The Houston Texans have their Week 5 matchup against the Tennessee Titans right around the corner; a game that's really a must-win for both sides as they look to escape their 0-4 record put together through four weeks.
But even while the Texans are viewed as the heavy favorites for this one, that doesn't mean this matchup will be a walk in the park.
For one, any divisional matchup can be due for some unpredictable outcomes. But we've also seen just how things can go wrong for this talented roster in the first quarter of the season for a winless start, thus giving us a blueprint on what Houston needs this weekend to ensure they get their first win on the season.
With that in mind, let's sort through three of the Texans' biggest keys to victory in Week 5 against the Titans, which could mark their seventh win in eight tries against Tennessee dating back to 2022:
Continue to Feed Nico Collins
The Texans finally got to see Nico Collins back in their lineup last week against the Dallas Cowboys, who returned from a two-game absence due to a hamstring strain. And in his first game back, Houston's No. 1 wideout proved exactly why he's an essential piece to their aspired offensive success.
Collins burst onto the scene with seven receptions for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns; really for one of the best games of his entire Texans tenure, even in a losing effort. And in the process of that performance, he gave this offense a much-needed breath of fresh air.
We've witnessed how dreary this offense can be when Collins is not on the field as C.J. Stroud's top target. It's not pretty, nor is it a recipe for success. So building upon that momentum Collins saw last week feels like a good plan of attack to keep this offense from sinking as they did without him in Weeks 2 and 3.
Keep Jeffery Simmons in Check
There's no doubt about who the best player is that the Texans will be up against this weekend: it's First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who has a chance to create some real trouble for Houston if they're not careful.
Simmons has had a similarly dominant start to his 2026 campaign, recording 24 combined tackles, three TFLs, and two sacks. And throughout the past four weeks, we've seen just what a strong interior defense can do to this Texans offensive line with the likes of Dexter Lawrence, Ed Oliver, and DeForest Buckner.
The Titans are a team that can be easily overlooked. But doing that for Simmons could be a fatal mistake for the Texans and their porous interior offensive line. So ensuring he's a center focus from start to finish will be key for Houston to keep their game script on track.
Find Some Consistency in the Run Game
The Texans' run game has been largely the same story over the past three weeks: lacking consistency, explosiveness, and the juice needed to propel this offense to be a little more well-balanced.
Houston has failed to reach over 70 total rushing yards across the last three weeks, and their running backs have combined for less than 3.0 yards per carry across that stretch.
And without that consistency on the ground, it tends to be a major limitation for how dynamic this Texans' offense can be. That simply can't be the case moving forward this season, so maybe this outing against the Titans can be a different story.
The Titans' defense does rank top 10 in the NFL for yards per carry allowed (3.7), but they do also lead the league in carries allowed, and are 24th in total rushing yards allowed. There are holes that Houston can attack in the run game, and will likely need to in order to get the most out of their offense.
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