The 2003 Houston Texans season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Dom Capers. It saw the Texans make a one-game improvement on its initial season's record. In the NFL draft, the Texans selected wide receiver Andre Johnson from Miami (FL) third overall. Johnson would become a cornerstone of the Texans' franchise for the next decade and would go on to hold nearly every franchise receiving record. Considered one of the best receivers of his era, Johnson was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, becoming the first player to start their career with the Texans to be inducted.

Offseason

NFL draft

Staff

Roster

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Miami Dolphins

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 6: at Tennessee Titans

David Carr threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions, including a pick six.

Week 7: vs. New York Jets

Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts

This was the closest the Texans ever got to defeating the Indianapolis Colts on the road when they played at the RCA Dome.

Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 11: at Buffalo Bills

On the Texans' third offensive drive, David Carr was sacked in his own end zone by Jeff Posey and fumbled the ball. The ball eventually went out of bounds in the end zone, resulting in a safety, giving the Bills a 2–0 lead. Carr was injured on the play and would be replaced by Tony Banks for the rest of the game. On the final play of the game, the Texans were facing a 4th and 14 at their own 34-yard line with 0:03 left to play up 12–8. The team lined up in a punt formation and Andre Johnson took the ball, intentionally running backwards to his own end zone and ran out of bounds for a safety with 0:00 on the clock, securing a 12–10 victory for the Texans.

Week 12: vs. New England Patriots

Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars

With injuries to both David Carr and Tony Banks, third-round rookie quarterback Dave Ragone made his first NFL start. Decimated by injuries, the Texans' offense struggled throughout the game, finishing with just 124 yards and three turnovers.

Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 16: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 17: Indianapolis Colts

Standings

Statistics

Team

Individual

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