San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texans
Sunday, October 26th, 1:00 PM ET
The Houston Texans host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. Houston is playing the late window on Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, and I would expect that Houston loses that one, as their offensive line simply isn’t going to hold up against a fierce Seahawks’ pass rush and defense led by Mike Macdonald, who is excellent.
The Texans have regressed a bit since the 2024 NFL Season, and it’s really been due to their offensive line, which is a shame. The defense in Houston is Super Bowl-caliber, and the weapons are solid, too.
However, until this offensive line gets fixed, Houston is going to struggle, but they do host a reeling San Francisco 49ers team, and, despite San Francisco’s strong 5-2 record, this team keeps losing key players to injuries.
This is one of the weaker 5-2 teams you’ll ever see, as starting QB Brock Purdy has missed most of the season with a toe injury. I do believe Houston could hold the fort down at home in this one and send the 49ers home with a loss.
Houston’s pass-rush against an OK 49ers’ offensive line could be the deciding factor here. CJ Stroud won’t have to deal a ton with a competent pass rush, as San Fran doesn’t have Nick Bosa, obviously.
Give me the Texans in a close, likely low-scoring defensive battle. They still have a chance to turn this thing around and perhaps make a run at one of the last AFC Wild Card seeds this year. The 49ers begin to see some cracks develop, as they drop to 5-3 in our predictions, and it does not appear like they are getting healthier.
For context, the 49ers won six games all of 2024.