We're not even done with the 2023-2024 NFL Season and we already know who the Houston Texans will be playing after the Cleveland Browns. No, not in the playoffs, it's not rigged (right?), we mean next season, after the playoffs are over and the summer comes and goes.
That's right, the real "schedule" release is here. For some reason knowing the order a team is played is more important than knowing who you're playing, but who am I to judge? Still, the actual important aspect of the schedule, who you're playing and where, has actually been released. All we're missing is the order and dates.
So did the Houston Texans get a good draw of the hand? Let's look at the home and away games for next season before diving further.
Home
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Miami Dolphins
- Baltimore Ravens
Away
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
- GreenBay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
- N.Y. Jets
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Dallas Cowboys
Getting seven playoff teams next season may seem bad, but it's actually worse than that, as the Colts and Jaguars could've easily been playoff teams, and the Vikings and Jets were derailed by losing their quarterbacks for the season.
Granted, Aaron Rodgers could be washed up next season and there's no telling where Kirk Cousins will even be in 2024, so they may not matter so much, but it does seem to be a daunting task for the Texans to repeat the same success next season
Not impossible, teams always step up and step aside from year to year, just look at the Titans. They were a powerhouse, and now they've fired their coach. The Chiefs and Eagles are shells of who they used to be and don't look anything like the Super Bowl matchup from last season.
It's entirely possible the Texans repeat their success next season, even if they do have a seemingly harder schedule; at least on paper.