Azeez al-Shaair of the Houston Texans shakes hands with Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers after an NFL wild card playoff game at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Al-Shaair has supported Palestinians in the past, including wearing “Free Palestine” cleats for the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign during the 2024 season.
Al-Shaair had “Free” written on one side of his shoes in the colors of the Palestinian flag. On one shoe, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return,” was written. On the side of his other shoe, it had the number of Palestinians reportedly killed and wounded in their war with Israel.
The shoes were for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, which he also supported in 2023.
“I feel like it’s something that’s trying to be almost silenced,” Al-Shaair told the Houston Chronicle at the time. “On either side, people losing their life is not right. In no way, shape, or form am I validating anything that happened, but to consistently say that because of [Oct. 7] innocent people [in Gaza] should now die, it’s crazy.
“[Other people] try to make a disconnect and dehumanize people over there. And it’s like, they’re human beings. Being a Muslim, we see everybody the same; Black, White, Spanish, whatever you are; you can be orange, like, we’re all human beings.”
Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans speaks to his teammates before kickoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.(Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Al-Shaair was also part of the Athletes for Ceasefire organization, along with several other athletes.
During the game when he wore the Palestine cleats, Al-Shaair made a tackle on Trevor Lawrence that left him with a concussion, prompting backlash and an ejection. In a statement apologizing for the hit, he snapped at “racist and Islamophobic fans and people” for attacking him online.
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides down in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) in the second quarter in the second quarter at EverBank Stadium.(Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
Al-Shaair’s Texans scored 23 points in the fourth quarter on Monday to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 and advance to the AFC divisional round. They will face the Patriots in New England on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
(CNN) — It’s been a long 2025 NFL season so far with twists, turns, shocking injuries, surprising contenders and disappointing years from preseason favorites.
As we come off another intriguing week of action across the league and approach the end of the season, the playoff picture is becoming more and more clear.
With just one week of the NFL regular season left, who’s in, who’s out and who still has a shot at making a postseason run for a spot in Super Bowl LX and a chance to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Who’s in?
(All teams listed by current seeding in each conference)
AFC
1. Denver Broncos (13-3, 1st AFC West): The Broncos already qualified for the postseason but still beat the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs 20-13 on Friday. A win against the Los Angeles Chargers at Mile High in Week 18 will earn Denver top seed status in the AFC.
2. New England Patriots (13-3, 1st AFC East): New England will be lurking should Denver fail to wrap up the conference and the Pats will play the Miami Dolphins to close out the season.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, 1st AFC South): The Jags are also still in the running for the first-round bye after beating the Indianapolis Coltsin Week 17. They now host the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.
5. Houston Texans (11-5, 2nd AFC South): Houston’s sensational defense has fired the franchise into the postseason for a third straight year. The team confirmed its place in the playoffs with a 20-16 win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, 2nd AFC West): The Chargers will be happy to have already locked up a postseason spot as they face a motivated Denver squad in the final week of the regular season.
7. Buffalo Bills (11-5, 2nd AFC East): After losing in dramatic circumstances against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bills close out the year with a home game against the Jets having already secured their berth in the playoffs.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker hits Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High on December 21. Credit: Ron Chenoy / Imagn via CNN Newsource
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, 1st NFC West): After missing the playoffs in the last two campaigns, the Seahawks are back in the postseason and tightened their grip on the No. 1 seed after beating the Carolina Panthers 27-10 in Week 17. Seattle now faces the San Francisco 49ers in its last regular season game.
2. Chicago Bears (11-5, 1st NFC North): Da Bears haven’t made the postseason since 2020, so some celebration in the Windy City is merited, but Chicago has only made the playoffs twice since 2010 – and lost in the wild card round both times. After spending so many years in the proverbial wilderness, the team won’t be content with just making it. The Bears take on the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, 1st NFC East): The defending Super Bowl champions are back in the postseason to defend their title, but with hopes of a first-round bye now over, Philly may look to rest players ahead of a game against the Washington Commanders in Week 18.
5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, 2nd NFC West): After missing the postseason last year, the Niners are back and looking dangerous. Starting QB Brock Purdy is back and playing incredibly as they host the Seahawks in Week 18 with the No. 1 seed in the conference at stake.
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, 3rd NFC West): The Rams round out an incredible NFC West, which has three teams in the playoffs. Los Angeles, though, suffered a surprise defeat against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17 and closes out the regular season with a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, 2nd NFC North): The Pack lost to Baltimore in Week 17 but still secured the NFC seventh seed heading into the playoffs. Off the back of three straight defeats, Green Bay heads to Minnesota in Week 18 to take on the eliminated Vikings.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) scrambles with the ball in Monday’s win against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn via CNN Newsource
Who’s still got a chance?
AFC
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, 1st AFC North): The Steelers only had to beat the Cleveland Browns on the road last Sunday to secure their place in the playoffs, but blew the opportunity after losing 13-6. Pittsburgh now faces a winner-takes-all clash against its bitter rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 18. Pittsburgh currently has a 40% chance of making the playoffs, according to the NFL.
9. Baltimore Ravens (8-8, 2nd AFC North): The Ravens had Super Bowl aspirations before the year kicked off with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and star running back Derrick Henry, but it all seemed to fall apart with Jackson missing significant time due to injury. But results went their way on Week 17 andthey beat the Packers 41-24. It all means that the NFL says the Ravens now have a 60% chance of reaching the postseason still.
NFC
4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, 1st NFC South): Carolina is still sitting first in its division despite losing to the Seahawks in Week 17. The Panthers still have a chance of reaching the postseason as they face a win-or-go-home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. The NFL says Carolina has a 72% chance of making it to the playoffs.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, 2nd NFC South): The Bucs lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 and now everything hangs on the final game of the regular season against the Panthers. We’ll see what happens but the NFL gives Tampa Bay justa 28% chance of progressing.
The Las Vegas Raiders (2‑12) make the short trip to NRG Stadium to take on the Houston Texans (9‑5) in what shapes up as one of the more lopsided games on the Week 16 slate. Houston comes in riding a six‑game winning streak and is firmly in the AFC playoff hunt, looking to extend that streak to seven with another strong showing at home. The Texans’ defense has been elite all season, ranking first in the NFL in both points and yards allowed per game, and Houston has turned that unit into a foundation for success as they chase an AFC South title and favorable playoff positioning. Their balanced attack, led by C.J. Stroud and playmakers like Nico Collins, gives them another edge against a Raiders team that has struggled to sustain drives and put up points this year.
Las Vegas, by contrast, enters on an eight‑game losing skid, with an offense that ranks last in the league in nearly every major category, including scoring. Despite the return of Geno Smith under center and flashes from rookie talents like Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, the Raiders have had trouble moving the ball against stout defenses and will face perhaps their toughest challenge of the year against Houston’s pass rush and disciplined secondary. The matchup highlights a stark contrast in trajectories: Houston is building momentum in a playoff race while Vegas is largely focused on development and finding bright spots down the stretch. Expect the Texans’ defense to set the tone early and often in this one, with Houston firmly in control throughout.
This is a great NFL matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
Fubo offers a free trial, and you can watch the NFL on local CBS and FOX broadcasts every Sunday. You can also live stream NFL RedZone and catch football all season long on CBS, FOX, ESPN, NFL Network, and more.
Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
If the Houston Texans go on to do anything remarkable the remainder of the year, like make the postseason and win a couple games, the three game stretch where C.J> Stroud was concussed and Davis Mills came in and went 3-0 will be looked back upon as possibly even more surreal than it feels right now.
Mills capped off a perfect record in his three game stint as a starter undefeated, piling up nearly as many wins in 11 days as he did in two seasons back in 2021 and 2022. It’s exactly why Texans GM Nick Caserio has already given Mills two contract extensions, and honestly, those three games might trigger several phone calls to Caserio from opposing GM’s looking for a bridge starter at quarterback.
That’s a conversation for the offseason, though, because now here comes C.J. Stroud, back into the lineup this weekend. The Texans’ defense is playing at a meteoric level right now, so the pressure is on Stroud to steward an offense where “slightly above average” should win enough games to get into the postseason.
This week, the Texans travel to Indianapolis to face the division leading Colts. A win in Indy and, all of a sudden, the Texans’ third straight division crown is back in the conversation. A loss, and the Texans will practically need to run the table to get into the playoffs.
Here are four things to watch for in Indy on Sunday:
4. Welcome back, C.J. Stroud
It will be very itneresting to see what this offense does with Stroud back at the helm. Prior to going down with his concussion, Stroud was dynamite against San Francisco and briefly against Denver, until he left the game. If that version of Stroud comes back, it’ll be a good day on Sunday. Stroud is 2-0 at Lucas Oil Stadium in his career, and he is 9-4 in AFC South games since arriving in the NFL in 2023. This begins a HUGE six game stretch for Stroud’s contractual future, as well.
3. Nico versus Sauce
A few weeks ago, just prior to the NFL’s trade deadline, the Colts traded two first round picks to the Jets for former All Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. It was a risky, “chips all in” move that, thus far, has paid tepid returns, at best. This game is full of huge individual matchups, but none bigger than Gardner going up against Texans No. 1 wideout Nico Collins. Collins has been picking up the pace since a slow start, and now he can have some say in the ongoing debate between who is the better corner between Gardner and Collins’ teammate, Derek Stingley, Jr.
2. Jonathan Taylor, the head of the snake
When it comes to taking away the most important things that the Colts do well offensively, shutting down running back Jonathan Taylor is the foremost key. Taylor leads the league in rushing yards with 1,197 yards on the ground, but last week against the Chiefs, he was held to 58 yards on 16 carries, and the Colts were running in wet cement the entire fourth quarter and overtime. The Texans are fully capable of taking away the other team’s marquee running back, as they’ve done several times this season. The key will be shutting down Taylor, because….
The “old” Daniel Jones
… Daniel Jones appears to be back to his old ways, and if there is no running game to speak of, then there is no play action, and if there is no play action, it means Jones is pocket fodder for the QB sack tandem of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. On top of the general regression of Jones and the offense, which was sensational through the first eight games, Jones is also dealing with a fibula injury that affects his ability to run the football and scramble. The rest of the division has been waiting for the New York Giant version of Jones to show up for three months now. Well, here he is.
The holiday season is upon us, and with all due respect to Andy Williams, whose winter ditty “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” cites the Christmas season as just that, the most wonderful time of the year, if we are going to narrow it down to one weekend for football fans, Thanksgiving weekend is the most wonderful time of the year, hands down.
Starting late Thursday morning, once we get our token Turkey Trots and family touch football games out of the way, the holiday gods give us license to sit on the couch for four days. Unless you’re working, the only reason you should leave the couch is for bathroom breaks, drink refills, and leftover turkey sandwiches.
For folks in the Houston area, there is a ton of meaningful football being played over the next 72 hours, but you might need a map to navigate all of it. So, as James Taylor would say, “that’s why I’m here!” (Not sure why I keep quoting old, male singers. But I digress.)
So, for your gluttony and sloth benefit, here is my guide to football watching for the Houston football fan this weekend, with a brief blurb on each of these games, and what’s at stake:
Thursday, November 27
Chiefs at Cowboys, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
Houstonians will have to pinch their nose and tolerate rooting for the Cowboys for a few hours on Turkey Day, because a Dallas win over the Chiefs would be a huge help to the Texans’ playoff hopes.
Bengals at Ravens, 7:20 p.m. (NBC)
The Bengals should be getting their quarterback Joe Burrow back in this one. Similar to the Cowboys, the Bengals can become the Texans’ best friends by damaging the 6-5 Ravens.
Friday, November 28
Texas at Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m. (ABC)
Texas A&M can complete an historic undefeated regular season, clinch a slot in the SEC Title Game, and get one step closer to a first round bye in the College Football Playoff. Texas is trying to keep its microscopic playoff hopes alive. Oh, also, these two schools hate each other.
Saturday, November 29
Texas Tech at West Virginia, 11 a.m.
The Red Raiders are a 24 point favorite, but stranger things have happened on the road in college football. A win clinches a spot in the Big XII Title Game for Tech, and gets them one step closer to the school’s first playoff berth.
Houston at Baylor, 11 a.m.
A win for the Coogs here gets them to 9-3 on the season, and should lock up a pretty substantial bowl berth, with several projections sending them to San Antonio and the Alamo Bowl. Baylor will be staying at home during bowl season, trying to figure out what to do with head coach Dave Aranda.
SMU at Cal, 7 p.m.
Hey, we’ll throw a bone to some of the Houston area Mustang alum! A win for SMU clinches a spot in the ACC title game, and gets them one step closer to a second straight playoff appearance.
Sunday, November 30
Texans at Colts, Noon (CBS)
Not much needs to be said here, as several million of you, here in Houston, will be watching the latest “most important game of the season” for the Texans.
Jaguars at Titans, Noon (CBS)
The Texans remain a game back of the Jaguars for second place in the division and a wild card spot in the postseason. The Titans are the worst team in football, and similar to the Cowboys, very painful for Houstonians to root for. However, a Titan upset would be huge for the Texans.
Bills at Steelers, 3:25 p.m. (CBS)
These are two teams the Texans are looking up at in the standings. The Texans just beat the Bills, so the Texans have the head to head tiebreaker, if they end up tied after the season. The Steelers beating the Bills is the play for which to root here, as the Steelers winning the AFC North doesn’t affect the Texans’ playoff standing. Buffalo falling to 7-5, combined with a Texans win, would vault the Texans past the Bills in the standings.
Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells had a saying back during his coaching days — you are what your record says you are. In other words, we can parse out nuance with each of the games. Perhaps you lost some games you should have won, and vice versa, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. If you’re 6-5, you probably deserve to be 6-5.
The Houston Texans are 6-5, and I think Parcells’ saying applies here. Sure, they’ve won six of their last eight games to arrive here after an 0-3 start, but given the inconsistency of their offense, some of their gaffes on special teams, all added to an elite defense, 6-5 feels about right.
Coming off the heart-pounding 23-19 win over the Bills on Thursday night, though, the Texans accomplished more than just getting back above .500. They exorcised (for now, at least) their biggest boogeyman —- they actually had a stellar performance in prime time, “big stage” game.
Prior to Thursday night, in their last seven games in which they and their opponent had the television stage to themselves, here is how things went for the Texans:
2024, Week 9 – LOSS – Jets 21, Texans 13
2024, Week 10 – LOSS – Lions 26, Texans 23
2024, Week 11 – WIN – Texans 34, Cowboys 10
2024, Week 16 – LOSS – Chiefs 27, Texans 19
2024, Week 17 – LOSS – Ravens 31, Texans 2
2025, Week 2 – LOSS – Buccaneers 20, Texans 19
2025, Week 7 – LOSS – Seahawks 27, Texans 19
Ironically, the win over the Bills might have been the one game among all of these where a win was least expected. The Texans were a six point underdog at home, and playing with their backup quarterback, Davis Mills. However, the Texans’ defense is so good, they can put the entire team on their back. Just ask Josh Allen.
So now, if the Texans have truly shaken off their big game jitters, the renewed confidence could not be coming at a better time, as the Texans play their two biggest games of the season in the next two weeks — at Indianapolis next Sunday, and then on Sunday Night Football in Kansas City.
Add in the return of C.J. Stroud under center, and it seems like football business in the city of Houston is about to pick up, just in time for the holiday season!
Injuries have ravaged NFL teams throughout the 2025 season, and on Thursday night, the issue struck NFL officials during the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans game.
Head referee Adrian Hill pulled up lame during a play on a Texans drive in the third quarter. He was seen in the end zone watching a play unfold. As he started to move, Hill grabbed his left leg.
Referee Adrian Hill on the field during a game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants at Soldier Field on Nov. 9, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Hill was helped off the field and needed to be carted to the locker room. Umpire Roy Ellison took over as the head referee for the rest of the game.
Hill has been an NFL official since 2010, making his debut on Sept. 12, 2010, in a game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys as a line judge. He was promoted to a referee in 2019 after Pete Morelli and Walt Coleman retired.
Ellison is a longtime official himself and has some controversy attached to his career in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) is attended to by medical staff after suffering an unknown injury in the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Houston.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
In 2018, he had a run-in with Bills defensive lineman Jerry Hughes. The NFL player confronted Ellison in the tunnel following a game between the Bills and Miami Dolphins. Hughes accused Ellison of calling him an expletive. Ellison was reportedly fined one game check for the incident.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen had to check out after being roughed up on a play. Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir, defensive back Maxwell Hairston and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins were each evaluated for a concussion. Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard suffered an elbow injury and was out for the rest of the game.
Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to stream the entire FOX Nation library, plus live FOX News, Sports, and Entertainment at our lowest price of the year. The offer ends on Jan. 4, 2026.(Fox One; Fox Nation)
Since falling to 3-5 on the season back in Week 9, it’s been the same battle cry for the Houston Texans before each game — “This is the biggest game of the year, a must win.” And for the third straight week, the Houston Texans walked off the field victorious in said “must win,” this time getting their most legitimate win of the season, a 23-19 street fight versus the Buffalo Bills.
The difference with this game, compared to the wins over the Jaguars and Titans the previous two weeks, is that the Texans came into this one a relatively substantial underdog. The Bills were favored by six points, which may have been mildly disrespectful toward a Texans team whose defense is unquestionably elite.
Now, the Texans sit at 6-5, over .500 for the first time all season. They have the next ten days off, and they should be getting C.J. Stroud back from the concussion protocol. In other words, things are looking up! Let’s look at winners and losers from a tense, “battle red” Thursday night:
WINNERS
Will Anderson had 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in the Texans’ win. Jack Gorman Credit: Jack Gorman
4. Will Anderson
One of the best things about this game being on national television (or whatever word we are using for the Amazon streaming medium) is that the nation got a taste of what 2025 Will Anderson has been all about — fierce, physical, consistent dominance. In this game, Anderson had 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and a ton of quality time terrorizing Josh Allen all night long. Anderson sits at fourth on the odds board right now for Defensive Player of the Year at +1200.
3. AFC playoff contenders
We take a break from the Texans-Bills game for a moment to acknowledge the return of quarterback Joe Burrow in Cincinnati this week. After missing two months with a toe injury, Burrow is back practicing, and while the Bengals are out of the playoff race with a 3-7 record, the Bengals next four games are against the Patriots, Bills, and Ravens (twice). Burrow may not be able to help the Bengals make the playoffs, but he sure can help teams like the Texans who are in the mix with these other teams.
Calen Bullock caused three turnovers to lead the Texans to a win on Thursday. Jack Gorman Credit: Jack Gorman
2. Calen Bullock
I think Bullock is the player I was most excited for after last night’s win. It’s always fun to see a young player announce his presence with authority on a nationally televised game, and Bullock did just that, causing three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble), two of which led to points, and the third one closed out the game. Afterwards, Bullock was doing interviews with multiple national outlets. The recognition was fun to see.
Davis Mills finished with a 3-0 record in this crucial stretch of the season. Jack Gorman Credit: Jack Gorman
1. Davis Mills, high level backup
Mills’ 3-0 record in the last three games, games that allowed the Texans to crawl back to above .500, will garner a lot of attention around the league. Mills will not be supplanting C.J. Stroud as the Texans’ starting quarterback — Mills himself knows this, and said as much after the game — but his ability to step in and win games could have teams calling Nick Caserio after the season with trade offers to use Mills as a bridge starting quarterback for a team drafting a rookie quarterback.
LOSERS
Tommy Townsend was a bright spot on a suspect Texans special teams unit. Jack Gorman Credit: Jack Gorman
4. Texans special teams (again)
When you have a team with an inconsistent offense, like the Texans, it’s imperative that the other two sides of the football, defense and special teams, be clicking on all cylinders. The Texans’ defense is obviously elite. However, for the second time in three weeks, the Texans special teams units gave up a return for a touchdown, this time a kickoff return that gave the Bills a 16-13 lead late in the first half.
3. Dameon Pierce
The Dameon Pierce era came to an end just hours before Thursday’s game, as the Texans waived the fourth year running back to accommodate some roster moves. Pierce burst on the scene as a rookie in 2022, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards. However, once DeMeco Ryans got to the building, Pierce had trouble grasping whichever offense the team was running. In some ways, it feels miraculous that he was still on the team after this year’s training camp. Pierce will find a home somewhere else, but ultimately his run with the Texans ends in disappointment.
Nick Caley was pushing the wrong buttons in the second half on Thursday. Jack Gorman Credit: Jack Gorman
2. Second half Nick Caley
Maybe some of this is a function of having the backup quarterback start the last few games, but the Texans’ offense has been very schizophrenic. Davis Mills has generally done most of his damage in these games in one particular quarter. Thursday night, it was the second quarter, where the Texans went into halftime with a 20-16 lead. Unfortunately, offensive coordinator Nick Caley seemed to get super conservation in the second half of the game, and the Texans generated just 35 yards of total offense. Just when it feels like the Texans are turning some sort of corner under Caley, a half like that happens.
Josh Allen was running for his life on Thursday night. Jack Gorman Credit: Jack Gorman
Josh Allen
Thursday night continued NRG Stadium’s run as a house of horrors for the reigning MVP of the league. After Thursday night’s loss, Allen’s record now sits at 0-4 in NRG Stadium, and he’s lost games in a variety of fashions. In 2018, his rookie season, Allen left the game with an injury. In 2019, he watched the Texans come back in a playoff game from being down 16-0. Last season, he set a career low with a 30 percent completion percentage. Finally, last night, he threw two picks and was sacked eight times. If you happen to see Josh Allen today, give him a hug.
The Buffalo Bills were upset by the Houston Texans on Thursday night, 23-19.
The game came down to a game-deciding Bills drive in the final two minutes. The Bills extended the drive by converting on a 4th and 27 with a lateral pass to Khalil Shakir. But the Bills could not convert on a 4th and 6 in the Texans red zone, when Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw a game-ending interception.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass under pressure from Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai (72) in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
The Texans have now beaten the Bills for the second year in a row, and pulled it off with backup quarterback Davis Mills under center. Mills has improved to 3-0 as the team’s quarterback this year in place of the injured CJ Stroud.
Mills had one of his better games as a pro Thursday, passing for 153 yards with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Texans’ defense had eight sacks on Allen, and even forced him out of the game temporarily with a wrist concern in the first half.
With the win, the Texans move to 6-5 on the season and remain in the hunt for the AFC wild card race. The Texans are now just half a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final wild card spot.
Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. (51) and Denico Autry (96) celebrate after Anderson sacked Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
The Bills fell to 7-4 and lost ground to the New England Patriots in the AFC East race.
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
The Houston Texans are set to face off against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football as the team attempts to extend its winning streak to three games and get back in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
Houston will be led by quarterback Davis Mills, who is getting the start for the third straight week as starting quarterback CJ Stroud remains out of the lineup due to a concussion. As the Texans made their final preparations for the game, though, the team received some unfortunate news regarding running back Joe Mixon.
Reports emerged revealing that Mixon likely won’t play at all this season as he recovers from a foot injury.
That’s not the only running back news for the team, though.
Just three hours before kickoff of Thursday night’s game, the Texans announced the team signed corner Ajani Carter to the active roster from the practice squad. Houston also elevated defensive back Jalen Mills and linebacker Jackson Woodward via a standard practice squad elevation.
The Texans also signed former Ohio State star Damon Arnette to the practice squad. In order to make room for Arnette, the team waived former starting running back Dameon Pierce.
Loading twitter content…
Pierce burst onto the scene as a rookie, racking up nearly 1,000 yards on the ground. However, in the past three seasons combined he’s run for only 731 yards while seeding work to Mixon, Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks.
The Houston Texans fished their season out of the grease last Sunday afternoon with a comeback for the ages against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 26 unanswered fourth quarter points did the trick, as Davis Mills etched his name into the “single game legend” list in Texans lore.
Now, the team is back on the road for the first time in a month, and if they go to Nashville and lose to the woeful 1-8 Tennessee Titans, it essentially erases all of the excitement and good that came from last week’s game.
The good news is that, even in an NFL where it feels like anything can happen, the numbers just don’t add up to an upset here. The Texans have allowed the fewest points in the NFL, the Titans are the lowest scoring offense in the NFL. The last sixteen times this confluence has occurred, in NFL history, the best defense has won the game, and by an average of 19.5 point in scoring margin.
So let’s take a look at the keys to the Texans getting back to .500 on the season, and hanging around on the fringe of the playoff hunt:
4. Keep the rookies cooking
DeMeco Ryans said it himself on his coach’s radio show this week on SportsRadio 610 — the players labeled as “rookies” on the roster, now nine games in, cannot function as rookies anymore. “No more rookies,” were Ryans’ exact words. It showed in the win over Jacksonville, with major contributions from Woody Marks (84 total yards, one TD), Jayden Higgins (TD receiving), and Jaylin Noel (four catches, 34 yards). This must continue, if the Texans are to make a run in December, and more imminently, win on Sunday.
3. Special teams upgrade necessary
Last week against the Jaguars may have been the worst special teams performance from the Texans this decade. Frank Ross’ unit committed a lost fumble on a kickoff return, allowed a punt return for a touchdown, and had numerous gaffes in covering kickoffs, as well. That cannot happen on Sunday. The only way the Titans hang around in this game is by scoring points (or gaining field position advantages) with the Texans’ defense off the field. In other words, no busts on special teams this week.
2. Davis Mills, no gifts
Similarly, the Texans cannot commit turnovers in this game. This is another way the Titans can succeed without having the Texans’ elite defense involved. Last week, Davis Mills threw a pick on the Texans’ side of the 50 yard line on the third play of the game. That’s unacceptable under any circumstance, but especially against an offensively challenged team that shouldn’t be spending much time at all in Texans territory — unless they hand them gifts, like fumbles and interceptions.
1. Cam Ward demolition
Cam Ward has been sacked 38 times this season, which is practically a “rookie year David Carr” level pace. Some of that is poor line play, but some of it is Ward’s tendency to hold onto the football too long. If he does that on Sunday, and there is zero evidence to indicate he won’t, then Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, fresh off Defensive Player of the Week honors, should feast.
Sitting at 4-5 on the season, the Houston Texans are firmly in the muck, the swamp of teams that, within a couple of weeks, could either have their season essentially ended or ascend firmly back into the playoff hunt, depending on results. They are an average team, with a few really good parts.
If we were to power rank the various components of this Texans team, in descending order, the top of the list begins with the edge rushing due of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. They, along with the entire defense, keep the Texans in any game.
Anderson has been a consistent force all season long, with seven sacks, and ranking fifth on the odds board for Defensive Player of the Year. Hunter has been solid, but had hit a bit of a lull. That is, a bit of a lull, until this past Sunday, in the 36-29 comeback win over the Jaguars.
Hunter was a cyborg menace all day long, with a career high 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, and one forced fumble, and for his efforts, Hunter was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week, the first time a Texan has won that honor since Week 15 last season, when Stingley won it on the strength of his two interception game against the Miami Dolphins.
Hunter, a native Houstonian, was the recipient of a one year, $35.6 million contract extension this past offseason, keeping him a Texan through the 2026 season, so it was very encouraging to see him dominate the Jaguars and carry the team on his back, at times. Hunter joined Myles Garrett and Tuli Tuipulotu as the only players in the NFL this season to record at least three sacks and one forced fumble in a game. Sunday was the sixth time in Hunter’s career that he’s notched at least three sacks, which is tied for the most such games in the NFL since he entered the NFL in 2015.
This is Hunter’s first Defensive Player of the Week award as a Houston Texan, and he becomes the 14th Texans defensive player to win the award, a list that includes his head coach DeMeco Ryans, and teammates Anderson and Stingley. J.J. Watt holds the team record for most Player of the Week honors with a total of seven.
This past Sunday afternoon, the Houston Texans, led by backup quarterback Davis Mills, did sports fans in the Houston area a massive favor in their 36-29 comeback win over Jacksonville — they kept the NFL relevant in these here parts for at least a few more weeks.
The Texans sit at 4-5 on the season, which, for a team that was a clear cut favorite to at least repeat as division champs in 2025, is still a disappointment. When you start a season 0-3, it can take forever to crawl out of that hole. The Texans are finding that out the hard way.
It doesn’t help things that other teams in the division have woken up. Despite the win over the Jags on Sunday, the Texans remain a game behind them. The Jags are 5-4. The surprise of the season league wide has been the Indianapolis Colts, who sit at 8-2, but have yet to play the Texans. At least the Titans are still a joke, having fired their coach a month ago. Some things never change.
So add all of it up, and where are the Texans right now on the odds boards, for the Super Bowl, the conference, and the AFC South? The Super Bowl odds go like this:
Super Bowl LX
Kansas City Chiefs
6/1
Los Angeles Rams
13/2
(+650)
Philadelphia Eagles
15/2
(+750)
Detroit Lions
8/1
Buffalo Bills
9/1
Seattle Seahawks
10/1
Baltimore Ravens
11/1
Indianapolis Colts
11/1
Green Bay Packers
14/1
Denver Broncos
18/1
New England Patriots
20/1
Los Angeles Chargers
25/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28/1
San Francisco 49ers
33/1
HOUSTON TEXANS
66/1
Chicago Bears
80/1
Jacksonville Jaguars
100/1
Pittsburgh Steelers
100/1
Dallas Cowboys
150/1
Minnesota Vikings
150/1
Atlanta Falcons
250/1
Carolina Panthers
300/1
Arizona Cardinals
400/1
Cincinnati Bengals
500/1
Washington Commanders
750/1
Cleveland Browns
1000/1
Miami Dolphins
1000/1
New Orleans Saints
1500/1
New York Giants
1500/1
Las Vegas Raiders
2000/1
New York Jets
2000/1
Tennessee Titans
2000/1
Basically, there is a clear divide that ends at San Francisco at 33/1, and begins with the Texans at 66/1. After the Texans, there are 17 teams below them. Essentially, the Texans are the kings of the “no shot” teams. If I may point out one very wild thing about these odds — the favorite to win the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs, wouldn’t make the playoffs if the season ended today. THAT is respect.
The conference odds are pretty similar, with the Texans at 33/1 to win the AFC, with seven teams below them. In other words, the Texans are as average as an NFL team comes, in the eyes of the oddsmakers.
Finally, there is the AFC South, where the Texans have ruled the roost the last two seasons, with a 10-7 record and two divisional crowns. Well, in order to win it this season, they’ll need a massive collapse in Indianapolis, as these are the current odds:
Indianapolis Colts
2/9
(-450)
Jacksonville Jaguars
9/2
(+450)
Houston Texans
10/1
Tennessee Ttians
300/1
At this point, the Colts are playing so well, the Texans just need to focus game by game, and stack some wins, and let the chips fall where they may. 10-7 probably won’t win the division this season, but it should land them a wild card berth. The bottom line is the Texans MUST win the Titans (Week 11), Cardinals (Week 15), and Raiders (Week 16) games.
From there, they’ll need to win three of the five games against the Bills (Week 12), Colts (Week 13 and 18), Chiefs (Week 14), and Chargers (Week 17). It’s all doable, but the Texans have left no margin for error, and there is very little belief in them out there in the marketplace.
Well, the Houston Texans’ 2025 season was officially pushed to the brink on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium, in a costly 18-15 loss to the Denver Broncos. Sure, there was the loss itself, which pushed the Texans precariously close to the mathematical abyss at 3-5. But there was so much more.
First and foremost, the Texans lost their quarterback C.J. Stroud, for the second time in three seasons, to a concussion, on a nasty open field hit in which Stroud had given himself up on a slide. However, the Texans also lost their best offensive lineman, Tytus Howard, to a concussion.
On top of that, the Texans not only lost the game, but performed embarrassingly poorly across the board on offense, particularly in the red zone, squandering two 1st-and-goal situations inside the Broncos’ two yard line. Put simply, this offense is a joke. It’s an abomination, and there is no help on the way. We will discuss that below.
For now, on yet another infuriating Sunday, here are the winners and losers:
WINNERS
Ka’imi Fairbairn’s five field goals provided all of the Texans offense on Sunday. Credit: Jack Gorman
4. Texans special teams
In what we knew would be a low scoring game, between two sensational defenses, big plays on special teams could look large. The Texans’ special teams are what essentially staked them to the 15-7 lead that they held into the fourth quarter. A recovery of a buffed punt right before halftime handed the Texans a field goal, and a 12-7 lead. Jaylin Noel’s 45 yard punt return set up the Texans’ final field goal. Another Noel punt return and a Bronco face mask penalty gave the Texans the ball at their own 44 yard line. Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked five field goals. Tommy Townsend punted frequently and very well. Frank Ross had his guys ready to go.
3. Kamari Lassiter
The Texans’ defense, as a whole, performed well enough to win this game. 18 points allowed is above their season average, but their season average is the best in the NFL. Considering the Texans’ offense had five straight second half series end in punts, on a total of 18 plays, there was no rest for the weary. Lassiter probably best embodied the day for the Texans’ defense, as he lead the team in tackles and was largely excellent in pass coverage. The second year corner is really coming into his own.
Janice McNair was inducted into the Texans’ Ring of Honor on Sunday. Credit: Jack Gorman
2. Janice McNair
Aside from the effect on the standings, the most disappointing thing about Sunday’s loss is that it occurred on the day in which the franchise’s co-founder and matriarch, Janice McNair, was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. An active philanthropist and outstanding human being, she deserved a better outcome in this game. By the way, this is the first loss for the Texans on the day of a Ring of Honor enshrinement. The days celebrating Andre Johnson, J.J. Watt, and Bob McNair all ended in victory on the field.
1. Sean Payton
Back in the 2023 coaching carousel season, Payton and DeMeco Ryans were arguably the two biggest names. Every team in the market for a head coach wanted to talk to Ryans, and the Texans actually talked to Payton in a first interview, before eventually hiring Ryans. While Ryans’ defense dominated Payton’s offense throughout the afternoon, it was eventually Payton’s offense that was able to make enough plays, and take advantage of questionable Ryans decision making (more on that in a moment) to get the win.
LOSERS
C.J. Stroud left the game on Sunday with a concussion. Credit: Jack Gorman
4. C.J. Stroud
Stroud was off to a decent enough start, 6 of 10 for 79 yards, until the second quarter, when Broncos defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine splattered Stroud’s brains with a heavy hit on a Stroud scramble. Stroud gave a thumbs up as he was leaving the field, after being down on his back for several minutes, but he is now in concussion protocol, and will likely miss some time.
3. Davis Mills
This means that it’s onto the Texans’ backup quarterback, Davis MIlls, who is now in his fifth year with the team. Like Stroud, Mills is in his first season in Nick Carey’s system, and on Sunday, Mills looked like he was in his first DAY in the system. The team was 1-12 on third downs with Mills under center, and on the final six drives of the game, Mills was the steward of 21 plays for 48 yards, including four 3-and-outs, and six punts. Mills was dreadful.
Nick Carley’s play calling down near the goal line was brutal. Credit: Jack Gorman
2. Nick Caley
Of course, it doesn’t help that he is in an offense where the plays all look designed to add an insurmountable degree of difficulty to generate just a few yards. Whatever Caley has architected here is not working, and his play calling in two goal-to-go situations inside the Broncos’ two yard line was comical. On the first one, Caley called three run plays into the teeth of the Broncos’ strength, their defensive line, before a false start negated what would have been a failed QB sneak by Stroud, allowing the Texans to kick a field goal. On the second series, Mills was at quarterback, and Caley called a QB sneak from the two yard line (here is where the crying emoji goes), and a penalty and sack eventually had them kicking a 41 yard field goal. Again, this offense is a joke. Nick Caley is a joke.
1. DeMeco Ryans
And here we are again. Eventually, this all falls back on Ryans. Sure, his defense is incredible, and he is to be commended for establishing a culture and a vibe on that side of the ball. Ultimately, though, he is responsible for the offense, too. Hell, if nothing else, he is responsible for hiring Nick Caley. The most frustrating thing about this team, aside from the complete futility of the offense, is the inability to self scout certain elements of the team. How does Jaylin Noel go from clear impact guy the last two games to an afterthought behind Christian Kirk? How does Dare Ogunbowale see the field on offense? Most importantly, in THIS game, how does Ryans think the Texans are going to get into field goal range with 1:09 left in the game when they’ve punted on five straight drives? The Texans could have taken this game to overtime, and instead they ran three clock-stopping plays and gave the ball back to Denver with 50 seconds left and two timeouts left at their own 36 yard line. One big Bo Nix scramble later, it was essentially over. Ryans has had a bad third season.
Up to this point, there has been a distinct pattern. behind the Houston Texans’ 3-4 record on the 2025 season. When the Texans win, they take battered teams to the woodshed, beating injured Baltimore, injured San Francisco, and overwhelmed Tennessee by a combined score of 96-25.
When the Texans lose, all four times, it’s against teams that are either in or around the playoffs, if the season ended this week. The four losses were to the Rams, Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Seahawks, by a combined score of 78-57.
So if the pattern holds up, the Texans should lose a close game to the Denver Broncos, who are a largely healthy, extremely hot (five wins a row), well coached football team. They far more mirror the four teams who have beaten the Texans than the three the Texans have vanquished. Still, the Texans are somehow a 1.5 point favorite this Sunday.
So let’s take a look at four big things, in the biggest game of the season for the Texans, thus far:
4. Red zone efficiency
On Sunday, the only thing separating the Houston Texans from playing a literal perfect first half of football was a 1-4 performance in the red zone, and a special teams gaffe in the final minute. We will get to special teams in a moment, but points will be at a premium this Sunday, and as such, converting in the red zone needs to happen at a much more proficient clip. When the Texans get down inside the Broncos 20 yard line, and it will likely be maybe three times, they have to come away with at least two touchdowns.
3. Special teams
Now, special teams. The Texans defense had held the Niners’ offense to just ten plays, no first downs, and obviously no points through the first 29 minutes of Sunday’s win. Then, a long kickoff return, plus a face mask penalty by Dylan Horton, handed the Niners golden field position. Four plays later, the Niners had cut the score to 16-7. Needless to say, the Texans need to be strong in the return game, and in all likelihood, they may need a big return from Jaylin Noel to swing field position at some point in this game.
2. Pressure Bo Nix
The Houston Texans have the most fearsome pair of edge defenders in the league in Will Anderson and Daniel Hunter. Hunter has been somewhat quiet for late, but Anderson is playing like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Broncos QB Bo Nix has been a little up and down in his second year, but last week against the Cowboys he ran for multiple touchdowns and trhew for multiple touchdowns. Nix is talented, and athletic. Anderson, Hunter, and the Texans’ front has to apply pressure and keep him in the pocket. Nix can hurt the Texans with his scrambling.
1. Stay big up front
In Weeks 1 through 7 of the season, the Texans used a sixth offensive lineman on a total of 30 snaps. On a related note, the Texans’ pass protection was not good in those first seven weeks. Against San Francisco, the Texans used Blake Fisher as a sixth offensive lineman on 26 of the 80 offensive snaps they played, nearly a third of the snaps. They gave up zero sacks of C.J. Stroud for the first time, in the regular season, since Week 5 of 2023. The Broncos lead the NFL, by a wide margin, in sacks with 36 total sacks. I would expect to see a LOT of Blake Fisher again this week.
Despite the fact that the “Sports Talk Radio Host” handbook probably has at least a half dozen chapters on how to effectively and necessarily deploy hyperbole, I try to avoid it when it’s a complete sham. If you watch any sort of sports debate television, then you know I am probably limiting my career potential by being so careful.
So when I said that the Houston Texans’ win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5 was “DeMeco Ryans’ finest hour as Houston Texans head coach,” I meant it. Now, as it turned out, Ryans followed up that win with arguably his worst week as a head coach, but I meant what I said at the time, after Week 5.
So here I go again, about to use the “finest hour” framing of an elite performance by a Houston Texan, and I want you to know, I am about to do this with honesty and authenticity. Here goes — Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers was C.J. Stroud’s finest hour as the quarterback of the Houston Texans.
Yep, you heard me. I know, I know. I can hear what you’re saying right now. You want to shake me and remind me of his two wins in the playoffs, over the Browns and Chargers. How about the 470 yard comeback against the Bucs in 2023? Or the play-in win over the Colts in Week 18 of that same season? All great debate points, faithful reader!
Here are four reasons why I would pick Sunday’s 26-15 win over the Niners:
4. STATS
Sure, it wasn’t the statistical tour de force that Week 9 in 2023 versus the Bucs was — 470 yards, 5 touchdowns, no interceptions. However, the game Sunday was highly efficient, with Stroud throwing for 318 yards on 30 of 39 passing. Most important statistic? Stroud helped the Texans convert 9 of 16 third downs, keeping the chains moving and directly impacting the 41 minutes in time of possession for the Texans’ offense. The numbers held up.
3. ABSENCES
This was the first game in Stroud’s career where he had to operate with NONE of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, or Stefon Diggs in the lineup. That’s significant. Stroud was operating with a skeleton crew of Iowa State grads and Braxton Berrios. In fact, once Berrios left with a chest injury, Stroud was deploying a receiving corps that came into Sunday with a combined career total of 51 receptions for 650 yards. Again, COMBINED. Among four people. Stroud undoubtedly and inarguably raised the level of those around him, a huge step for him.
2. STAKES
Sure, it was only Week 8, but the Texans came into that game Sunday reeling a bit off of an ugly 27-19 loss to the Seahawks last Monday night. More importantly, they were 2-4 in an AFC where a loss, dropping them to 2-5, would have been crippling. When you start the season 0-3, every game you play until you’re a couple games over .500 are dire, potential season ending losses, if you lose. Stroud went out and played 60 minutes of winning football.
1. FEEL
Put the records and the statistics aside for a moment, and focus on what you saw with your eyes. With Stroud, you saw a quarterback that was in total control the entire game. He didn’t let bad down and distance situations fluster him. He was sacked ZERO times, for the first time, in the regular season, since Week 5 of 2023 against the Falcons. He used his legs effectively to scramble for first downs. This was the C.J. Stroud Show, and we all had tickets for it, and it was glorious.
The Houston Texans bested the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 26-15. CJ Stroud had a standout day of 318 passing yards with two touchdowns to both Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson. This was a pivotal bounce back game for the Texans who play the Broncos next Sunday on November 2nd, 2025. (Photos by Cody Barclay)
All week long last week, leading up to the Houston Texans’ Week 8 matchup Sunday with the San Francisco 49ers, there was an unfamiliar feeling surrounding the Houston Texans, coming off of their 27-19 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday. Sure, the Texans had lost games before under DeMeco Ryans, but there had never been this degree of line drawing being done by Ryans. Throughout the week after the loss, he was very clear — the problem with the Texans was that the players were not doing what they were being coached to do.
Perhaps this was not the first time that Ryans challenged his team publicly, but it was certainly the strongest instance of it. Certainly, his refrain throughout the week was, at least in part, directed at quarterback C.J. Stroud, whose inconsistency this season has been on the list of reasons the Texans were underachieving at 2-4 coming into Sunday.
Well, whatever buttons Ryans wanted to push, it worked. The Texans had their most impressive performance of the season on Sunday, maybe not by scoring margin, but considering circumstance, player absences, and sheer importance of getting a win. The Texans beat the Niners by a score of 26-15, moving to 3-4 on the season.
As always, there were winners and losers. Here we go:
WINNERS
4. DeMeco Ryans
As mentioned above, Ryans pushed his chips in a bit this week, likely hoping that calling his players out publicly would draw the appropriate response. It did. The Texans responded with one of their cleanest games of the year, in snap to snap execution. The penalties were still a bit of an issue, with eight in total, for 55 yards, but Ryans has to be thrilled knowing that this is the new ceiling for his team. There will be stronger opponents on the schedule, plenty actually, but efforts like this one will go a long way to being in the playoff hunt at year’s end.
3. Iowa State
The Texans came into this game without Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring). Collins is a Pro Bowl caliber receiver, and Kirk is a veteran that the team has been counting on to backfill the absence of Tank Dell and the departure of Stefon Diggs. Instead, the Texans, by game’s end, had just four healthy receivers, who had a combined 51 catches coming into Sunday. It didn’t matter. The group excelled, led by three Iowa State Cyclones — Xavier Hutchinson (5 catches, 69 yards, TD), Jayden Higgins (4 catches, 34 yards, TD), and Jaylin Noel (5 catches, 63 yards, including a 44 yard bomb to set up Higgins’ touchdown).
2. The game plan on both sides
Thus far, this was Nick Carley’s finest hour as Texans’ offensive coordinator. He mixed the run and pass perfectly. In the run game, Nick Chubb was able to grind out tough yards, and Woody Marks gave the Texans a couple of sparks with a 23 yard run and a 50 yard catch and run. The Texans were rarely in bad down and distance situations, which led to a 9-16 performance on third down. Even when there were penalties putting them behind the chains, there was no panic. They did a great job of recouping the lost yards and subsequently moving the chains. The offensive line was largely excellent, allowing no sacks for the first time all season.
1. C.J. Stroud
Statistically, Stroud was fantastic on Sunday, competing 30 passes on 39 attempts for 318 yards. He also continued to show how he could use his legs with some useful scrambles, including a long of 13 yards. Above all else, Stroud was in command the entire day. The happy feet that were so evident versus Seattle were gone. Above all else, for a game at least, he proved he could raise the level of an inexperienced, perhaps lesser overall talented receiving corps. You could argue this was Stroud’s best game in his career, due to the extenuating variables.
LOSERS
4. Mac Jones
Opposite Stroud was Mac Jones, the Niners’ backup quarterback coming into the season, who has become their starter for most of the season due to Brock Purdy’s turf toe. Coming into Sunday, Jones had led the Niners to a 4-1 record in his five starts. On Sunday, Jones’ inability to even get a first down on the first three series was a major reason the Texans out-possessed the Niners by a 24:31 to 5:29 margin in the first half. Jones looked like an ineffective backup quarterback for most of the game on Sunday.
3. Brian Kelly
We interrupt NFL talk for a moment to acknowledge LSU’s firing head coach Brian Kelly, halfway through his fourth season in Baton Rouge. Kelly, who came in with as much bluster as any recent college coaching hire, finishes his career along the bayou with a 34-14 record, and exactly zero appearances in the College Football Playoff. Who knew that a guy using this phony accent wouldn’t work out at LSU?
2. Texans kick coverage
Okay, back to the Texans, where there is very little to criticize in this win over the Niners. Sure, the offense wasn’t great in the red zone, converting just 1 of 5 trips, but they were excellent otherwise. If there was one glaring sequence that deserves criticism, it’s the Texans’ kick coverage on the kick off right before the half, after going up 16-0. The coverage group allowed a return to midfield, and tacked on a Dylan Horton face mask penalty. Four plays later, the score was 16-7 on a George Kittle touchdown catch. That was one of those cases where a bad sixty seconds undoes half of a phenomenal previous 29 minutes. Brutal.
1. Will Anderson pre-snap discipline
To be clear, Anderson had another outstanding overall game. He hit Jones three times, and had a big sack in the second half. Anderson is this team’s MVP through the first seven games. However, for the second week in a row, he had an offsides penalty. In fact, he had two, and one of them kept a drive alive for the Niners. Look, Anderson’s good outweighs any bad by a country mile, but the last time we had a player where we had to rationalize presnap penalties was when Laremy Tunsil was here. Eventually, it stops being something you can brush under the rug. Anderson has five such penalties on the season. This needs to stop.
As we awake on Friday morning, the Houston Texans sit at the precipice of their 2025 season spiraling out of control. DeMeco Ryans and his staff are getting hit from every angle with questions about the team’s discipline level, ability to absorb coaching, and most importantly, ability to execute.
Ryans himself has been putting the vast majority of the team’s downfall through the first six games at the feet of their players, citing multiple times the lack of proper execution, and on Monday, it seemed, a disregard for the game plan by certain members of the team.
This team seems to lack confidence in the offense they are running, and if the face of the offense’s mood is that of the quarterback, then the unit is one eleven man mope, because C.J. Stroud looks like he’s in a hostage video at every press conference.
So, with all of those rainbows and sunshine out of the way, here come the San Francisco 49ers, who have managed to go 5-2 on the season, mostly without their starting quarterback, and recently without their two best defensive players, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The Texans are somehow 1.5 point favorites in this game. Let’s look at what to watch for:
4. Christian McCaffrey
When he’s healthy, McCaffrey is one of the ultimate weapons in the National Football League. This season, he has nearly 1,000 total yards in seven games, with more than half of that actually coming through the air. He is eighth in receiving yards and third in catches. The pressure will be on the Texans’ linebackers (or perhaps Jalen Pitre) to not only stick to McCaffrey, but tackle him when they get the chance. The Texans’ tackling has been poor this season. Sunday would be a good day to fix it.
3. Return of Jon Weeks
We interrupt actual game analysis to get sentimental for a moment, as Sunday will mark the return of long time Texans long snapper (15 seasons, to be exact) Jon Weeks, who left in free agency and signed with the Niners. I’m guessing Weeks’ leaving was more to do with the Texans choosing to move in a different direction (why, I have no idea), but whatever the case, Weeks should get some sort of tribute video before the game. He was outstanding at his job those 15 seasons, and was a pillar in the Houston community with his charitable works. Welcome home, Weeksy!
2. Annihilate Mac Jones (or Brock Purdy or whoever)
Okay, back to the football. In the offseason, Purdy, the former 7th round pick in 2022, got his big contract, signing a deal for over $50 million per season for the next several years. Unfortunately, he’s been injured for most of 2025, but in steps former Rookie of the Year, Mac Jones. Jones hasn’t been spectacular, but he’s been winning games. The bottom line is that whoever starts under center for the Niners needs to get annihilated by the three headed tidal wave of Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, and Denico Autry. Pressure the quarterback, get turnovers, and the Texans should be able to win at home.
1. Where will the receptions come from
That said, for an offense that was already struggling, the hill just went from “uphill” to “WAY uphill” with the injuries to Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring). The Texans receiving corps on Sunday is likely to consistently of three youngsters from Iowa State (Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, Xavier Hutchinson), the boyfriend of a TikTok influencer (Braxton Berrios), and the guy who killed Tank Dell (Jered Wayne). Take the OVER on Dalton Schultz receptions on Sunday. I’m not sure how the Texans get to 20 points, but I don’t think they’ll need to. 16 points will do, and I see the defense and special teams giving them a couple short fields.
The best protection displayed during the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Houston Texans on Monday night wasn’t by anyone suited up on either sideline.
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was caught in the middle of an ugly sideline scuffle during the fourth quarter when Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted Sam Darnold on a pass intended for AJ Barner.
Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) has his helmet knocked off by Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) who intercepted a pass intended for Njigba as Kamari Lassiter (4) looks on in the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Smith-Njigba jumped into blocking mode but was stiff-armed by Stingley as the two stumbled onto the Texans’ sideline.
Smith-Njigba’s helmet flew off during the play, and he was pushed onto the bench by a Houston player. Several Texans then crowded around Smith-Njigba, and that’s when former NFL player-turned-official Nate Jones jumped in between.
In a now-viral moment, Jones got in between Smith-Njigba and the animated Texans players and shielded him with both arms as the swarm of players was broken up.
After the game, Smith-Njigba gave credit to Stingley for making “a great play on the ball,” but downplayed the interaction on the bench.
An official and Seattle Seahawks’ Cooper Kupp (10) lean over Jaxon Smith-Njigba, sitting on the Houston Texans team bench, after the Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted a pass late in the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Seattle, Washington.(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
“Nah, I felt comfortable over there. It’s Monday night, not really worried about anything when it comes to my face and all that.”
When asked specifically about Jones’ intervention, Smith-Njigba was thankful.
“Yeah, we had a nice little conversation. I took a deep breath, tried to enjoy the moment as much as I could and run back to my sideline.”
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba responds to questions during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Jones was a seventh-round draft pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys before moving on to the Miami Dolphins in 2008. He also had short stints with the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots before turning to officiating in 2019.
Smith-Njigba, who is leading the NFL in receiving yards this season, scored his fourth touchdown of the year and finished the 27-19 victory with eight receptions for 123 yards.
