Tag: NF

For me, covering the National Football League is always fun. Even when your team is underachieving or flat out stinks, it’s fun to cover the sport of football. Certainly, though, your love of the game gets tested covering two 0-3 teams battling each other for their first win of the season.

Such was this Sunday at NRG Stadium, as the 0-3 Houston Texans (underachieving, to be sure) battled the 0-3 Tennessee Titans (definitely, they stink), each looking for their first win of the season. To say that the Texans needed this one would be a major understatement.

Since 1990, in the NFL, only one team has started a season with an 0-4 record and made the NFL postseason. It was the 1992 San Diego Chargers. So, certainly, one of the goals this weekend for those of us in the Houston media was to successfully pray that we would not have to discuss them on our shows or in articles this coming week.

Our prayers were answered, as the Texans finally got their offense out of first gear in the fourth quarter on Sunday, scoring three touchdown in that final frame to cruise to a 26-0 win over the lowly Titans. As always, we had winners and losers, so let’s dig in!

WINNERS

4. Danielle Hunter
For the first three games of the season, Hunter had played very well, but it was WIll Anderson who had been making more noise off the edge, with three sacks. On Sunday, though, Hunter was all over the place, making life miserable for Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward. On the day, Hunter finished the afternoon with two sacks, three QB hits, and a near caused fumble on the first possession of the game. After the game, Hunter received a game ball from DeMeco Ryans.

3. Derek Stingley
Stingley missed most of the loss to the Jaguars with an oblique strain that kept him out for all but a few snaps. All week long, Stingley was on the injury list, and missed practice altogether on Wednesday and Thursday. Coming into the game with a “questionable” designation on the weekend injury report, Stingley was able to gut it out and play, and in the process secured his first interception of the season to set up the Texans second touchdown of the afternoon. Having Stingley out there covering one side of the field just changes how the Texans operate so drastically.

2. C.J. Stroud
It’s no secret that C. J. Stroud has seemed to be in a bad mood all season. An 0-3 record and a malfunctioning offense will do that to a young quarterback. On Sunday, Stroud was able to do what good quarterbacks do to bad teams. Stroud was highly efficient, particularly in the second half, and finished 22 of 28 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he protected the football, no turnovers. The  37 yard throw on a 2nd and 33 to Nico Collins, and the 24 yard touchdown to Jayden Higgins were particularly encouraging, as those were throws that invoked memories of Stroud’s rookie season.

1. Woody Marks
Since training camp, it’s been quite evident that the rookie Marks operates with a level of explosiveness and wiggle that the veteran running backs on the team just don’t have. He’s clearly needed more touches, and on Sunday he got them, carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards, and adding four catches for 50 yards. Woods scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Perhaps his most impressive play was this blitz pickup on safety Quandre Diggs:

Woody Marks pass pro pic.twitter.com/bQdxkfQdwm

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) September 28, 2025

This was an afternoon that had to have OC Nick Caley rethinking how he distributes the carries moving forward. Speaking of Caley….

LOSERS

4. Style points
Despite the 26-0 win, there were no shortage of Texan fans after the game who were certainly happy to beat the Titans, but were none too happy that it took three quarters for the offense to penetrate the Tennessee red zone. Three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, two of which came on relatively short fields, were not enough to inspire confidence that Caley nor his offensive line made suitable progress to beat teams like the Ravens, Seahawks, and 49ers. Those are the Texans’ next three opponents.

3. Joey Slye
If you Texan fans don’t remember the three games that Slye played for the Texans in 2021, it’s okay. We are all trying to forget the year that David Culley was the head coach of this team. On Sunday, Slye helped impact more Texans winning as a Titans kicker than he ever did as a Texan, missing two very attainable field goals in the first half to make sure the score was 6-0 at half, and not 5-5. Thanks Slye Dog!

2. Brian Callahan
Betting outlets have odds on which NFL head coach will be the first one fired, and two weeks ago, Miami’s Mike McDaniel was a mortal lock at -700. Somehow, though, in one week in Week 3, Callahan managed to slice the gap to McDaniel -150 and Callahan’s odds at +150. Callahan has been an abject disaster, now with a 3-18 overall record, and a mind boggling 3-18 record AGAINST THE SPREAD, as well. He’s made a lot of people very wealthy in sports books all over the nation! Callahan’s choice to give up play calling duties resulted in the Texans’ first shutout win since November 28, 2010, also a win over Tennessee.

1. Cam Ward
Ward is an incredibly talented football player, but he is off to a putrid start on a team with no solutions to improve his play or the play of those around him. In this clip, he seems at his wit’s end, after four games;

#Titans QB Cam Ward is clearly frustrated with the lack of production on offense starting with himself. “If we keep it a buck right now, we ass.” pic.twitter.com/ApQzABZBG2

— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 28, 2025

Seems like a nice kid, but I hope he never wins a game. That’s just the energy of this rivalry. Sorry about it, Cam.

Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.