A sense of stupefaction spread throughout NRG Park late this week.
The Houston Texans were mystified by the dud they dropped on Monday night, losing 27-19 to the Seattle Seahawks in a game they had 15 days to prepare for. Head coach DeMeco Ryans called it “baffling” that plays weren’t being executed the way they were coached to be. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley, whose unit had a season-low 254 yards and didn’t score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, was taken aback by the mental errors that took place despite a perceived readiness.
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“We had a really good week of practice last week and that’s the disappointing part,” Caley said. “I would have never anticipated that, seeing that and I’m disappointed in that, for sure.”
Caley said the team needed a reset after the performance. Ryans concurred, as he said as his focus now lies solely on the matchup facing them this week: the San Francisco 49ers, his former team.
“It’s all about the Niners,” Ryans said. “It’s not about getting on track, it’s about the Niners and playing how we need to play to go play well versus the Niners.”
A few things will factor into the now 2-4 Texans playing well against the NFC West leaders. Here are four of the key ones to watch as Houston hosts San Francisco this weekend.
San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey celebrates 2nd quarter touchdown run against Atlanta Falcons during NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, October 19, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle)
Texans’ defense vs. Christian McCaffrey
Ryans didn’t hide the team’s top defensive focus for this week.
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“The game plan is we have to have eyes for Christian McCaffrey, knowing that he’s going get the bulk of the touches because he’s their top playmaker,” Ryans said.
San Francisco’s running back has shown to be a top playmaker not just for the 49ers, but league-wide so far this season. His NFL-leading 981 scrimmage yards puts him on a trajectory to earn high honors. McCaffrey is just the second player in league history to record 450+ rushing yards (465) and 450+ receiving yards (516) in the first seven games, joining Marshall Faulk, who did it in his 2000 MVP season.
The 49ers have rewarded McCaffrey’s performance by giving him a league-most 185 touches this season, over 30 more than Atlanta Falcons’ running back Bijan Robinson. But what Ryans said is most dangerous about him is how San Francisco gives him those touches.
“He’s such a dynamic player and he changes the game for them offensively-not just what he does, but where he’s able to align,” Ryans said. “(49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) has done a really nice job of moving him around in a lot of different spots where he’s not just aligning in the running back position. He can line up at receiver. He can line up all over the place.”
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McCaffrey displayed the backfield prowess he’s shown throughout his nine NFL seasons in last week’s win over Atlanta, rushing for a season-high 129 yards and two touchdowns while adding six catches for 55 yards from beside/behind the quarterback. But he’s also run 46 routes from wide or slot alignments this season, the third most of any running back in the NFL. His 164 receiving yards and two touchdowns from those spots are the most among his position.
San Francisco’s ability to deploy him all over the field will strain Houston at every position. But the key to contain McCaffrey will be those positions working together. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said the Texans must first stop his run, which they can do by “setting edges” and knocking 49ers blockers back. Then it’s on the second level to come in and make plays, which nickel Jalen Pitre said will be a collective effort.
“For us as a team, we just want to swarm him,” Pitre said. “We know that he’s really good at making guys miss, but it’s hard to make 11 miss.”
It’s improbable that the Texans will stop McCaffrey, as defensive coordinator Matt Burke said, “he’s going to make some plays too.” But limiting those plays will be critical for Houston’s defensive success on Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle hugs Kyle Juszczyk before Niners play Atlanta Falcons during NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, October 19, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle)
Texans’ defense vs. George Kittle
Tight end George Kittle’s return after a five-game injury absence last week didn’t look impressive on a stat sheet. He was targeted just twice on his 22 routes and failed to record a single catch. But the gameplay showed why is such a crucial piece of San Francisco’s offense.
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The 49ers ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns with Kittle on the field against the Falcons, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 1.4 yards before contact per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. When he was off it, San Francisco totaled just 12 yards, averaging 2 yards per carry and –2.1 yards before contact.
The two-time All-Pro tremendously affected the 49ers’ passing attack too even if he didn’t catch a ball. He was constantly drawing multiple Atlanta defenders down the field, opening opportunities for his teammates. That included when Kittle brought Falcons’ linebacker Kaden Elliss away from McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, allowing for a 17-yard catch and run to set up the game-winning score.
Burke didn’t want to call Kittle the last of a dying breed. But he emphasized that he’s in a small group of tight ends in the NFL that can still receive and block at an elite level. The dual threat hampers Houston as it attempts to defend him.
“Just because he’s on the field, you’re concerned to some level of his pass catching ability and what he does in the pass game,” Burke said. “But, now he’s obviously a really good point of attack blocker too.”
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To limit both abilities, Pitre said the Texans’ strategy is like theirs for McCaffrey: swarming and making sure they’re getting to their positions.
“Kittle can do both in terms of tight end,” Pitre said. “He can run all the routes, and he can obviously block. He’s very grimy in there. It’s about just being physical and making sure that our eyes are on the right spot and executing when we need to execute.”
Houston has rangy defenders like Pitre, Azeez Al-Shaair and EJ Speed who can guard Kittle, although they’ve yet to face a tight end of his caliber. They’ll also have to ensure he doesn’t seal the outside for McCaffrey to run free. Kittle can win games for the 49ers because of his holistic effectiveness, so executing against him will be paramount.
Tatum Bethune (48) celebrates his sack of Michael Penix Jr. (9) in the second half as the San Francisco 49ers played the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle)
Texans’ protection vs. 49ers’ pass rush
The 49ers don’t possess the dominant “wide-9” edge rusher that defensive line coach Kris Kocurek has sicced on opposing quarterbacks for the past six seasons. Much of that is due to injury, as former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa tore his ACL in their third game and complements Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos are also hurt.
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The absences have made San Francisco look atypical this season. It has the third-least sacks in the NFL so far (nine) and the fourth-lowest pressure rate in NFL (26.5%), according to NGS. That’s good news for the Texans, as those numbers sit below or near the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans, the only two teams their offensive line has really held up against.
Houston’s pass protection has drawn ire this week after it allowed a season-high 17 pressures and three sacks in Seattle, according to NGS. On paper, this should be an opportunity for them to find some momentum. But it may not be so simple.
San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has found ways to affect the quarterback at key moments this year to help the team win. Despite blitzing at a fourth-least clip this year (19.5%), Saleh sent them and simulated pressures at Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix last week. The approach flummoxed Penix, as he failed to complete any of his nine passes under pressure and succumbed to three sacks.
The Texans could see the 49ers employ a similar strategy given C.J. Stroud’s struggles under pressure and against the blitz. Houston’s quarterback is fifth worst in the league in both situations (-44.5 expected points added under pressure, -15.4 against blitz per NGS). Those issues should also be fresh in the 49ers’ mind as the Seahawks, another blitz shy team (19.0%, third-least), sent a season high 19 at Stroud and stymied any success for the Texans’ offense.
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The blitz didn’t take anyone by surprise, according to Caley, as his protection practiced for it over the bye week and “made some progress.” But they were unable to execute against it, which disappointed Caley greatly.
“Not good enough on Monday night,” Caley said. “So, we’ve got to keep working at it. We’ve got to be honest with ourselves about those things, and we’ve got to go to work.”
Guard Juice Scruggs said that translating practice work against the blitz to the game is “definitely challenging.” But if Houston is communicating the right way, he believes the team has the right tools to combat extra pressure.
“If we’re on our stuff as an offense, it’ll take care of itself,” Scruggs said.
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Scruggs added that the front is preparing for any mind games Saleh might play come Sunday, and it will be necessary for them to execute no matter what they see.
“You’ve gotta be ready for whatever. It’s the NFL,” Scruggs said. “We’re ready for them to blitz. If they don’t blitz, cool. But we’ve gotta be ready for it for sure.”
The protection’s readiness will be crucial for offensive success against San Francisco. If they’re prepared, the Texans could have an opportunity to find wins against a “young group” that’s “gotten better” as Ryans described. But if not, they could be in for another letdown like in Seattle.
This article originally published at Houston Texans vs. San Francisco 49ers: Three key matchups that may decide Sunday’s game.
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