After a cracking slate of Sunday games, the second week of the 2025 NFL regular season is nearing a conclusion with a rare double-header on Monday Night. The first of the two games will see two teams with deep playoff aspirations square off when the Houston Texans take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams had closely contested games in Week 1.
However, where a Baker Mayfield-led touchdown saw the Buccaneers emerge victorious, the Texans saw the game slip away on a fumble by Dare Ogunowale with less than two minutes left on the clock. Both teams will be hoping to walk out with a good result on Monday, and here’s how fans can catch all the action between the two squads.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
Game Details
Date: Monday, Sept. 15, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
How to Watch
TV: ABC, ESPN, ABC13 (Houston)
Live Stream: ESPN App, NFL+, and NFL Network
Radio: WXTB 97.9 FM (Tampa Bay), SportsRadio 610 (KILT 610 AM) (Houston)
What’s At Stake for the Texans and the Buccaneers?
The focus of the game is Tampa Bay’s defense against a Houston offense that struggled mightily in Week 1 after an underwhelming 2024 season. Against Los Angeles, they were only able to manage nine points while finishing as a bottom-five unit in the league, per PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
However, the Buccaneers’ defense still has a few question marks, particularly after the Atlanta Falcons scored 20 with relative ease on the unit, with a missed field goal at the buzzer the only thing preventing the game from going to overtime.
On the other side of the football, though, both teams are at the top of the game. A Tampa Bay attack that may have suffered from the loss of Chris Godwin at the start of the year has revamped itself with first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka.
With two touchdowns in his first NFL start, his career has taken off at light speed. However, a Houston defense that was among the best in the league last year and only gave up 14 points to the Matthew Stafford-led Rams will present a significant challenge for the unit.
Last time we played the Bucs 👀 pic.twitter.com/IE36modO6R
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 12, 2025
The three-headed monster of Mayfield, Egbuka, and the ever-reliable Mike Evans, not to mention last year’s rookie sensation, Bucky Irving, should give the Texans all they can handle.
But the game might ultimately boil down to how C.J. Stroud fares against a relatively weak defensive unit for the Buccaneers.
