One of the most intriguing games on the Week 7 NFL slate will come as the final matchup of the week, as the Houston Texans make the trip up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a late-night Monday Night Football battle.
The game comes as the second leg of a Monday doubleheader that starts with the Buccaneers and the Lions, so NFL fans will be treated to a pair of games between playoff-caliber squads in prime time to finish the week.
The Texans had an extra week to prepare for this game and are coming off of a bye. DeMeco Ryans and company will be looking to keep the momentum going from a two-game winning streak going into the bye as they try to erase the damage of an 0-3 start.
On the other side, the Seahawks are also playing some very good football and currently sit at 4-2, right in the thick of the NFC playoff race as the picture starts to take shape in the middle of the season. Seattle is coming off of a dominant 20-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars where its defense dominated and now will head back home looking to get to 5-2.
Despite the recent winning streak, this Texans team is far from completely buttoned-up. There is still one area where they can be exposed, and the Seahawks are well-equipped to exploit it.
Texans' offensive line is still a big weakness
Even as Houston has started to play some better football in recent weeks, this offensive line is still full of holes and can be the downfall of an offense that has been very inconsistent to far in 2025.
Everything starts with the running game, and the Texans currently rank 28th in the league in rushing success rate. While it isn't quite as bad as it was in 2024 when the Texans had arguably the most lifeless running game in football, there are still far too many situations when CJ Stroud is being asked to bail Houston out in obvious passing situations.
The pass protection has also improved by the numbers, upgrading to a middle-of-the-pack group after a terrible season in that department last year. However, when it gets bad, it can get really bad.
In obvious passing situations when defenses can get more exotic and throw some different pressure looks at them, Houston still has lapses in communication and execution that allow free runners into the backfield. At times, when this happens early in games, Stroud can get happy feet in the pocket and it affects his timing and accuracy.
Seahawks' defensive front has depth and talent to exploit Texans
If you're an offensive line that is struggling and has holes, the Seahawks are one of the last teams you want to see. Seattle has a number of talented players up front, and it can rotate through multiple players at each position to keep everyone fresh.
Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II form one of the best defensive line duos in the league. Murphy leads the team with 4.5 sacks and has been one of the most disruptive interior players in the league through six weeks.
Outside of Murphy and Williams, the Seahawks have DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Boye Mafe coming off of the edge. All four are capable of making an impact and have been a big part of one of the best units in football.
The team numbers tell the story of just how hard it is to do damage against this Seattle front, whether it be on the ground or in pass protection.
On the ground, this Seattle defense has been one of the toughest groups to run on all season long. The Seahawks have the second-best EPA per run allowed in the league, as opposing runs generate negative-0.20 EPA per play this season. That number trails only the Cleveland Browns through six weeks. They have only given up five runs of 10 or more yards in six games, the lowest number in the league.
As a result, the Texans should have trouble gaining much ground in that department. However, there isn't much relief coming in the passing game for this Houston offensive line.
Seattle has the No. 3 pressure rate in the NFL this season and are one of just five teams above the 40% mark in that department. They are doing that while blitzing less than 16% of the time, the lowest number in the NFL according to Next Gen Stats.
This Seattle defensive front should be able to get after Stroud all day when the Texans are forced to be behind the sticks. While the Seahawks offense might have some trouble moving the ball against an elite Texans defense, this defensive line can affect the field position game and make some impact plays to help get Seattle over the hump.
