Houston Texans face challenges heading into bye week

The Houston Texans enter their Week 8 bye week with a 2-5 record following a 27-21 overtime loss to the New York Giants. After starting the season with four consecutive losses, the team managed two wins, including a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the recent defeat has impacted team morale.

Coach DeMeco Ryans noted that while morale is low, he expects the team to return to work with purpose after the break. A primary concern for the team is a declining defense, which ranked among the best in the league last season but currently ranks 18th in yards allowed and 19th in points allowed per game.

Offensively, the team faces challenges with a run stuffed rate of 19.8 percent. While running back Woody Marks has provided stability with an average of 3.8 yards per carry during David Montgomery's absence, the offensive line requires improvement to sustain the ground game.