The Houston Texans are heading into Week 7 against the New York Giants riding some positive momentum from their last two wins against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The vibes are feeling a whole lot better for this team compared to where they stood this time two weeks ago. Especially as the Texans head back home for their last game before the bye, paired with the implications of Tank Dell's pending Week 7 return, the energy around Reliant Stadium is going to be rocking this Sunday.
But even beyond the Texans' recent winning ways and Dell's long-awaited return, there are a select few interesting storylines that'll be worth keeping tabs on as Houston tries to head into the bye on a high note.
Let's take a look at three of the biggest Texans storylines I'll be watching for this weekend's matchup against the Giants in their effort to claim three straight wins.
The Distribution of Targets in Texans' WR Room
With the Texans officially getting Tank Dell back into the lineup this week, Houston will now have an abundance of receivers to throw into their lineup. That includes Dell, Nico Collins, Marvin Harrison, Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte, and Xavier Hutchinson.
It's a good problem for the Texans to have. Only a few weeks ago, Houston was desperately in need of reliable pass-catchers in their offense, and now, it almost seems as if they have more than they know what to do with.
Therefore, seeing how the Texans deploy those six wideouts will be a fascinating piece of the puzzle to watch this weekend against the Giants. How many snaps will Tank Dell get in his first game back in action? Will Marvin Harrison Jr. see increased usage, and by how much? Does Jaylin Noel get more work based on his impressive past few weeks?
Regardless of how the opportunities shake out at the position, it sets up to be a tough assignment for the Giants defense to take on, and makes the job a whole lot easier for C.J. Stroud.
Can Houston's Pass Rush Bounce-Back From Last Week?
The Texans' Week 6 performance against the Jaguars was successful in many ways. But one area in which Houston was lacking a bit more than usual was within their pass rush.
A total of zero sacks were seen from this defense over the course of the contest, which hasn't happened once over the course of this season and 2025. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter were both healthy, but for whatever reason––whether it be the Jaguars' protection, the slick playing surface in London, or both––the pressure just wasn't coming as strongly from Houston.
Seeing that pressure turn around for the Texans would be huge for their chances against the Giants. Not only is Houston's defense at its best when their elite edge duo is firing on all cylinders, but sending that pressure against this New York offensive line and their new starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, could be all that they need to get their scoring attack rattled.
How the Run Game Continues Without David Montgomery
The Texans are trending towards not having David Montgomery for a second straight week as he recovers from a groin injury suffered back in Week 5. He was a DNP at practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, which doesn't bode well for his status come Sunday.
On the surface, you'd think that the Texans' run game would take a hit without Montgomery in the mix. However, it was just last week when Houston was left without their veteran running back against Jacksonville's elite run defense, and they had one of their best performances on the ground all year, led by second-year runner Woody Marks.
Could the Texans have a repeat performance against a Giants run defense, who allow the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the NFL? It's certainly possible. However, Houston will have to do it without their standout complement to Marks from last weekend in Jawhar Jordan, who was placed on the practice squad injured reserve this week.
Expect the Texans to either elevate or sign another running back to their active roster this weekend, or hope that Dare Ogunbowale could make some noise as the change-of-pace back behind Marks.
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