Given the fact that the San Francisco 49ers live on the west coast and reside in a different conference, it's not all that surprising that the Texans have only faced the 49ers five times in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Texans have only won once (2009) and only scored 67 points in those five games against the 49ers. That win DID take place at NRG Stadium where the Texans and the 49ers will clash on Sunday afternoon.
The 2025 version of the 49ers is a gritty bunch that has handled as much injury adversity as any team I can remember. They lost All-Pro LB Fred Warner for the season on the same night that they finally got All-Pro TE George Kittle back. They lost All-Pro DE Nick Bosa a few weeks ago to a knee injury and he's out for the entire season. They have key starters that have missed a multitude of games already and that includes starting QB Brock Purdy.
But, the Niners rode All-World RB/Weapon X Christian McCaffrey and a star-less defense to a 20-10 win on Sunday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons, a team just one week removed from hammering the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. The Niners have found ways to win, in large part because QB Mac Jones is playing the best ball of his career. CMC has been beyond brilliant to start the year and is arguably the NFL's best offensive player. The defense was incredible in the win over Atlanta with guys like Tatum Bethune, Bryce Huff and Sam Okuayinonu leading the way.
The Texans have to match the Niners' chutzpah if they hope to knock off one of the best teams in the NFL. With all of that in mind, let's get to know the Texans' foe for week 8 - the San Francisco 49ers.
San Francisco 49ers 2025 Schedule (5-2)
- Week 1 - W @ Seattle Seahawks 17-13
- Week 2 - W @ New Orleans Saints 26-21
- Week 3 - W Arizona Cardinals 16-15
- Week 4 - L Jacksonville Jaguars 26-21
- Week 5 - W @ Los Angeles Rams 26-23
- Week 6 - L @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-19
- Week 7 - W Atlanta Falcons 20-10
- Week 8 - @ Houston Texans
- Week 9 - @ New York Giants
- Week 10 - Los Angeles Rams
- Week 11 - @ Arizona Cardinals
- Week 12 - Carolina Panthers
- Week 13 - @ Cleveland Browns
- Week 14 - BYE WEEK
- Week 15 - Tennessee Titans
- Week 16 - @ Indianapolis Colts
- Week 17 - Chicago Bears
- Week 18 - Seattle Seahawks
Niners OFFENSE (in 2025 regular season)
Rushing Yards Per game - 95.3 ypg (25th in the NFL)
Passing Yards Per game - 271.3 ypg (1st)
Total offense per game - 366.6 ypg (6th)
Turnovers lost - 11 (3 Fumbles lost, 8 INT)
Expected 49ers starting offense for Week 8
QB - Brock Purdy (missed last 3 games) or MAC JONES
RB - Christian McCaffrey
FB - Kyle Juszczyk
WR - Ricky Pearsall or DEMARCUS ROBINSON
WR - KENDRICK BOURNE
WR - Jauan Jennings
TE - George Kittle
LT - Trent Wiliams
LG - CONNOR COLBY
C - Jake Brendel (missed portion of last game with an injury)
RG - Dominick Puni
RT - Colton McKivitz
Key Offensive Non-Starters
RB - BRIAN ROBINSON
RB - Isaac Guerendo
C - MATT HENNESSY
WR - SKYY MOORE
TE - LUKE FARRELL
TE - Jake Tonges
Italics - Rookie
ALL CAPS - New to team in 2025
Keys to Winning v. the Niners Offense
- Mac the Knife - Back in 2021, the 49ers traded up to number three overall in the NFL Draft. The thought was that the Niners really were in love with former Bolles School/former Alabama star QB Mac Jones. I didn't see it that way and thought the Niners would do what they eventually did - draft Trey Lance. But, things have a strange way of working out and it's now Jones leading the Niners offense as Brock Purdy heals up from a toe injury. Now, Purdy has practiced this week, but the prevailing thought is that Jones will start again. He's 2-1 as the starter and has played well as the Niners offense hasn't seemingly missed a beat. Shoot, you could argue that Jones has the offense humming in a way that Purdy didn't early in the season. Jones WAS the right fit in this Kyle Shanahan offense, but it just took four years for the two to start dating, if you will. The Texans defense must disrupt his rhythm early in the game and make it stick. If not, Jones will methodically lead this offense up and down the field on scoring drives.
- Best on Best - In 2019, when All-Pro OT Trent Williams was looking for a way out of Washington, I studied him deeply because I thought the Texans could be interested in trading for him. He was dealing with an injury that kept him out the year before and it was that injury that was at issue for him in Washington. He wanted out. I studied him and I wanted him in H-Town. Unfortunately, San Francisco won out and made the deal for him and it's worked out wonderfully. That was six years ago and he's now 37 years old. But, turn on the tape and he looks 27. He's fluid, agile and powerful and still one of the three best OTs in the game. He's a future first ballot Hall of Famer and Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. MUST give him the business. It's imperative that the Texans duo wins out on the edge against Williams because San Francisco typically leaves him out on an island. The prevailing thought is to "Let Trent win one-on-one and we'll handle everyone else with everyone else." Will and Danielle must force the Niners offensive staff to consider using CMC, George Kittle or others to help Williams in protection, keeping them from going out on pass routes. That's a win, if that happens, for the Texans and it's something the Texans dynamic duo must force on the Niners on Sunday, if nothing else.
- CMC23 - The first time that we saw Christian McCaffrey at NRG Stadium was in 2019 when the Texans returned home with confidence after a HUGE win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Many assumed 3-1 was just 60 minutes away as the lowly Carolina Panthers came to town. McCaffrey saw to it that day that the Panthers would just not lose. I've told many people that his performance that day was one of the top five I've seen from an opponent. He ran for 93 yards on 27 hard, HARD carries. He caught ten passes on ten targets for 86 yards. 179 yards on 37 touches. He made a diving catch that was the highlight of the game. Rarely do I ever leave the building and think "That one man beat us today". I did that day. The Atlanta Falcons found that out too last Sunday night. I mean, they already knew after CMC's time in Carolina, but CMC put the 49ers offense on his back on Sunday night - 24 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns, seven receptions for 72 yards. He was exhausted yet head coach Kyle Shanahan threw him back in the game, literally, to catch a key pass on third down in the fourth quarter near the goal line. He's legitimately the best all-around RB in the game at this moment and he presents problems for the Texans defense that they truly haven't faced in 2025.
Niners DEFENSE (in 2025 regular season)
Rushing Yards Allowed Per game - 100.9 ypg (13th in the NFL)
Passing Yards Allowed Per game - 216.6 ypg (18th)
Total offense Allowed per game - 317.4 ypg (14th)
Turnovers generated - 6 (6 Fumble recoveries - 49ers are -5 in TO margin in 2025)
Expected Niners starting defense for Week 8
Edge - MYKEL WILLIAMS
DT - Jordan Elliott
DT - Kalia Davis
Edge - Sam Okuayinonu or BRYCE HUFF (injured last week)
MLB - Tatum Bethune
WLB - Dee Winters
CB - Renardo Green or
S - Ji'Ayir Brown
S - Malik Mustapha
CB - Deommodore Lenoir (injured last week)
Nickel - UPTON STOUT (inactive last week) or Chase Lucas
Key Defensive Non-Starters
CB - Darrell Luter Jr.
LB - LUKE GIFFORD
S - MARQUES SIGLE
DT - Kevin Givens
DT - ALFRED COLLINS
DE - Yetur Gross-Matos (injured last week)
Keys to Winning v. the Niners Defense
- "The Whole is greater than the sum of its Parts" - I taught geometry many eons ago and that was one of our often used theorems in solving a problem. Years later, I've used that same phrasing to describe a unit that plays together at a high level, although said unit isn't blessed with All-Pro talent. Playing TOGETHER. Playing with purpose. Playing as a composed unit. In doing so, the 49ers defense is playing better than its individual parts would indicate. The Niners two best defensive players are out for the year - LB Fred Warner and DE Nick Bosa. Not only are they the two best on defense, but they are two of the best in the league at each star's position. But, enter LB Tatum Bethune. Wait, who? I was a huge fan of the undersized LB in his final year at Florida State playing directly behind Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, now stars in LA. Bethune isn't Warner, no doubt, but the way the Niners play defense, he's the right fit at MLB. The pieces fit, Warner or no Warner, Bosa or no Bosa and that was on full display against the Falcons on Sunday night. I watched from my Seattle hotel room as Bethune and company eliminated the impact of star RB Bijan Robinson. Then, ahead by ten points late in the game, DC Robert Saleh unleashed Bethune and his front dawgs on QB Michael Penix. Ferocious, dadgum! The names won't be familiar to anyone not related to them, but they play exceptionally well as a unit…just the way DC Robert Saleh wants.
- Young Gunz - The Niners have seemingly been such a smart defense for years. Watching them under the leadership of Saleh, then DeMeco Ryans and then back to Saleh, the 49ers seemed to never beat themselves. But, they typically had veteran leaders in the back end at safety. This year, they have talented guys, SUPER aggressive youngsters that want to hit and destroy on every play. That aggressiveness from Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha is fun to watch as a football fan, but the Texans offense can utilize play action to take advantage of such fast flow players. In fact, I'd say this, the Texans offense MUST take advantage with play action with those two in the middle of the field. If those two aren't challenged, they're going to fill in the run game with no repercussions and eliminate that part of the game as well. Keep an eye on how often those two safeties are getting nosy, moving closer to the line of scrimmage as the game wears on.
- This one is simple - The Niners defense plays with DAWG tendencies. Like the Rams defense. Like the Buccaneers defense. And, most certainly, like the Seattle defense. The common thread amongst those units, other than the Texans losing games to all four teams, is that they hunt and attack and don't yield an inch. Those units want to physically dominate at the line of scrimmage. The DBs want to clutch, hold and manhandle opposing receivers. The collective belief is to embarrass the offensive unit on the other side. Quite simply, the Texans offense has to stand up to the bullies this week, in whatever capacity, and finally say "NO, it's not happening". There's been a collective disjoinment amongst the offense all year long, honestly. It's time to know every play, execute the plan and, finally, punch back. HARD. Whatever the identity of this Texans offense is, or will be in the future, the biggest thing it has to do is get EVERYONE on the same page and execute the daylights out of whatever the plan is. It's that simple. No more miscommunication. No more letting the defense dictate physically. No more NOT smart football. It's beyond time for this Texans offense to stop the silly mistakes and execute at a high level, taking no you-know-what from anyone, any more.
