Texans-Seahawks Preview: Momentum, Matchups, and a Chance to Prove Houston’s Growth

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The Houston Texans return from the bye on Monday night riding a quiet two-game win streak that has steadied what began as a turbulent start. They’ve shown clear improvement on both sides of the ball, cleaning up penalties, finding rhythm on offense, and playing more complementary football. Still, questions linger.

Those last two wins came against opponents most don’t hold in high regard, leaving some to wonder how this team stacks up when the competition stiffens. That answer could come in Seattle.

This isn’t just another regular-season test — it’s a realistic barometer. The Seahawks, built in a similar image to the Texans with an emphasis on discipline, defense, and physicality, present the kind of balanced challenge that reveals where a team truly is. For Houston, it’s less about silencing doubt and more about earning acknowledgment that the strides they’ve made are sustainable — that the progress seen in flashes can hold up against a well-coached, playoff-caliber opponent.

Both teams share philosophical DNA. DeMeco Ryans and Mike Macdonald are defensive coaches who believe in structure over chaos, winning with communication and fundamentals. Both want to control tempo, limit explosives, and create offense through balance and play-action. That familiarity — coupled with a handful of shared coaching roots — adds layers to what already sets up as a physical, detail-driven matchup.

Setting the Stage: Context and Health

Houston hasn’t played a full game since October 5, when most starters exited early before the bye with a comfortable lead in hand. With extra rest and nearly two weeks to prepare, the Texans enter this matchup as healthy as they’ve been all season. The only notable absence is wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring), which will force Nick Caley to adjust his slot rotation — options include Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, or potentially activating Braxton Berrios for the first time.

The defense also gets reinforcements. Jaylen Reed, the rookie safety, and Dencio Autry, the veteran defensive tackle, both practiced in full this week and could be elevated from their 21-day windows, adding depth to a unit that’s already trending upward.

Seattle, meanwhile, projects to be fully healthy in the secondary for the first time this season. Devon Witherspoon (knee), Julian Love (hamstring), and Tariq Woolen (concussion) are all questionable but expected to play. According to Seahawks insider Brian Nemhauser (Hawkblogger), every player Seattle has listed as “questionable” this season has suited up, and the team played roughly 60% of such players last year. This would give Macdonald his full arsenal of defensive backs — an important development for a scheme built on disguise and late rotation.

Texans Rush Offense: Efficiency in Context

Houston’s offense has stabilized around a balanced identity, anchored by a run game that may not dominate box scores but quietly ranks among the league’s most efficient. The Texans sit 5th in EPA per rush (+.02) and 16th in yards per game (116) — figures that reflect results through Week 6, prior to the Week 7 matchups. More importantly, they’ve consistently found success relative to the strength of their opponents’ run defenses.

Opponent	Opp. Rush D EPA	Opp. Rush YPG (Rank)	Texans Rush Yds	Texans Rush EPA
BAL	+.09 (31st)	134 (26th)	167	+.16
TEN	–.01 (20th)	133 (25th)	129	+.07
JAX	–.08 (14th)	91 (8th)	87	–.27
TB	–.14 (6th)	88.2 (5th)	84	+.07
LAR	–.08 (13th)	107 (15th)	114	0.00

Those numbers illustrate a unit that’s found efficiency even against top-15 run defenses.

Nick Chubb has been quietly effective — not explosive, but steady and decisive, excelling on inside-zone and duo concepts that capitalize on his vision and power. Rookie Woody Marks has emerged as the perfect complement, offering juice as a change-of-pace runner and helping Houston’s offense maintain tempo in RPO and hurry-up situations.

The offensive line deserves much of the credit. After early-season instability a year ago, the group now has continuity:

• LT Aireontae Ersery– rookie who's steadily improving

• LG Juice Scruggs – replaced Laken Tomlinson and has shown some promise

• C Jake Andrews – missed part of Week 1 and all of Week 2 but has settled in well

• RG Ed Engram – one of the highest-graded guards in football this season, missed week 1

• RT Tytus Howard – reliable bookend and key communicator against stunts, at natural position

This unit has developed timing and chemistry — two critical ingredients when facing a defense as multiple as Seattle’s.

Seattle’s Run Defense: A True Strength

Seattle’s defense enters the game 2nd in EPA allowed per rush (–.20) and 2nd in rushing yards allowed per game (79) — a testament to both scheme and personnel. But context is important. The Seahawks have faced a mix of rushing offenses, most of them zone-oriented, and their results reflect both quality execution and familiarity with those systems.

Opponent	Opp. Rush O EPA	Opp. Rush YPG (Rank)	Rush Yds Allowed	Def. EPA vs Run	Zone Rushes	Gap Rushes	% Zone	% Gap	Notes
49ers	–.15 (28th)	82 (30th)	119	–.21	15	4	79%	21%	Heavy outside/wide-zone emphasis.
Steelers	–.02 (26th)	94.5 (12th)	72	–.20	9	11	70%	36%	Mid-zone with power elements.
Saints	–.04 (19th)	109.5 (19th)	79	–.33	13	10	80%	59%	Inside/mid-zone core, occasional duo.
Cardinals	–.08 (23rd)	113 (17th)	89	–.11	7	5	33%	88%	Abandoned run early after RB injury.
Buccaneers	–.02 (13th)	109 (20th)	56	–.18	12	5	39%	94%	Heavier gap usage, limited volume.
Jaguars	+.02 (7th)	124 (11th)	59	–.06	11	4	75%	48%	Predominantly wide-zone looks.

Data through Week 6 (via PFF charting and NFL Pro/Next Gen Stats).Zone totals include inside and mid-zone concepts — not solely wide zone. The Seahawks’ opponents to this point have leaned heavily toward zone-based run games, the same looks their defense faces daily in practice under OC Klint Kubiak’s wide-zone system. That familiarity, combined with disciplined interior play, has helped Seattle thrive against those styles. The Texans, by contrast, employ a more balanced mix — roughly 58% zone / 48% gap — with heavier volume between the tackles. It’s a different stylistic challenge than what Seattle has typically faced and one worth watching on Monday night.

Byron Murphy II has been dominant in his second year, emerging as a disruptive force at nose tackle with 4.5 sacks. Leonard Williams, the veteran DE in their 3-4 (acts as a tackle), is also having one of his best seasons, adding 3 sacks and consistent pressure inside. Jarran Reed continues to provide steady interior play, and Demarcus Lawrence has found success on the edge with 2 sacks. Behind them, Earnest Jones — acquired last year from the Rams — plays the run downhill, while Drake Thomas, fresh off a strong showing against Jacksonville, will start at weak-side linebacker.

Ryans called Seattle’s interior “the strong suit” of their defense, and he’s right. The trio of Murphy, Williams, and Reed forms one of the NFL’s most physical interior groups. Houston’s interior — Scruggs, Andrews, and Engram — will have to win leverage battles early to stay on schedule.

Texans Offense vs. Seahawks Coverage

Seattle’s secondary, when healthy, is versatile but still settling into its new structure. Macdonald’s system favors a mix of three-deep and quarters shells, rotating coverages post-snap to confuse quarterbacks. According to Fantasy Points Data Suite:

Coverage	Usage %
Cover 3	31%
Cover 4	20%
Cover 6	14%
Cover 2	16%
Man (various)	14% total

That heavy zone usage plays into C.J. Stroud’s strengths. He’s been outstanding against zone looks, particularly when identifying rotations and timing intermediate throws. Against non-blitz situations, Stroud has completed 72.1% of his passes for 745 yards, 7 TDs, and 2 INTs with a 106.5 passer rating — 8th best in the league.

Seattle blitzes just 15.7% of the time, the lowest rate in the NFL, relying instead on simulated pressures and twists. Macdonald’s philosophy: create confusion with movement and post-snap rotation, not volume. Houston has seen this before. Between Zach Orr’s Ravens defense in Week 5 and Stroud's prior experience with Macdonald’s fronts, this offense has spent the past two weeks drilling recognition and communication.

The Seahawks’ secondary depth now gives Macdonald more options:

• Devon Witherspoon – dynamic slot defender who can blitz or cover vertically.

• Coby Bryant & Julian Love – both former college corners turned safeties; rangy and intelligent.

• Tariq Woolen – long, physical boundary corner, possibly rotating with Josh Jobe.

• Nick Emmanwori – rookie second-round safety from South Carolina with elite athletic traits; used as a “big nickel” who can line up anywhere.

  
  

Emmanwori’s versatility is a weapon, but also a liability. His aggressive pursuit can lead to run-fit errors, something Houston may look to exploit through misdirection or motion. Seattle fans have already highlighted this “two-slot” package (Witherspoon and Emmanwori) as a new wrinkle — one that could cause chaos near the line of scrimmage, but also create lanes if Houston commits to the run.

Seattle Offense: Built to Boom or Bust

Klint Kubiak’s offense is the closest thing in football to a time capsule of the Shanahan system. It leans on wide zone, boot action, and deep crossers — even if the run game isn’t producing.

Seattle ranks 31st in EPA per rush, yet continues to run to set up play action. The commitment matters more than the results because it forces linebackers to bite and opens shot plays downfield.

Sam Darnold has thrived in that structure. He’s completed 39 of 56 passes traveling 10+ yards in the air for 932 yards, 8 touchdowns, and just one interception. His 144.3 passer rating on such throws is the best of any quarterback this season — and the highest of any qualified passer since the Next Gen Stats era began in 2016.

He’s unafraid to throw deep even when windows are tight, trusting Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who leads the league in receiving yards from wide alignments with 631), Cooper Kupp and tight ends AJ Barner Elijah Arroyo to make plays. Houston’s secondary will need to play the ball in the air — not just the man — and capitalize when Darnold forces one.

Expect quick game and screens early as Seattle tries to negate Houston’s pass rush. Ryans may counter with the occasional zone blitz or simulated pressure, dropping a defensive lineman into coverage to clog throwing lanes. With Darnold’s lower throwing trajectory, getting hands up at the line could lead to batted passes and turnovers.

Texans Defense: Discipline Over Heroics

The Texans defense under Ryans has steadily become one of the league’s most consistent units. The pass rush doesn’t rely on blitzing — it wins with efficiency and technique. Will Anderson Jr. leads the way with elite metrics:

• 26 pressures on 125 rushes (20.8% pressure rate, 2nd among edge rushers).

• 0.75-second get-off (3rd fastest).

• 12% quick pressure rate (2nd).

Against a quarterback like Darnold who thrives on rhythm and timing, consistent disruption — not necessarily sacks — is the key.

Houston’s secondary, including MJ Stewart replacing the released C.J. Gardner-Johnson, has minimized coverage busts and kept explosive plays to a minimum. The Texans have allowed just 450 yards on throws to wide-aligned receivers — 6th fewest in the NFL. That’s significant considering JSN does most of his damage from those same alignments.

Ryans has stressed physicality at the line of scrimmage as the key to slowing Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Many defenses have given him generous cushion this season, allowing free access off the line and making it easier for Sam Darnold to hit rhythm throws. Houston’s corners are expected to test that approach, mixing physical press looks with off coverage to vary timing and disguise leverage.

The Next Gen Stats data illustrates how coverage style has influenced JSN’s production so far — not necessarily in efficiency, but in volume and usage:

Coverage Type	Routes	Targets	Receptions	Yards	TDs	Yards/Rec	Catch %	CROE	Target Separation	Rec EPA
Vs Press	48	13	11	216	1	19.6	84.6%	+27.4%	2.0	+15.9
Off Coverage	74	36	25	429	2	17.2	69.4%	+6.7%	3.5	+20.4

Data via Next Gen Stats, through Week 6.

Smith-Njigba has been targeted almost three times as often against off coverage, producing a higher cumulative EPA in those situations. While his catch rate and efficiency metrics remain excellent against press, the smaller sample size shows Seattle tends to use him differently when corners crowd the line.

Rather than predicting one approach will stop him, this data simply reinforces the tactical choice Houston faces: challenge his release to disrupt timing — and risk the big play — or play softer coverage and concede space underneath. Given Ryans’ defensive philosophy and the Texans’ confidence in Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, expect Houston to vary those looks and make Seattle earn their windows snap to snap.

A key storyline in coverage will be whether Derek Stingley Jr. travels with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Stingley has shown in the past that he’s capable of shadowing top receivers, even sliding inside to the slot when matchups call for it. That flexibility could prove valuable against a Seattle offense that moves JSN around to create leverage and isolate defenders.

On the opposite boundary, Kamari Lassiter continues to be one of the league’s most underrated cornerbacks. His physicality at the line of scrimmage and discipline in zone help balance Houston’s coverage structure, allowing Ryans to mix man-match looks without exposing single coverage elsewhere. Together, Stingley and Lassiter form one of the most technically sound young corner duos in football — and they’ll be tested by a Seahawks passing attack built on spacing, timing, and deep-play opportunities.

The other focus: discipline against play-action. Seattle’s offense thrives when linebackers overcommit. Expect Houston’s safeties to play with patience, keeping everything in front and forcing Darnold to string together long drives.

Seattle’s ability to dictate structure also shows up in the data. Through Week 6, the Seahawks rank first in EPA when operating from 12 personnel — producing a +48.6 total EPA, 0.78 EPA per pass, and 0.13 EPA per rush on those plays. They’ve used that grouping on 31 percent of offensive snaps, among the highest in the league.

The design is simple but effective: line up heavier to make defenses match with base 4-3 personnel, then use play-action and shot concepts to punish stacked boxes. It’s part of Klint Kubiak’s offensive DNA — establish the illusion of the run, force linebackers downhill, and create explosive passing windows behind them.

Familiarity and Parallels

This matchup is filled with connective tissue.

DeMeco Ryans has plenty of familiarity with Seattle’s offensive style. During his time in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan, Ryans routinely faced the Shanahan-style wide-zone system that Seattle now runs under Klint Kubiak. It’s a scheme built on marrying the run and pass through wide-zone foundations, something Ryans’ defenses in San Francisco had plenty of looks at. It’s also an offensive lineage the Texans know well — they ran a variation of it themselves under Bobby Slowik, who served as Ryans’ offensive coordinator for two seasons before Nick Caley took over. In other words, Houston’s defense has had years of live reps against similar looks in practice.

On the other sideline, Klint Kubiak brings ties of his own to Houston — both through his father Gary Kubiak’s Texans tenure and Ryans’ playing days under that same staff.

Meanwhile, both quarterbacks and coordinators are plenty familiar with each other. C.J. Stroud has already faced Mike Macdonald three times — once in college (Ohio State vs. Michigan in 2021) and twice in the NFL last season against Baltimore. In those games, Stroud posted lines of 34/49 for 394 yards and 2 TDs (college), 28/44 for 242 yards (NFL debut), and 19/33 for 175 yards (Divisional Round), all losses. Each meeting revealed Macdonald’s knack for mixing coverage looks and forcing Stroud to work through progressions, lessons that will carry over into this matchup.

On the flip side, Sam Darnold has faced Houston three times — each with a different team. He beat the Texans last season as the Vikings’ starter, going 17 of 28 for 181 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, and also started against Houston with the Jets (2018) and Panthers (2021). His connection to Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke also dates back to his rookie season, when Burke’s Dolphins defense faced him twice in 2018. Darnold went 25 of 41 for 334 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in their first meeting, then 21 of 39 for 229 yards and four interceptions in the rematch — games that tested him against disguised coverage and layered zone looks similar to what he’ll see again Monday.

Between Ryans’ defensive familiarity with the Shanahan system and the quarterbacks’ shared history with their opposing coordinators, this game carries an uncommon level of overlap. The schemes and tendencies are well-known to both sides — it’s less about surprises and more about execution. With so much prior experience on the field and in the film room, the opening series may feel less like a new matchup and more like round four of an ongoing chess match.

It’s also worth noting that Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks are just 4–8 at home since he took over, including 1–2 this season. For a team known for its raucous home-field advantage, that record stands out — and some around the league have speculated that the constant crowd noise, while energizing, can occasionally make communication more difficult for a defense that relies heavily on disguise, rotation, and post-snap adjustments. It’s a subtle but intriguing wrinkle in a matchup where timing, communication, and disguise are everything.

Special Teams: Strength Meets Strength

Both teams enter this matchup fielding some of the league’s best special teams units — a phase that could quietly determine field position and momentum on Monday night.

For Houston, special teams coordinator Frank Ross has built one of the most disciplined and reliable groups in football. Tommy Townsend continues to showcase elite hang time and placement as a punter, while Ka’imi Fairbairn remains among the league’s most accurate kickers. Coverage has been a consistent bright spot, led by Jake Hansen and others who’ve helped the Texans rank near the top in net punt and kickoff metrics.

Across the field, DeMeco Ryans praised Seattle this week as “the best special teams unit in the league” — and it’s not hard to see why. Under Jay Harbaugh, the son of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Seahawks’ unit has been fundamentally sound and explosive. Michael Dickson remains a field-position weapon, Jason Myers is dependable from deep, and their return duo of Tory Horton (punt) and George Holani (kick) has provided consistent juice and positive field position throughout the year.

In a game that could hinge on hidden yards, special teams execution may end up being the separator between two evenly matched, detail-oriented teams.

Keys to the Game

Texans Offense

1. Run between the tackles. Duo and inside zone are the best paths against Seattle’s simulated fronts.

2. Stick with the run. Even modest gains set up play-action and tempo.

3. Protect through communication. Handle stunts, twists, and delayed pressure from the interior. A tough task with Seattle's home crowd noise.

4. Use quick game and tempo. Limit Macdonald’s disguise time and force simpler rotations.

5. Exploit Emmanwori’s aggression. Use misdirection and motion to open gaps.

Texans Defense

1. Limit explosive plays. Force Seattle into long, patient drives.

2. Play the ball on deep shots. Darnold gives receivers chances — make him pay for it.

3. Keep hands up at the line. Disrupt low trajectory throws.

4. Stay disciplined vs play-action. Don’t overreact to run fakes.

5. Press JSN early. Deny free releases and force contested targets.

Final Thoughts

The Texans have earned the right to feel good about their recent play. They’ve stabilized, found rhythm, and shown the kind of week-to-week growth that DeMeco Ryans preaches. But even Ryans would admit: the next step is proving it against one of the NFL’s more complete, well-coached rosters.

Seattle offers that opportunity — a team that mirrors Houston’s style but executes it with experience and continuity. The result may not define the Texans’ season, but how they respond in this environment will reveal plenty about where this team truly stands in its development.

This isn’t about chasing validation — it’s about confirming progress. And in a season built around foundation and growth, that might be the most meaningful measure of all.