The Texans offense was able to get into the end zone twice on Monday night, which was an improvement over their Week 1 performance but it still wasn’t enough to get them their first win of the season.
Much of the focus for the result will fall on their defense’s inability to stop the Buccaneers from driving for a game-winning score after Nick Chubb’s touchdown run with 2:10 left to play in the game, but the Texans offense could have done more to help that unit out. The most obvious spot for them to come through came earlier in the fourth when they took three snaps from the Bucs’ 1-yard line and failed to score a touchdown.
Chubb got stuffed on second down and passes to wide receiver Nico Collins on the next two plays were incomplete.
“We went to try to throw the ball,” head coach DeMeco Ryans said in his postgame press conference. “Thought we had some matchups. I thought we had opportunity to hit Nico in the corner. The ball was out of bounds.”
Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw that ball and went 13-of-24 for 207 yards and a touchdown on the night. Ryans declined to go into a detailed breakdown of the quarterback’s performance, but he left little doubt that he expects more on that side of the ball.
“I have to look at the film, but, obviously it’s a collective effort, we go two for nine on third down,” Ryans said. “What do we expect if we can’t get the ball in at the goal line? What do we expect is going to happen? Our guys, everybody on offense, have to make plays.”
The Texans don’t have to look far for a reminder that 0-2 is not a death sentence for a season. They started that way in 2023 and came back to win the AFC South, but any thoughts of that will have to wait for more signs of offensive life.
