The Houston Texans are in trouble. Struggles protecting C.J. Stroud and costly turnovers have turned into a nightmare start. Now sitting at 0-3, the team has no margin for error. Next up is a Titans squad that’s also battling its own issues (3-0). Still, DeMeco Ryans is not losing focus.

The Texans’ head coach doesn’t want his defense caught off guard by rookie quarterback Cam Ward. “Very talented player, athletic, moves around, can extend plays. He can throw the ball a mile. We have to make sure we’re plastering in coverage. You got to make sure you’re covering guys twice. His athletic ability to move around, extend plays, throwing the ball across field, making some wow factor plays. We got to do a great job as a rush unit of trying to keep him contained as best as we can,” Ryans told reporters. Those words set the tone inside the locker room.

But Ward has some issues of his own. He’s dealing with ankle and calf concerns, which kept him from practicing at full capacity on Wednesday. Ward, however, did not hint at any injury concerns when he spoke to the media after practice. In his last 3 games, the rookie has thrown for 506 yards, 2 touchdowns, and completed 54.5% of his passes.

Regardless of whether Ward starts or not, he is not Houston’s only problem. Houston’s offensive line is wrecked. Tytus Howard is sidelined with illness, and Jake Andrews is fighting through an ankle injury. Neither practiced on Wednesday, and that leaves an already vulnerable Stroud even more exposed. Through three weeks, this offense hasn’t found its rhythm, and the lack of protection makes it worse.

The Texans have scored just 38 points so far, and are placed 29th in the league in yards per game—267.3 yards. The hiring of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley hasn’t really worked out well for the Texans.

C.J. Stroud left exposed by Texans’ weak protection and passing support

The problems in H-Town start up front. The Texans gave up 52 sacks last year and haven’t fixed the issue. Through three weeks, C.J. Stroud has already been dropped eight times, tied for seventh-most in the league. He just hasn’t been given enough time in the pocket to operate freely. Veteran blocker Cam Robinson

He has only two touchdowns against three interceptions, and his accuracy has been inconsistent. Outside of Nico Collins, who owns both of Houston’s receiving scores, no receiver has emerged as a steady option. On the ground, Nick Chubb has managed 141 yards and a single touchdown, but that production hasn’t been enough to steady the offense.

Looking back at the Jaguars game, this felt like the matchup where Houston’s passing attack could finally click. Christian Kirk was making his Texans debut against his old team, and expectations were high. But instead, he finished with just three grabs for 25 yards. On top of that, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins haven’t done much so far. That leaves Stroud basically throwing with one real option and not much else to count on.

To make things worse, the Texans coughed up three turnovers in the loss. On paper, this was a winnable game, but roster flaws keep showing. Unless something changes quickly, this season could spiral for Stroud and co.