2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 2-5
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 good+0.03 EPA a play allowed, 22nd of 32, and 0.02 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (13th).
- How they playThey blitz on 26% of dropbacks, the 25th-most in the league, and get pressure on 25%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 3.8 a carry, 12th, and runs up the middle gain 4.4 a carry.
- Who hurt themCeeDee Lamb (DAL): 183 yards and +12.3 EPA on 22 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Chargers, whose offense ranks 32nd in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.03 | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.07 | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.03 | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 41% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 10% | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Yards per play | 5.4 | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.8 | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 42% | 19th of 32 | 42nd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.7% | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 25% | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 16% | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.1% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 68% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.26 | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Takeawaysper game | 0.9 | 28th of 32 | 13th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.02 | 13th of 32 | 61st |
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 2 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 5 against the Titans, 0.34 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.05 a play elsewhere, the 2nd-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs BUFL 31-36+0.25usual +0.17
vs CINL 6-20-0.09usual +0.15
at INDL 17-19-0.11usual -0.12
vs DALL 30-34+0.14usual +0.08
at TENW 26-3-0.39usual -0.05
at JAXW 34-31+0.17usual +0.16
vs NYGL 21-27+0.24usual -0.03Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep right: +1.37 EPA a throw against a league +0.33. The lockdown zone is deep left, +0.05 a throw (league +0.34). Completions against them run 0.3 points over expected, 18th-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 3.8 yards a carry against them, 12th of 32. The leak is up the middle: 4.4 a carry and +0.16 EPA (league 3.7, -0.09).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 22.332nd | 195.932nd | +0.4125th-toughest | 23.84th-most30.64th-most37.34th-most |
| Tight ends | 6.35th | 46.010th | +0.2517th-toughest | 5.55th-fewest7.85th-fewest10.15th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 5.717th | 20.96th | -0.273rd-toughest | 17.714th-most20.113th-most22.413th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 18.112th-most18.112th-most18.112th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | 22 | 183 | 1 | +12.3 |
| Malachi Fields | NYG | 5 | 83 | +8.1 | |
| Dalton Kincaid | BUF | 6 | 130 | +7.6 | |
| Travis Hunter | JAX | 4 | 59 | 1 | +6.7 |
| DJ Moore | BUF | 8 | 100 | 1 | +6.4 |
| Bhayshul Tuten | JAX | 16 | 87 | 2 | +6.3 |
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-7+: offenses convert 23% against a league 27%. They are stingiest in 1st down (+0.02 a play, league +0.02) and weakest in the two-minute drill (+0.24, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 194 | +0.02 | +0.02 | +0.01 |
| 2nd down | 151 | +0.04 | +0.00 | +0.04 |
| 3rd down | 88 | +0.06 | -0.04 | +0.10 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 21 | 71% | 61% | +11 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 24 | 50% | 44% | +6 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 43 | 23% | 27% | −3 pts |
| Red zone | 57 | +0.10 | +0.03 | +0.07 |
| Two-minute drill | 60 | +0.24 | 0.00 | +0.24 |
| When they lead | 210 | +0.16 | +0.01 | +0.15 |
| One-score game | 357 | +0.05 | -0.01 | +0.06 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 17 | -0.47 | +0.03 | -0.50 |
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
They send extra rushers on 26% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 74% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.07 EPA when they blitz and +0.07 when they do not.
They put 6.8 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 15%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 3.5 a carry; into eight or more, 4.2.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 2 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.08 EPA against them on 21% of throws; screens -0.26.
19 defensive penalties for 175 yards, 10 of them first downs, the 11th-fewest. They miss 8% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 14th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Will Anderson Jr. leads the pass rush with 18 pressures and 7.5 sacks on 78% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51Will Anderson Jr.DE | 78% | 18 | 7.5 | 15 | 10 | 31 | 1 |
| 55Danielle HunterDE | 77% | 17 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 1 |
| 98Sheldon RankinsDT | 69% | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 20 | |
| 72Tommy TogiaiDT | 66% | 1 | 36 | ||||
| 96Logan HallDE | 34% | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 | |
| 90Jadeveon ClowneyDE | 27% | 4 | 1.5 | 4 | 2 | 9 | |
| 95Jaden CrumedyDT | 18% | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 94Dominique RobinsonDE | 15% | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 93Kayden McDonaldDT | 15% | 5 | |||||
| 97Mario EdwardsDT | 13% | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Azeez Al-Shaair plays 80% of the snaps with 58 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Azeez Al-ShaairLB | 80% | 58 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 89.2 | 6 | |
| 35Jake HansenLB | 67% | 36 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 65.7 | 2 |
| 39Henry To'oTo'oLB | 39% | 17 | 3 | 0.5 | 1 | 6 | 95.1 | 2 |
| 50Kenneth Murray, Jr.LB | 12% | 7 | 1 | 87.5 | ||||
| 30Wade WoodazLB | 4% | 7 | 1 | 131.2 | ||||
| 54Jamal HillLB | 0% | 4 | ||||||
| 59Aiden FisherLB | 0% | 1 |
Calen Bullock is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 75.0 passer rating on 32 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Kamari LassiterCB | 100% | 46 | 31 of 46 | 389 | 2 | 106.1 | 5 | |
| 24Derek Stingley Jr.CB | 99% | 38 | 18 of 38 | 282 | 1 | 80.7 | 4 | |
| 2Calen BullockSAF | 98% | 32 | 19 of 32 | 289 | 75.0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 6Reed BlankenshipSAF | 73% | 33 | 24 of 33 | 313 | 2 | 96.8 | 1 | 3 |
| 5Jalen PitreSAF | 66% | 18 | 10 of 18 | 92 | 1 | 88.3 | 4 | |
| 29M.J. StewartSAF | 21% | 11 | 9 of 11 | 63 | 1 | 104.1 | 1 | |
| 11Tremon SmithCB | 12% | 7 | 3 of 7 | 80 | 73.8 | 2 | ||
| 27Kamari RamseySAF | 12% | 5 | 4 of 5 | 31 | 87.1 | |||
| 22Jaylin SmithCB | 2% | 1 | 1 of 1 | 16 | 118.7 |
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.