Houston Texans schedule 2020: Announcement expected this week

The Houston Texans’ schedule of when and where the AFC South champions will be playing is said to be released this Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.

All fans know that the Houston Texans schedule consists of 16 games where six of them are against AFC South opponents, and more so than that, all of us know what the path will be for the Texans to return to the playoffs for a third straight season.

The Texans aren’t looked at as a team who can qualify for the playoffs this upcoming season, even in the new format for the postseason. That’s OK because each year, it seems that Deshaun Watson and company are the underdogs in their division, as the Indianapolis Colts are the darlings of the division, and that is no different this upcoming season.

Houston will play the usual eight home games at NRG Stadium, as the Texans schedule will also have them playing their usual eight away games too, but this season the Texans schedule has them facing teams from the the NFC North, AFC North, AFC South and the AFC West. Also, the NFL announced that all International Games have been canceled for this season.

Houston Texans Schedule 2020: The AFC South slate of games

Some may not see the AFC South as a competitive division, as ESPN’s Mike Clay projection of the division has just one team making the playoffs, the Colts. Clay also has teams like the Titans (who played in the AFC Championship game) and the Texans (winners of a playoff game) not earning a spot in the postseason, with projected overall records of around .500.

This year, the AFC can be very competitive and still have only one team make the playoffs, and to be honest, the Texans schedule is tough as they are facing six teams who made the playoffs, not to mention they have to play the Titans twice which is never an easy task.

Jacksonville will be improved as they had an impressive draft by adding some quality defensive players who’ll be difference makers eventually, and the Colts with a veteran quarterback in Philip Rivers to pass to Paris Campbell, T.Y. Hilton and others make for a strong Colts team as well.

Houston Texans Schedule: The remaining opponents

The Texans schedule also includes the likes of the new-look New England Patriots, as they are a mystery at the moment, and there are the Baltimore Ravens, who sent the Texans packing in the regular season in 2019. Don’t forget about the Cincinnati Bengals, as they’ve added the No. 1 overall draft pick Joe Burrow.

The Chicago Bears added Nick Foles to their quarterback depth chart, the Cleveland Browns expect to be improved from last season’s disappointing performances, and the Detroit Lions are said to be better than believed.

When the Green Bay Packers are on the Texans schedule, that is never an easy task, especially with an Aaron Rodgers who apparently felt disrespected after that franchise drafted Jordan Love at quarterback.

The Minnesota Vikings are always a team to worry about with Mike Zimmer as their head coach, and then there are the always tough Pittsburgh Steelers, and the team that ended the Texans’ playoff run a season ago, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Houston Texans Schedule 2020: Final thoughts before release

The 2020 Houston Texans schedule isn’t easy by any means, but if this franchise wants to prove they belong in the talk of elite teams, they are going to have to start proving skeptics wrong and win the big games in the regular season so they are taken seriously in the playoffs.

This Texans schedule for 2020 is a big test, and now it is up to O’Brien and the Texans team to prove they are one of the better teams in the league, and not just a team that competes for division titles each season.