HOUSTON – One year ago, the Texans had a considerable amount to prove in the eyes of the NFL.
They had a rookie head coach in DeMeco Ryans. They had a promising rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud and an overhauled roster.
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So, the NFL broadcasting arm decided to not schedule the Texans for any primetime games on the heels of a 3-13-1 season during the one-and-done tenure of coach Lovie Smith.
In the wake of a dramatic turnaround last season, winning the AFC South division title, winning a playoff game for the first time in years, Stroud emerging as one of the top passers in the NFL and winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as Ryans was runner-up for NFL Coach of the Year and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, plus acquiring Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter, the Texans have officially arrived.
It’s a new day for the Houston Texans as the NFL decision-makers planned out the most prestigious part of their schedule. The Texans were selected for four primetime games, including two Sunday night games on NBC, an Amazon Prime Thursday game, a Monday night football game against the Dallas Cowboys, plus a Netflix Christmas Day game playoff rematch against the Baltimore Ravens. They have six nationally televised games in 2024, a franchise record. And their rise was compared to how the Detroit Lions reached the NFC championship game last season after years of losing seasons.
“I think from a scheduling perspective teams play their way onto prime,” NFL executive vice president and chief operating officer of broadcasting distribution Hans Schroeder said during a conference call Thursday. “They play their way into bigger windows. We saw that last year with the Lions with another team coming on the heels of having a great end of season two years ago
“A team like the Texans, the teams really determine how much they’re on primetime by the seasons they have. They had a great year, with a great, exciting young quarterback, got to divisional round of the playoffs. There’s a ton of excitement with the Texans. We’re going to see them early with the Hall of Fame game. It’s really a testament to the Texans and the season they had and everything they did on the field last year.”
NFL broadcasting executive Mike North said that consideration was weighed on the Texans’ rough stretch of late season games, including a Saturday game against the Kansas City Chiefs followed by the Wednesday Christmas game against the Ravens with three games in 10 days.
The Texans have the fourth-toughest schedule statistically in the league based on last season’s records and face seven returning playoff squads.
The Texans open the season on the road against the Colts before a nationally televised Sunday night NBC game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. It’s one of two Sunday night NBC games for the Texans, who won a playoff game last season over the Cleveland Browns, including a Nov. 10 home game against the Lions.
The Texans travel to face the New York Jets and former NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers in an Amazon Prime Thursday night game on Oct. 31. And they play the Dallas Cowboys on the road in a Monday night game in a battle for who’s the top NFL team in Texas.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Texans principal owner Cal McNair said recently.
The Texans have six nationally televised games, including their Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio. That’s a franchise record.
They have a bye in Week 14 before a difficult stretch of late-season games against the Miami Dolphins at home on Dec. 15 followed by a Saturday road game Dec. 21 against the Kansas City Chiefs prior to a Wednesday playoff rematch four days later against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. The Ravens, led by multidimensional former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, ended the Texans’ season in January in an AFC divisional round playoff game.
And the Texans have bolstered a talented roster headlined by a Pro Bowl quarterback and NFL Offensive Rookie in Stroud and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year defensive end Will Anderson Jr., wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and lockdown corner Derek Stingley Jr and are coming off an ultra-productive offseason that landed Diggs, Hunter, Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
The Texans have been the talk of the NFL this offseason.
“Our guys have earned the right to get more nationally televised games,” Ryans said during the Texans’ annual charity golf tournament “We’ve shown that we’ve been a good team this past year, and we’re looking forward to continuing what we’ve done, but our guys have to go and earn it again this year. I think they’ve earned the right for more viewers to watch them.
“We have shown that we are a good team this past year. We are looking forward to continuing to showcase what we have done, but our guys have to continue earning the right to have more viewers watch them.”
Date Opponent TV Network Kickoff time
Aug. 1 at Chicago Bears ESPN/ABC 7 p.m.
Aug. 9 at Pittsburgh Steelers ABC 6 p.m.
Aug. 17 New York Giants ABC Noon
Aug. 24 Los Angeles Rams ABC Noon
Sept. 8 at Indianapolis Colts CBS Noon
Sept. 15 Chicago Bears NBC 7:20 p.m.
Sept. 22 at Minnesota Vikings CBS Noon
Sept. 29 Jacksonville Jaguars CBS Noon
Oct. 6 Buffalo Bills CBS Noon
Oct. 13 at New England Patriots CBS Noon
Oct. 20 at Green Bay Packers CBS Noon
Oct. 27 Indianapolis Colts CBS Noon
Oct. 31 at New York Jets Amazon Prime 7:15 p.m.
Nov. 10 Detroit Lions NBC 7:20 p.m.
Nov. 18 at Dallas Cowboys ESPN 7:15 p.m.
Nov. 24 Tennessee Titans CBS Noon
Dec. 1 at Jacksonville Jaguars FOX Noon.
BYE
Dec. 15 Miami Dolphins CBS Noon
Dec. 21 at Kansas City Chiefs NBC Noon
Dec. 25 Baltimore Ravens Netflix 3:30 p.m.
TBD at Tennessee Titans TBD
Of course, the battle for supremacy in the state of Texas will be a hot ticket. The Texans travel to face the Cowboys this season. That game includes another top quarterback matchup between Stroud and Dak Prescott, the friendly rivalry between Stroud and Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons and Diggs against his brother, Cowboys standout corner Trevon Diggs.
There’s the obvious story line between Diggs and his former team, the Buffalo Bills, a perennial playoff team that lost to the Texans in a 2020 wild-card playoff game. That game is scheduled for Oct. 6 at NRG Stadium.
North said that the NFL weighed whether to schedule this matchup on primetime, but said it wanted to preserve a good game for the afternoon schedule. “We can’t put all of the games on primetime,” he said.
The Lions reached the NFC championship game last season.
The Texans face the Green Bay Packers, another playoff team, and their emerging young quarterback Jordan Love on Oct. 20 at Lambeau Field.
As bad as last season’s game against the Jets was for the Texans as Stroud suffered a concussion in a loss, this year could be much different. Plus, Jets quarterback and former NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is back from a torn Achilles tendon.
The Texans have a demanding schedule after improving from 3-13-1 in 2022 to 11-8 last season.
For example, the Ravens defeated the Texans twice last season.
“We’re excited to go play ball,” Ryans said. “I don’t care where it is, when it is, our team will be ready to go. We’re excited about every game.”
The seven returning playoff teams the Texans face include the Chiefs, Bills, Cowboys, Dolphins, Lions, Packers and Ravens.
Like most NFL coaches, Ryans will be looking for the open week on the schedule.
“Where does that bye week fall,” Ryans said. “Are we getting a good bye week? Are they taking care of us? I am excited about it. I am always excited for the schedule to come out, to see where we will be playing.
“You want it right in the middle. The thing that sucks is sometimes you get a bye week right after Week 4. It’s early and then you have a long stretch to the end of the season. Everyone wants it in the middle. That way, you can have a nice break and go on that run to make it into the playoffs.”
At the NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando, Fla., in the hallways of the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes, the Texans’ all-in strategy was a frequent topic of conversation with NFL owners, general managers and coaches.
Among the commentary on the Texans:
‘That team is loaded’
‘They’re really good. They’ve got a great young quarterback in C.J. Stroud.’
‘DeMeco Ryans’ leadership turned that team around.’
‘The Texans are going to be good for a long time.’
‘Nick Caserio did a great job with free agency.’
Accounting for the acquisition of Diggs, who was given a $20.895 million signing bonus in what could amount to a one-year rental in exchange for a 2025 second-round draft pick or lead to a longer tenure depending on how the working relationship develops between the four-time Pro Bowl selection and the Texans, they doled out a maximum combined $212 million over the full term of their free agent signings, players acquired by trade and re-signings.
In the wake of a major spending spree for a franchise that engineered a dramatic turnaround last season, a lot is expected from a squad that has rapidly emerged as a Super Bowl contender as is embracing the heightened outlook.
“You want high expectations,” Texans foundation vice president Hannah McNair said during the owners’ meetings. “You don’t want to go into something, going, ‘I hope we just make the playoffs. I hope we get a winning season.’ You always want the expectations to be high. I think the fact that we’re in those conversations is a testament to the decisions that are being made over the last couple of years.”
After years of instability and the firings of former general manager and coach Bill O’Brien, coach David Culley and coach Lovie Smith, the Texans are well-positioned.
“We only want to win the next game,” Cal McNair said. “We’re going to work hard on and off the field, and really put a great team on the field and have a bunch of leaders at every position and go out and play together and have fun doing it and go win.”
It’s a new day in Houston.
After enduring years of negativity and resulting fan apathy, the Texans are suddenly garnering a lot of praise for their decisions. The Texans are selling tickets at a fast rate for next season, too.
The Texans got A grades for working conditions at NRG Stadium, coaching and ownership in the annual NFL Players Association players’ poll.
They unveiled four new uniforms.
The approach hasn’t changed as the team continues to improve.
“I think we’re the same,” Cal McNair said. “We’re hard working. We’re trying to make good decisions every day and let that speak for itself. If people want to feel one way or the other, they’re certainly free to do that.”
In Stroud, a former Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State, the Texans have an accurate, strong-armed, dynamic quarterback who was named to the Pro Bowl as Patrick Mahomes’ replacement.
Stroud, 22, passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 100.8 passer rating as a rookie.
Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players in NFL history to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio.
“He did great, so, yeah, he was really exciting,” Cal McNair said. “He brought the team together. It is a quarterback league and I think we got one. We can’t wait to see him start spinning it again and take the next step, so it’s going to be fun. And you Texans fans, I hope, are in for a good long treat.”
Stroud is already organizing offseason throwing sessions, getting together with Diggs, Dell and John Metchie III at UCLA.
The Texans could be in for an elongated window to contend with Stroud playing under a rookie contract for at least this year and next year before he’s eligible for a mega contract extension.
“He’s not just a quarterback,” Hannah McNair said. “He’s a leader. When you have that high-caliber quarterback, the only way to be great and be great for a long time, is to have a leader at that quarterback spot.”
Aaron Wilson is the Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
