On Sunday, the Houston Texans lost yet another close battle, falling to the Dallas Cowboys 34-30. The Texans are now 0-4 to start the 2026 season and tied for last in the AFC South with the Tennessee Titans.
After this week’s loss, fans and media are questioning the Texans and their defensive capabilities.
On an episode of _Morning Boxscore,_ CBS Sports analyst Leger Douzable “doesn’t understand” why the defense “isn’t playing up to the level that they normally do.”
> “We can’t say this defense is elite anymore … there is some real concern with the Houston Texans.”
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> – @LegerDouzable
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> #Boxscore https://t.co/enB6DPtBFu
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> — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) [October 5, 2026](https://x.com/NFLonCBS/status/2107116279400370291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
“For the longest time, myself included, said this was the number one defense in football. They did not show it the second half. Like Dak Prescott had his way with this defense in the second half. DeMeco Ryans is a defensive-minded coach; that’s the last thing you expect,” Douzable said.
“We cant say this defense is elite anymore, because they’re not playing at that level.”
Douzable expressed his “concerns” about the Texans as this Sunday meant a lot for the fate of their season if they were to be considered in playoff contention as of now.
“There are some real concerns with the Houston Texans; we saw last year they started 0-3 and came back and made a run to the playoffs,” Douzable added. “I don’t know if they can do this at 0-4. And I say to this before this game, man: this was a must-win for both of these teams, because whoever loses this game most likely isn’t making the playoffs.
“Because if you’re the Houston Texans, you’re chasing the Jaguars; if you’re the Cowboys, right now you’re chasing not only the Philadelphia Eagles but you’re chasing the Giants, who are in the lead of this division right now.”
The Texans face their division rival, the Tennessee Titans, next Sunday and look to earn their first win of the 2026 season.