Are the Texans cooked after their 0-4 start? Why a sliver of hope still remains for Houston

The Texans are winless and on the brink of losing their season, but there are at least a few reasons to wait it out a little longer Going into the 2026 season, the Houston Texans were a trendy dark horse pick to come out of the AFC and make the Super Bowl. On the backs of one of the best defenses in the NFL and a retooled offensive line in front of QB CJ Stroud, the Texans were expected to wreck shop through the AFC. Four games into the season, and we still haven't seen the Texans pick up their first win. The offense has been inconsistent, battling through Nico Collins injuries and an offensive line that hasn't truly gelled together yet.

Defensively, a unit that was supposed to be elite has looked the opposite during the early quarter of the season. Their 2.42 points allowed per drive is the highest through four games since Demeco Ryans took over as head coach and is a far cry from last season's 1.21 points allowed per drive. The spin zone for Texans fans is that this organization came back from being 0-3 to making the playoffs in 2025, but 0-4 feels like a deep hole to climb out of, with the 1992 Chargers as the only team to make the playoffs after