With the Houston Texans and the rest of the NFL getting an extra game for the 2021 season and beyond, having 17 chances at earning victories could be helpful for a team trying to rebuild their roster from what it was last season when they won four games.
This year, gaining four wins will be tough for this team unless they surprise many and begin to gain wins earlier than expected due to the many changes they’ve made this offseason.
As for the wins, if the Texans end the ’21 season with a winning record, then put David Culley’s name on the Coach of the Year award this upcoming January, but that is very doubtful, though it is a wish of sorts.
There have been many predictions thrown around where the Houston Texans won’t win a single game to where the Texans will win a potential four games, which could be far-fetched as well. That said, we all know the odds are stacked against the Texans when it comes to having a winning record, and it is smart to think about realistic chances to win games in ’21.
In an Pro Football Focus article by Ben Lindsay, his worst-case outcome for the Houston Texans is a 3-14 record, where he wrote the following:
"“Notably, a defensive line that collectively ranked dead last in PFF grade last season (47.0) only gets worse after losing J.J. Watt.”"
There are more issues on defense than on offense, and that includes Deshaun Watson potentially not being under center for the Texans, as that is the most likely case.
The defense wasn’t one to write home about last season, so losing a future Hall of Famer in Watt doesn’t help matters, but he didn’t play up to his past Defensive Player of the Year levels either in ’21, though in his defense he faced multiple players focusing on him each play.
Houston Texans news: Which teams can the Texans defeat in 2021?
Houston can win their season opener as they are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars with a rookie quarterback and NFL rookie head coach in Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer, respectively. The Texans swept the Jaguars last season, but they too have been in a rebuild this offseason. Houston also plays at Jacksonville on Dec. 19.
On Sept. 23 in Week 3, the Texans play their only scheduled primetime game when they host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football. This will be a big game to see where the Texans are early in the season, and they could possibly gain an upset on national television.
From there, it is tough for the Texans with their schedule, but they do face the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 7, and on Nov. 28 the New York Jets visit Houston. On Jan. 2, the Texans play at the San Francisco 49ers, and who knows where any of those franchises will be at that point of the season because a lot can happen between Week 1 and Week 17.
Winning three or more games in ’21 won’t be easy by any means, though the Houston Texans could gain an upset win over one of their other division rivals as they played the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans tough last season, but the ’20 campaign seems like a lifetime ago.
The best case for the Texans in ’21 is to just play hard, play with no quit, and use this season as a year of scouting the current roster and potential free agents, and paying attention to college players who will be highly touted this upcoming season.