The Texans struggle defensively again in 27-21 overtime loss to Giants

HOUSTON (AP) — This year’s Houston Texans defense looks nothing like last year’s unit that was the NFL’s best.

Missed tackles, wide-open receivers and big play after big play led to a 27-21 overtime loss to the New York Giants on Sunday that dropped Houston to 2-5.

Coach DeMeco Ryans is tired of people bringing up how good the defense was last year and says the Texans simply must focus on what they can do to fix things this season.

“For us it’s a new year and it’s a new team,” he said. “We’ve got to definitely play better.”

Last year the Texans led the NFL by allowing just 277.2 yards a game. This season that number has jumped to 342 yards an outing.

Their run defense was particularly bad on Sunday, with the Giants gashing them for a season-high 188 yards rushing, led by 124 by Cam Skattebo.

“Can’t give up some of those runs ... with this type of defense that we have, you almost have to be perfect,” defensive end Will Anderson said. “There’s almost no room for error in this defense and we have to find a better way to continue to play together, get the call and have all 11 guys be on the same page.”

The Texans gave up multiple explosive plays throughout the game and that didn’t change in overtime where the Giants needed just three plays to score the winning touchdown.

J.J. McCarthy, who was making his first start this season, found Malik Nabers for a 9-yard completion on first down. Then Skattebo dashed 42 yards on second down before Devin Singletary scored on a 30-yard run on the next play to end it.

“The tackling wasn’t good enough today (considering) they rushed the ball the way they rushed it,” Ryans said. “We had multiple guys there at the point of attack, but we didn’t get the guys down. So, we’ve got to tackle better. We’ve got to finish better as a team.”

Though Ryans doesn’t like to talk about last season, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair said the fact that they’ve been successful in the past gives them confidence that they can turn things around.

“There’s nobody on our team that is happy about how it’s going for us,” he said. “And it’s one of those things where you’ve just got to show up to work every single day and keep pressing forward because something’s got to give. You know the process that we have, you know it’s worked and we’ve done it.”

For Ryans, he’s stressing to the players that they won’t get better if they don’t focus on the fundamentals and doing the little things right every play.

“No magical elixir is going to drop out of the sky and ... fix it,” he said. “We fix it by putting the work in and getting better at fundamentals of football and that’s where we’ve got to just own it. As coaches, as players, we’ve all got to own it and we’ve got to find a way to turn this thing around.”

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New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) breaks away from Houston Texans defenders to score the winning touchdown in overtime of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) breaks away from Houston Texans defenders to score the winning touchdown in overtime of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, center, walks off the field following an overtime loss to the New York Giants in an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Smith)

New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) throws a pass under pressure by Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) during the first half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Smith)

Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder was taken off the court on a stretcher Sunday night, after suffering what a serious injury to his lower left leg while getting fouled in a scene that moved some of his teammates to the brink of tears.

He was injured while being fouled on a drive with 1:14 remaining of Oklahoma City's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, getting tended to almost immediately by medical personnel after going down underneath the basket on the Thunder's offensive end.

Williams' ankle was draped by towels and players from both teams acted in immediate dismay as the stretcher was brought out. The game was stopped for about five minutes, and the Thunder went on to finish a 108-101 victory.

“Just feel bad for him,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said in a postgame televised interview, fighting back tears as he spoke. “Nothing more than that.”

There was no immediate diagnosis from the Thunder, though it was obvious that the injury was severe — and the stretcher was called for within just a few seconds of the play ending. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the team would be briefed Monday morning with the latest updates on Williams' condition.

“We're not doing great,” Daigneault said.

Williams — a shooting guard who entered Sunday having averaged 18 points per game in his first 250 NBA contests — has been an All-Star and an All-NBA player already in his career, plus was a huge part of the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA title. He missed 49 games last season with an array of issues, mostly hamstring problems and recovery from a significant surgery on his right wrist.

“He just loves playing, loves the competition,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That's who he is. ... It's unfortunate, his luck so far. But he's equipped for it.”

The Thunder play again Monday night at home against Phoenix. The schedule gives Oklahoma City little choice but to try and move on somewhat quickly, Daigneault said.

“We don’t have a choice,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s what we signed up for. It’s obviously going to be tough without a player like that. He’s not gone forever. He’ll be back better than ever. We know it. We’ve just got to hold the fort down until he comes back.”

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) drives past Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams, right, drives past Los Angeles Clippers guard Keaton Wagler, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams is attended to by medical staff during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams is taken off the court by medical staff during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)