Houston Texans: 2020 schedule predictions and breakdown

Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans

Coming off an NFC Championship game appearance in which they were thwarted by the San Francisco 49ers running game, the Green Bay Packers made some curious draft decisions. First they selected quarterback Jordan Love despite having Aaron Rodgers under contract for four more years. Next the Packers selected running back A.J. Dillon one year after current starting running back Aaron Jones led the league with 19 touchdowns.

Similar to how the 49ers dismantled the team by running the ball 42 times compared to only eight passes, the Texans can attempt a similar strategy. David Johnson is a former bell cow back who will be given his chance in the spotlight once again, but the underrated Duke Johnson can provide a major change of pace against a weak linebacking corps.

On the flip side, covering Davante Adams will be a challenge and this will be a major test to the Texans retooled offensive line. Ultimately, Rodgers experience will prevail here.

Prediction: Packers 31, Texans 28 (Houston Record: 2-5)

Week 9: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

If you can possibly imagine a nightmare scenario where the Texans start the year at 2-5, Bill O’Brien will certainly be on the hot seat and have his job in jeopardy. Immediately following the bye week (Week 8), the team will have to regroup and rally around Deshaun Watson’s leadership which will hopefully help them gain some momentum.

As it stands right now, the Jaguars are one of the favorites for the No. 1 overall pick and a chance to draft Trevor Lawrence of Clemson in 2021. This game shouldn’t be much of a challenge for Houston, and I don’t think that they are truly tanking, but they don’t field a particularly fortuitous roster and need to bottom out before they start their rebuild.

Prediction: Texans 34, Jaguars 20 (Houston Record: 3-5)