The Texans have been here before. Two years ago, they were 0-2 and won the division and a playoff game. In 2018, they started 0-3 before reeling off nine wins in a row and capturing the AFC South. In 2015, they were 0-2 and 2-5 before climbing out of that hole and winning the division. But this is clearly not where you want to be.
After Tampa Bay marched down the field and punched the ball into the endzone with no time for the Texans to do anything about it, Houston slipped to 0-2 with a tough date at Jacksonville coming up on Sunday.
No one is going to sing the blues for the Texans. They had a victory last week in their reach but couldn't score late, turning the ball over. They had a late lead this week but couldn't close the game out.
This is not a bad team, this is a team not playing up to its potential. And they know it. Everything is correctable but you'd rather make adjustments and learn while winning.
It felt like the Buccaneers were getting some gashing runs, at times, and they were. Yet the Texans came up with some big stops and grabbed the lead outside the two-minute warning, with the help of Jaylin Noel's 53-yard punt return and Nick Chubb's 25-yard TD run.
The defense had the Bucs in a bind, but the ever-elusive Baker Mayfield magically converted a 4th and ten to keep the game-winning touchdown drive going.
There are many things to work on. There were some big moments, like C.J. Stroud hitting Nico Collins on the opening drive of the game for a 29-yard TD. Yet at the end of the day, the Texans went two for nine on third down attempts for the second straight week. That can't happen to a team that's trying to get more carries for its backs, grind clock and extend drives.
Nobody will be happy with the point outputs of nine and 19 in the first two outings. And the defense played well in many instances. But no one is smiling, even though they lost two games by only a combined total of six points.
Jacksonville will be hungry to beat the Texans as they haven't won in the series in North Florida in eight years. Be ready for a divisional showdown where records don't matter and a coveted first AFC South win is on the line.
