The San Francisco 49ers (5-3) struggled to pass the ball and defend the pass in a surprising loss to the Houston Texans (3-4) Sunday.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan called it a âtough and unusual first half,â and that proved accurate. The 49ers offense struggled to find its rhythm early, slowed by penalties, dropped passes, and stalled drives. Houston took advantage with short fields and big plays through the air to build a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter. San Francisco began to rally late in the first half and early in the second, but turnovers and missed chances ultimately derailed the comeback.
C.J. Stroud passed for a season-high 318 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans secured a 26-15 win.
Shanahan Did Not ‘Sugarcoat’ His Response to the Team
Shanahan said he was “disappointed” with the team postgame.
“Got beat today, credit to them. They kicked our ass,” Shanahan said. “We gotta take it like men and come back hopefully a little pissed off and go to work and hopefully play a little better than we did this week.
“There’s not much to sugarcoat there. I was really disappointed in how we looked for all four quarters. First half was unacceptable and second half didn’t get much better. I expect the guys to come in tomorrow with a little chip on their shoulder ready to get back to work.”
Niners Had Multiple Injuries on Defense
The Niners have been dealing with injuries at the receiver position, but even more significantly on defense Sunday.
Defensive lineman Jordan Elliott (ankle), linebacker Dee Winters (knee), and defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) all left the game and did not return. Defensive lineman Alfred Collins also exited briefly with a shoulder injury but was able to return. Their absences forced San Francisco to rely on a heavy rotation across the front seven for much of the game.
“Injuries are part of the game,” Shanahan said. “The frustrating part is trying to find answers and it not working out during that game.”
George Kittle Wanted to Help Out the Defense
After punting on their first three drives, the Niners finally found some offensive rhythm, cutting the deficit to 16-7 when Mac Jones hit George Kittle for a 17-yard touchdown late in the first half.
Kittle noted that their struggles to sustain drives early on put added pressure on a defense already dealing with numerous injuries.
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 26: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers congratulates Dalton Schultz #86 of the Houston Texans after the game at NRG Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
âThat was a horrible first half,â Kittle said. âThat was a really bad performance by our offense and I think we completely left our young defense out to dry today because I think they played really well.â
One bright spot for the Niners was Deommodore Lenoir who ended an NFL record of 14 straight games without an interception for San Francisco, covering 469 consecutive passes, when he intercepted Stroud on the last play of the first half.
The 49ers are at the New York Giants next Sunday.
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