The Houston Texans are heading into Week 7 against the New York Giants with hopes of firing off their third straight win after back-to-back encouraging wins being stamped in the books.
However, for this matchup against the Giants in particular, there's going to be a handful of matchups for the Texans to keep an eye on so that they can check off that aspired third straight victory.
And even for a Giants team that might not have as much talent on paper as the Texans do, their 3-2 record, along with their current first-place standing in the NFC East tends to show that this team isn't one that should be overlooked for this wekeend whatsoever.
So with that in mind, let's break down three key matchups to keep an eye on for the Texans in their Week 7 matchup back at home against the Giants:
Derek Stingley vs. Malik Nabers
The biggest source of the Giants' offense is undoubtably their star wideout, Malik Nabers, who's done nothing but see his stock rise even further than it was throughout the past two weeks. Through Weeks 5 and 6, Nabers has seen 35 targets to turn those into 23 receptions, 286 yards, and a touchdown.
But this week, Nabers will be tasked with one of the most talented corners in the NFL in Derek Stingley Jr.–– someone who's come off of back-to-back All-Pro appearances in 2024 and 2025, and could be one of Nabers' toughest individual matchups of this season so far.
The Texans' secondary has been less than stellar over the past several weeks. It wasn't too long ago that this same Houston defense allowed CeeDee Lamb to have a dominant 17-reception game for 189 yards and a touchdown. But if Stingley and Co. can hold down Nabers for a limited performance, the road to victory can become a whole lot easier.
Danielle Hunter vs. Andrew Thomas
The Texans' pass rush wasn't quite as dominant as we know them to be this past weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston combined for zero sacks throughout the contest, even while both Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter were at full strength.
For reference, there wasn't a single game in which Houston didn't log at least one sack over the course of the 2025 season, and it hadn't happened over the course of 2026 through five weeks. So that was pretty uncharted territory for this defense.
This week, the Texans will be back at home on their own turf, and might have a much better chance of gaining some traction in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback. And when Houston starts racking up sacks, the task becomes immensely more challenging for the opposing offense.
The name I'll be watching closest in Houston's efforts to build a better pass rush will be Danielle Hunter, given that he has the tougher task of lining up against Andrew Thomas on the left side of the line, and could end up being a force multiplier if Will Anderson continues on his DPOY pace.
Texans' Defense vs. J.J. McCarthy
It was too tough to single out just one player on the Texans' side of the equation here, but seeing how this defense takes on the task of facing Giants starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be fascinating to watch unfold.
McCarthy has had nothing short of an up-and-down first three years in the NFL. From a season-ending injury to terrible play with the Minnesota Vikings, to now being traded to and starting for the New York Giants in Week 7, there's a wide range of outcomes for just how McCarthy's day goes here against a Texans defense that many have touted as among the best in the NFL.
If the Texans' defense played like it did last weekend against the Jaguars— a game in which Trevor Lawrence threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns— then maybe McCarthy can find his way to some steady production to keep the Giants and their scoring attack.
But if the Texans can revert back to defensive output closer to what was seen against the Tennessee Titans and Cam Ward, then this could quickly become a long day for McCarthy and this Giants offense.
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