility in 2024 to win their first title in franchise history. However, there still is a chance for this franchise to win a few games in the 2025 NFL Playoffs.
