Texans vs. Seahawks Week 7: Two must-know storylines for ‘Monday Night Football’ doubleheader
Buccaneers-Lions
Texans-Seahawks
Houston Texans
Houston Texans
2-3
AT
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
4-2
Where: Lumen Field (Seattle)
When: 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time
How to watch: ESPN, ESPN Deportes, NFL+
Houston is trying to get back into its rhythm after a bye week, as the Texans face the Seahawks to close out Week 7.
The Texans had a rough start to the season, but they have won their last two games. In their Week 5 win, Houston performed well against a Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens team. During the Texans’ winning streak, Houston’s offense has scored its most points of the season in victories (26 points against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4, 44 points against the Ravens).
Seattle earned an impressive win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is already showing his mettle in Mike McDonald’s offense. Entering Week 7, Darnold and Seattle lead the NFL in rushing with 6.3 yards per play in 2025.
Can DeMeco Ryans’ Texans stop Darnold and the Seahawks on Monday Night Football?
Texans’ Week 7 injury report
| Player | Game status | Thurs. practice | Fri. practice | Sat. practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denico Autry, DE (knee) | QUESTIONABLE | FP | FP | DNP |
| Alijah Huzzie, CB (knee) | OUT | LP | LP | FP |
| Christian Kirk, WR (hamstring) | OUT | — | LP | DNP |
| Jaylen Reed, S (knee) | QUESTIONABLE | FP | FP | FP |
| Tremon Smith (non-injury related/personal) | — | — | DNP | — |
Seahawks’ Week 7 injury report
| Player | Game status | Thurs. practice | Fri. practice | Sat. practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derick Hall, LB (oblique) | OUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Josh Jones, OT (ankle) | QUESTIONABLE | LP | LP | LP |
| Demarcus Lawrence, LB (non-injury related/rest) | — | LP | FP | FP |
| Julian Love, S (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE | LP | LP | LP |
| Nehemiah Pritchett, CB (hamstring) | — | LP | FP | FP |
| Jarran Reed, DT (knee) | — | FP | FP | FP |
| Leonard Williams, DE (non-injury related/rest) | — | LP | FP | FP |
| Devon Witherspoon, CB (knee) | QUESTIONABLE | LP | FP | FP |
| Tariq Woolen, CB (concussion) | — | FP | LP | FP |
Two Important Stories
1) Is the Texans’ offense ready to take off in Seattle?
In the Texans’ last two wins, third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud appears to be returning to his star form in Nick Kelly’s offense. The 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year has thrown for six touchdowns, 477 passing yards, and zero interceptions in Houston’s last two games. This season, Stroud is completing a career-best 70.8 percent of his passes, and in the past few weeks, he’s found his No. 1 receiver in Nico Collins. Leading the Texans with 22 catches, 312 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns, Collins has recorded at least 50 receiving yards in the last four games. Unfortunately for the Texans, they will be without veteran wideout Christian Kirk in Seattle due to a hamstring injury. Stroud may rely heavily on Collins on Monday night. Since Stroud’s arrival in Houston in 2023, Collins has averaged 81.7 receiving yards, the sixth-most. Stroud and company will face a tough challenge against Seattle’s defense.
Related Links
NFL Week 7 Injury Report: Player Status for All 15 Games
NFL Week 7 Picks: Will the Cowboys and Colts Pull Off an Upset? Rams or Jaguars in London?
2025 NFL Trade Needs Tracker: Every team’s top priority ahead of the November 4 deadline
2) New team, no problem for Darnold
Since Sam Darnold joined the Seahawks, Seattle’s offense has seen increased potential for big plays. The emergence of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in his third year has been crucial not only to Darnold’s success but also to Seattle’s. Smith-Njigba, who played alongside C.J. Stroud at Ohio State, has established himself as one of the NFL’s top receivers. The Seahawks wide receiver leads the NFL with 696 receiving yards. According to NFL Research, the last Seattle player to lead the league in this category was Hall of Famer Steve Largent in 1985. However, Smith-Njigba will play against the league’s top cornerback, Derek Stingley Jr., who is most likely to cover the Seahawks’ wide receivers; these two former first-round picks have not yet faced each other in college or the NFL. With Stingley in the lineup, the Seahawks and Darnold may focus more on the running game. Running back Kenneth Walker III is averaging a career-best 4.7 yards per carry. The Seahawks may rely on Walker early in games to open up the passing game for their star wideout.
Texans’ Week 7 Injury Report
Player Game Status Thursday Practice Friday Practice Saturday Practice
Denico Autry, DE (knee) Questionable FP FP DNP
Alijah Hazzi, CB (knee) Out LP LP FP
Christian Kirk, WR (hamstring) Out — LP DNP
Jaylen Reed, S (knee) Questionable FP FP FP
Tremon Smith (non-injury related/personal) — — DNP —
Seahawks’ Week 7 Injury Report
Player Game Status Thursday Practice Friday Practice Saturday Practice
Derrick Hall, LB (oblique) Out DNP DNP DNP
Josh Jones, OT (ankle) Questionable LP LP LP
DeMarcus Lawrence, LB (non-injury related/rest) — LP FP FP
Julian Love, S (hamstring) Questionable LP LP LP
Nehemiah Pritchett, CB (hamstring) — LP FP FP
Jarran Reed, DT (knee) — FP FP FP
Leonard Williams, DE (not injury related/rest) — LP FP FP
Devon Witherspoon, CB (knee) Questionable LP FP FP
Tariq Woolen, CB (concussion) — FP LP FP