Following a disastrous start to the 2025 season, the Houston Texans have finally seemed to figure themselves out. Despite their improvements, the Texans are still just 2-3 entering Week 7, emphasizing the importance of their prime-time road matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Texans began the year by losing their first three games in what seemed like the start of yet another lost season. However, they have picked up two dominant wins since, beating the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens by an average of 30 points.
Although beating the 1-5 Titans and a Lamar Jackson-less Ravens team does not carry much weight at this point, Houston's offense has clearly turned a corner. The Texans have said as much, claiming that quarterback C.J. Stroud has now settled in after initially struggling to absorb first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley's concepts.
The turnaround is evident in the Texans' offensive numbers. After averaging just 12.67 points per game over the first three weeks, Houston has posted 35 points per game in their last two outings. They clearly benefited from a pair of soft matchups, but perhaps that was precisely the confidence booster the team needed to get back on track.
Exactly how much the Texans have improved will be evident in Week 7. The Seahawks' defense will provide substantially more resistance than either the Titans or Ravens did. Mike Macdonald's team is allowing just 19.5 points per game through the first month and a half, the sixth-fewest in the NFL.
Seattle enters Week 7 on a 4-1 run in its last five games, with the only loss against MVP frontrunner Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also beat Houston in Week 2. Against a tougher matchup, the Texans still have one key advantage that should be the focal point of their game plan.
Texans need to rely on Nico Collins more than usual in Week 7
If the Texans are going to pull off the upset on the road, Nico Collins has to have a big day. Collins has gotten off to a slow start to the year, much like the rest of the offense, but finds himself in a prime position to break through in prime time.
Collins enters Week 7 with 22 catches for 312 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Solid numbers, but they do not put him on pace for his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign. C.J. Stroud's slow start has directly impacted him, but Collins should enjoy his best performance of the year against the Seahawks.
Seattle's defense has vastly improved under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald, but it has been vulnerable through the air in 2025. The Seahawks have been a top-10 rushing defense thus far, but they rank in the bottom 10 in completion percentage allowed and opponent passing yards.
Not only have quarterbacks found success against the Seahawks, but their coverage schemes align with Collins' strengths. The Michigan alum is elite everywhere, but has particularly been effective against zone defenses. Seattle is currently the third-most zone-dominant defense in the league, per Pro Football Focus.
Considering how well the Seahawks defended the pass in 2024, they are due for positive regression. Injuries have played a part, with Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love banged up in the first month. All three are listed as questionable for Week 7.
Keeping Stroud clean in the pocket will certainly be an issue for the Texans, as it has been all year. The Seahawks enter the game with 20 sacks, tied for second-most in the league.
But all Houston needs is to keep Stroud upright long enough to work Collins deep into the secondary on a few dropbacks. Stroud and Collins are best when they collaborate on deep balls, and Seattle has already allowed 19 receptions of over 20 yards.
Injuries set Nico Collins up for big day
The injuries to Witherspoon and Love affect Collins most as the Texans' top wideout. Seattle shifted Witherspoon to outside cornerback in 2025, where he has defended opposing No. 1 receivers at a high rate.
Without Witherspoon, Collins would likely line up across from Josh Jobe, who has struggled in 2025. Jobe has already allowed 253 receiving yards through Week 6, per PFF, with just one pass breakup on the year. The 6-foot-4 Collins would also have a significant size advantage over Jobe, who is much less physical than Witherspoon.
Love sitting out would also benefit Collins, seeing as he is the Seahawks' best coverage safety. His potential absence would likely force rookie Nick Emmanwori into the starting lineup. Emmanwori is an adept run-stopper — he is coming off a nine-tackle performance in Seattle's Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars — but scouts had concerns about his coverage ability during the pre-draft process.
Love is typically the Seahawks' go-to safety in bracket coverage, which they could utilize on Collins. Without him, their next-best option is Coby Bryant, who has a subpar 55.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025.
As long as the Texans' offensive line can keep Stroud relatively safe, the Texans' entire receiving corps is poised for a massive night. It would not be surprising if either Christian Kirk or Xavier Hutchinson stood out, but nobody is in line for a bigger night than Collins.
Even if Witherspoon, Woolen and Love all play, the Seahawks are still a favorable matchup for Collins and the Texans' passing game in Week 7. But if either player misses another game, especially Witherspoon or Love, the ball will be entirely in Houston's court.
