49ers Stumble in Houston, Offense Falters in 26-15 Loss

Liam O'Connor

10/26/25

The San Francisco 49ers trip to Houston ended in frustration Sunday, as the Texans handed them a 26-15 defeat that exposed lingering issues on both sides of the ball. With the loss, San Francisco drops to 5-3, and 3rd place in the NFC West, a record that suddenly feels more fragile than it looked a few weeks ago.

From the opening kickoff, the 49ers looked out of sync. Houston’s defense swarmed early, limiting San Francisco’s ground game to minimal gains and forcing Mac Jones into quick, pressured throws. The Texans struck first with a field goal, then capitalized on a methodical 82-yard drive capped by a C.J. Stroud touchdown pass to make it 13-0 midway through the second quarter. The 49ers finally found life in the closing minute of the first half. Jones connected with tight end George Kittle for a 17-yard touchdown, slicing the deficit to 16-7. The 49ers hoped this would bring momentum into the second half, but went three and out to start the 3rd quarter.“We didn’t execute,” Shanahan said postgame. “We had our chances to swing the momentum, but we couldn’t sustain drives. That’s on all of us.”

While Jones’ — 19 of 32 for 193 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception — looks serviceable, the eye test told a different story. Several drives stalled near midfield due to penalties and miscommunication. The run game, a staple of Kyle Shanahan’s system, never established rhythm, producing only 48 total rushing yards.

Houston made San Francisco pay for every mistake. Stroud picked apart the 49ers’ secondary, throwing for 318 yards and two touchdowns, including a 30-yard strike in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 23-7. Even when Deommodore Lenoir intercepted Stroud in the second quarter, the 49ers failed to turn the takeaway into points.

San Francisco’s defense, usually its anchor, looked worn down by the second half. The front four struggled to pressure Stroud, and the Texans’ offensive line consistently created lanes for their running backs. Houston finished with 157 rushing yards, and the 49ers missed multiple open-field tackles that prolonged drives.

For a team with championship aspirations, Sunday’s loss was a reminder of how thin the margin for error is in the NFL. The 49ers have now lost two of their last three and will need to rediscover their rhythm before returning home next week.

“We’re better than what we showed,” Kittle said afterward. “We have to clean up the details — penalties, communication, everything. There’s no excuse.”

Shanahan echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the team’s issues are fixable but urgent. The 49ers’ upcoming schedule only intensifies from here, and with the NFC tightening, they can’t afford many more letdowns like this one.

Next week’s matchup against the Giants offers San Francisco a chance to reset, but only if the offense can find consistency and the defense reclaims its identity. If not, the 49ers risk watching their once-promising season start to slip away.