C.J. Stroud ’s growth and DeMeco Ryans ’ defense drive the Houston Texans ’ playoff ambitions. But two weeks into the 2025 season, the balance has shifted. The offense has stalled, while the defense carries the load in increasingly high-stress situations.

C.J. Stroud said post-game:

“It’s a long season. It’s week two. Hopefully, we learned our lessons and learned to put teams away and learn to put points on the board. We can say a bunch of different things about what could have gone right. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning games. And those last plays that are in between, those are the games. Those are the plays that you end up winning or losing on.”

Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, Houston’s struggles became clear.

The Texans moved the ball

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