C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans' offense sputtered in their Aug. 6 preseason loss to the Ravens. Read why their turnovers are a major red flag.
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
The Houston Texans kicked off their 2025 preseason slate not with a bang, but with a concerning thud, falling to the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday night. While the final score is just a footnote in August, the way the Texans lost raised familiar alarms. The offensive struggles seen in training camp bled onto the field, with quarterback C.J. Stroud and a reworked offensive line looking out of sync and overwhelmed, culminating in a night of turnovers and missed opportunities.
A pick-six in camp followed by a pick-six in the preseason opener. The pattern for C.J. Stroud and the offense is one the Texans must break immediately.
The box score may be pending, but the eye test told the story. The Texans' first-team offense looked shaky against a stout Ravens defense. The lowlight of the evening was a pick-six thrown by C.J. Stroud, a costly error that underscored his struggles with timing and pressure. The Ravens' pass rush was relentless, constantly harassing the Texans' backfield and forcing hurried decisions. A fumble recovery for Baltimore only added to the offensive woes, painting a picture of a unit that has a long way to go to find its rhythm under new coordinator Nick Caley.
For anyone following training camp reports, Wednesday's performance felt like a case of déjà vu. Reports leading up to the game highlighted Stroud's inconsistency, including a pick-six he threw to linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in practice. Furthermore, the offensive line, featuring several new faces, was reportedly 'overpowered' in drills by the Texans' own dynamic duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Seeing them struggle against another team's pass rush confirms that the issues in camp are legitimate concerns, not just practice-squad jitters.
It wasn't all bad news. The defense, the team's expected strength, showed flashes of the elite unit it's projected to be. New safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, coming off a 6-interception season, brings a new level of swagger and playmaking ability. The front office is also working to maintain depth, signing DT Marlon Davidson on August 1st while moving Kyonte Hamilton to IR. These moves show a commitment to fortifying the trenches, even if the offensive side hasn't gelled yet. The defense, led by Anderson and Hunter, will need to be dominant while the offense finds its footing.
This shaky start comes as the Texans face a daunting 2025 schedule. While favored to win a third consecutive AFC South title, the path is brutal. The team has primetime showdowns against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football (Sept. 15), the Bills on Thursday Night (Nov. 20), and a massive Sunday Night Football test against the Chiefs (Dec. 7). Analyst Ben Arthur has already predicted a slight regression to 9-8, citing the tough schedule and offensive question marks. This preseason loss adds weight to those concerns; this team needs to be firing on all cylinders to navigate such a difficult slate.
One preseason game doesn't define a season, but it can certainly highlight the homework that needs to be done. The Texans have a championship-caliber defense, but that will only take them so far. All eyes will be on C.J. Stroud and the offensive line in the coming weeks to see if they can iron out these alarming wrinkles before the games start to count. The quest for a third straight AFC South title depends on it.
