Battle Red Blog
As a Houston pro sports fan, you are almost contractually obligated to look for, and expect the worst to happen, usually in a highly dramatic and painfully creative fashion. Earlier, we discussed how the 2026-27 season could go so, so wrong for the Texans. However, for all that can go wrong, you have to acknowledge that things might go right. With that, a few of the ways that the 2026-27 leads to the long-sought after glory the Texans have been after since 2002 (and the Houston football fan since 1961 (the last of the AFL titles)).
A beyond historic defense: Last year, Houston had a really good-to-great defense. For 2026-27, many of those players that dominated the defense return, all in prime playing condition. Additionally, the Texans only reinforced those positions that were considered a little “weak”. They added Reed Blankenship to further strengthen that secondary, giving the squad arguably the best nickel package in the game. The defensive tackle position got some major upgrades with the drafting of MacDonald, an interior wrecker from Ohio State who many felt was the best interior DL in the 2026 draft. Add that Togiai and Rankins return to further cement the interior, and this squad can start dreaming of not only picking up where they left off last season but perhaps take their place in the pantheon of elite NFL defenses.
Sure, defensive performances can vary from season. Yet, what helps the Texans is that their defense was not based on any particular scheme, nor were they overly reliant on the fickle fortune of turnovers. They have great players and so long as great players stay healthy and motivated, they can blast through any turnover number variance or adaptation to a defensive scheme. Given some of the talent additions to the lineup, improvement is a reasonable expectation. So long as injuries hold off, this team could be even more dangerous on defense.
The Texans get a consistently good run game going: Generally, teams with strong defenses like to have a tough, punishing ground game. If nothing else, the ground game indicates greater physicality and can reduce the time that a defense is on the field, keeping them fresher and making it harder for an opposing offense to do enough to counter the defense. Give a QB a better run game, and said QB will be a better thrower. Last season, even with the extra effort from Marks, the Texans did not have a particularly effective/efficient ground game. In theory, David Montgomery, along with a revamped offensive line, can give Houston that much more effective ground attack. That would open up play-action, keep defenses honest, and allow Stroud the time and security to make those big pass plays he is capable of delivering. This would also be a major help later in the season, when weather can limit QBs like Stroud. A running game travels in all conditions. Houston spent a lot to get that going. If it does, Houston will be very much...
