Next up, the Texans will host the Denver Broncos in an AFC wildcard tilt. Houston is still trying to dig their way back to .500, and if they have any fixings on making the playoffs, it’ll start with a victory against the Broncos. If Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, and Woody Marks and steal the show yet again, they’ll have a very good chance!

The Houston Texans jumped on the San Francisco 49ers early in an impressive bounce-back performance Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Texans’ 26-15 win was their first over San Francisco since 2009.

A week after the 49ers earned a 20-10 prime-time home win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Niners’ shorthanded defense was on the field for more than 40 minutes, in part because of the struggles of the offense, in a 26-15 road loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Instead of having to settle for another field goal, C.J, Stroud and Xavier Hutchinson hooked up to put the 49ers in a deeper hole.

The 49ers offense sabotaged the defense and the defense failed to set up the offense in one-sided loss to Texans.

The 49ers have played some bad football this season. But Sunday was something else entirely: The 49ers played so poorly against the Houston Texans that it makes you question if they can ever win again. Their performance in a 29-15 loss was, in a word, awful.

The key is Jones beating the pass rush. The Houston defense is built around its front four getting pressure. Take that away and the 49ers can build long sustained drives and convert in the red zone against this defense. McCaffrey should have success on the ground, but could be limited in the air.

The Texans face the 49ers in a virtual must-win game for their playoff hopes. We'll have updates and anlysis throughout the day from NRG Stadium.