Battle Red Blog
They did it, they finally did it! The Houston Texans have finally won a regular season NFL game in the 2025 season! WOOOOOO!
And not only did they win, but did so in fashionable grace! Big passes here, big runs there, and an interception from Derek Stingley to boot, this big 29-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans had a little bit of everything. It was the first time Houston scored over 25 points in a regular season game since week 12 of the 2024 season, and it’s the first time the Texans shut out an opponent since…yes, the Andre Johnson vs. Courtland Finnegan game:
A game like this is exactly what Houston needed to stunt their precipitous drop down the power rankings. The Texans’ ugliest arm to their team – the offense – found it’s footing in the second half of this game and put the hammer down on Tennessee, primarily thanks to the efforts of rookie running back Woody Marks.
Marks was the star of the show on Sunday, garnering 119 total yards and two of Houston’s three touchdowns. His blistering speed and strength were hinted at in weeks two and three, but he wouldn’t fully reveal the depths of which his talent is rooted until week four. Marks sped past some would-be defenders, plowed through others, and hit a juke move so nasty that Texans fans far and wide immediately demanded he take the starting role.
He looked so good, in fact, that he has me believing that his skillset might be exactly what the Texans need to get their offense back on track…but do the pundits think that? Are they as bullish as me on Woody Marks? Well, let’s take a look at where the Houston Texans are ranked entering Week 5 of the 2025 NFL Season:
21. Houston Texans (1-3) (Last Week: 23)
A win is a win, and the Texans played some pretty fantastic defense against the Titans on Sunday, but it sure did take them a bit to wake up offensively. Rookie RB Woody Markshelped give the attack a spark, and some of his better runs came when turning potential losses into short gains. His TD catch was nifty, too, and it’s clear they had a plan to get him touches in key spots. The fourth-quarter execution didn’t cure all of Houston’s offensive sins to this point, but it represented some daylight. The Texans still need to create more scoring chances going forward, but at least they did that later in the game — one they had to have to save the season.
22. Houston Texans (1-3)
Week 4 result: Beat the Titans 26-0 Week 4 ranking: 21
Biggest issue on offense: Third-down efficiency
The Texans have converted 29.2% of third-down opportunities, which ranks 30th. One of the biggest reasons for the low rate is the 24 third-and-7 or longer situations that C.J. Stroud has faced, which is eighth most...
