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The 49ers are among six NFC teams that enter Week 8 with a 5-2 record, which shows how well they’ve done to overcome major injuries and how difficult the road ahead is if they hope to secure a playoff berth.

It appears Kyle Shanahan’s team will once again be without quarterback Brock Purdy, whose toe injury is lingering longer than anticipated. Backup Mac Jones is 4-1, but the Texans’ defense presents one of the toughest challenges the 49ers’ offense has faced yet.

Can Jones and a revamped rushing attack score enough to beat DeMeco Ryans’ Texans? Here are our predictions.

Kawakami: Jauan Jennings. You’ve got to believe that Ryans will throw everything he’s got at Christian McCaffrey. Which offensive player can pick up the slack? I’ll go with Jennings, who’s looking healthier these days and is tough enough to wrestle through some strong coverage.

Lombardi: George Kittle. He was already awesome last week in the run game, even serving as an interior lead blocker to spearhead the 49ers’ radical shift to gap-scheme running. That revived the key part of the team’s offense and set the table for this week’s matchup against the NFL’s No. 1 defense. The way to beat Houston: Balance, and Kittle catches are the key to delivering that.

Kawakami: Malik Mustapha. He looked dynamic last weekend against Atlanta and Houston’s struggling offense should give him plenty of chances to tee off. There’s a reason he’s the only constant in the 49ers’ new four-safety rotation.

Lombardi: Alfred Collins. He quietly rose to the top of the defensive tackle pecking order with 39 snaps last week. This is another sizable development for the 49ers, who are even more reliant on quality DT play now that Fred Warner isn’t supporting the line on that second level. If Collins continues to surge, the 49ers can hold steady against the run — and that’s the ultimate key to defensive stability.

Kawakami: Eddy Piñeiro. This doesn’t feel like a multiple-touchdown kind of game for the 49ers (or the Texans, either). Piñeiro has made at least two field goals in every game since debuting in Week 2 and I think the 49ers might need four or more in this one. Probably including at least one from 55 yards or more.

Lombardi: Kyle Shanahan. Because Ryans — his former pupil — is on the other side, we may have a prime opportunity to appreciate the fact that the 49ers have one of the best coaching staffs in football. They’re 5-2 despite massive injury upheaval. It’s getting harder and harder to bet against Shanahan devising a path to victory even with a shorthanded group.

Kawakami: Sack totals. These are two good defenses — that haven’t gotten to the QB much this season. Houston is the No. 1 ranked defense in yards, but only has 14 sacks, which is middle of the pack. The 49ers have only 9, which ranks 30th in the league. I think one of these defenses will get a bunch on Sunday and that team will win this game.

Lombardi: A single interception. It’s now been 14 games since the 49ers notched a pick, an NFL record. Can they finally grab one Sunday? For as inconsistent as Houston’s offense has been, the Texans have generally protected the ball: They have only six giveaways.

Kawakami: Houston 17, 49ers 16. This feels like the opposite of the Atlanta matchup, which was quietly a great one for the 49ers. The Texans aren’t a good team, but they can do stuff defensively that will bug the 49ers and set up some short fields for the Houston offense.

Lombardi: 49ers 17, Texans 16. This may devolve into a bar fight. Houston is really good on the defensive side of the ball and might offer more confidence-building opportunities for the 49ers’ defense on the other side. But Shanahan’s team has shown that it knows how to win gritty. Here’s another chance.