2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 12-5
Texans defense
Every snap the Texans defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How goodThe league's best defense: -0.13 EPA a play allowed, 1st of 32, and 0.16 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (2nd).
- How they playThey blitz on 21% of dropbacks, the 32nd-most in the league, and get pressure on 23%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 3.6 a carry, 2nd, and runs at left guard gain 3.8 a carry.
- Who hurt themAlec Pierce (IND): 210 yards and +16.6 EPA on 12 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.13 | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.13 | 1st of 32 | 98th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.13 | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 38% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 8% | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| Yards per play | 4.8 | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.6 | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 38% | 9th of 32 | 73rd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.6% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 23% | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 14% | 17th of 32 | 47th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 3.1% | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 57% | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.56 | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.6 | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.16 | 2nd of 32 | 95th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Texans. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 13 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 5 against the Ravens, 0.39 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.02 a play elsewhere, the 8th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at LAL 9-14-0.04usual +0.15
vs TBL 19-20+0.15usual -0.02
at JAXL 10-17-0.16usual +0.05
vs TENW 26-0-0.34usual -0.15
at BALW 44-10-0.34usual +0.05
at SEAL 19-27-0.25usual +0.05
vs SFW 26-15-0.06usual +0.10
vs DENL 15-18-0.11usual +0.06vs JAXW 36-29-0.22usual +0.05at TENW 16-13-0.12usual -0.16
vs BUFW 23-19-0.16usual +0.16
at INDW 20-16-0.12usual +0.09
at KCW 20-10-0.29usual +0.05
vs ARIW 40-20+0.03usual -0.02
vs LVW 23-21-0.04usual -0.23
at LACW 20-16-0.22usual -0.01vs INDW 38-30-0.07usual +0.09Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep left: +0.72 EPA a throw against a league +0.42. The lockdown zone is deep middle, -0.20 a throw (league +0.73). Completions against them run 4.6 points under expected, 3rd-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 3.6 yards a carry against them, 2nd of 32. The leak is at left guard: 3.8 a carry and -0.04 EPA (league 3.9, -0.09).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 17.210th | 128.010th | +0.086th-toughest | 16.66th-fewest21.34th-fewest25.93rd-fewest |
| Tight ends | 7.013th | 42.75th | -0.052nd-toughest | 7.213th-fewest9.713th-fewest12.312th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 5.515th | 30.518th | -0.174th-toughest | 15.89th-fewest18.09th-fewest20.111th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 12.83rd-fewest12.83rd-fewest12.83rd-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Pierce | IND | 12 | 210 | 3 | +16.6 |
| Trey McBride | ARI | 13 | 134 | 2 | +12.0 |
| Puka Nacua | LA | 12 | 131 | +8.6 | |
| Ty Johnson | BUF | 5 | 52 | +6.7 | |
| Quentin Johnston | LAC | 8 | 98 | +6.2 | |
| Tre Tucker | LV | 7 | 54 | +5.1 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 36% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in games they trail by 9+ (-0.37 a play, league +0.04) and weakest in the red zone (0.00, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 409 | -0.18 | +0.01 | -0.19 |
| 2nd down | 326 | -0.11 | +0.02 | -0.13 |
| 3rd down | 221 | -0.08 | -0.05 | -0.03 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 55 | 53% | 60% | −8 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 53 | 36% | 44% | −8 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 113 | 32% | 26% | +6 pts |
| Red zone | 116 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Two-minute drill | 131 | -0.04 | +0.03 | -0.07 |
| When they lead | 593 | -0.08 | -0.01 | -0.08 |
| One-score game | 682 | -0.13 | +0.02 | -0.15 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 66 | -0.37 | +0.04 | -0.41 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
One of the least aggressive defenses in football. They send extra rushers on 21% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 77% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.04 EPA when they blitz and -0.18 when they do not.
They put 6.6 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 8%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 3.6 a carry; into eight or more, 1.8.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 5 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.13 EPA against them on 23% of throws; screens -0.10.
53 defensive penalties for 497 yards, 34 of them first downs, the 25th-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 22nd-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Will Anderson Jr. leads the pass rush with 36 pressures and 12 sacks on 67% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55Danielle HunterDE | 70% | 34 | 15 | 22 | 15 | 54 | 3 |
| 51Will Anderson Jr.DE | 67% | 36 | 12 | 23 | 20 | 50 | 3 |
| 90Sheldon RankinsDT | 60% | 14 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 34 | |
| 72Tommy TogiaiDT | 45% | 6 | 1.5 | 5 | 6 | 57 | |
| 98Tim SettleDT | 37% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 15 | |
| 95Derek BarnettDE | 34% | 11 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 20 | |
| 97Mario EdwardsDE | 27% | 5 | 1.5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | |
| 92Dylan HortonDE | 23% | 5 | 0.5 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 1 |
| 96Denico AutryDT | 20% | 8 | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 91Foley FatukasiDT | 9% | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Azeez Al-Shaair plays 88% of the snaps with 103 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Azeez Al-ShaairLB | 88% | 103 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 83.6 | 9 | |
| 39Henry To'oTo'oLB | 77% | 95 | 9 | 2.5 | 7 | 58 | 92.2 | 18 |
| 45E.J. SpeedLB | 43% | 60 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 80.4 | 6 | |
| 48Christian HarrisLB | 8% | 11 | 3 | 65.3 | 1 | |||
| 31Damone ClarkLB | 2% | 14 | 3 | 111.8 | ||||
| 35Jake HansenLB | 1% | 19 | 1 | |||||
| 56Jamal HillLB | 0% | 5 |
Derek Stingley Jr. is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 64.8 passer rating on 67 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Calen BullockSAF | 95% | 61 | 31 of 61 | 492 | 4 | 82.8 | 4 | 10 |
| 4Kamari LassiterCB | 93% | 94 | 54 of 94 | 695 | 5 | 76.9 | 4 | 17 |
| 24Derek Stingley Jr.CB | 89% | 67 | 29 of 67 | 415 | 3 | 64.8 | 4 | 15 |
| 5Jalen PitreSAF | 73% | 59 | 39 of 59 | 421 | 70.5 | 4 | 12 | |
| 25Myles BryantCB | 33% | 22 | 15 of 22 | 166 | 1 | 86.9 | ||
| 29M.J. StewartSAF | 25% | 17 | 10 of 17 | 131 | 1 | 81.4 | 2 | |
| 35C.J. Gardner-JohnsonSAF | 17% | 12 | 8 of 12 | 99 | 82.6 | |||
| 11Tremon SmithCB | 16% | 17 | 9 of 17 | 179 | 1 | 75.5 | 2 | |
| 38K'Von WallaceSAF | 10% | 9 | 6 of 9 | 101 | 102.3 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.