Around this time a year ago, the Houston Texans were one of four teams that did not receive a primetime game for the 2023 season. Everyone was counting the Texans out and assuming they'd be one of the worst teams in the NFL that year.
Well, we all know what happened next. The Texans went on to shock the world, winning the AFC South and a playoff game. The rest of the league now knows what the Texans are capable of so they won't be shocking anyone if they're successful this year.
With the Texans looking like a Super Bowl contender in 2024, they should be in line for several primetime games. Let's take a look at what some of those primetime games could be.
Potential Texans primetime games for 2024
Kansas City Chiefs
Well, right off the bat, we have to discuss the obvious answer as to who the Texans might play in primetime and that's the back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champions. The Chiefs are on Houston's schedule this year since both teams placed first in their division and truthfully, it wouldn't shock anyone if the Texans got to face the Chiefs right out of the gate.
It's tradition for the reigning Super Bowl champ to kick off the NFL season with a home game on Thursday night. Last year the NFL schedule-makers shocked the world by pitting the Lions against the Chiefs for that game. The Texans aren't an underdog like the Lions were, however, so if that's the strategy the NFL is going to take, maybe Houston won't be the pick for that game.
Baltimore Ravens
The Texans were eliminated in the playoffs last season by the Ravens, who had the top seed in the AFC. The Texans played hard for a half but then the Ravens took off in the second half and never looked back. Pitting two of the best quarterbacks in the game against each other is a fun storyline for this game and should make Texans/Ravens a prime candidate to be in primetime.
Buffalo Bills
The Texans would have had to play the Bills regardless next season considering that they'll be facing the entire AFC East in 2024. That being said, why not put these teams in a standalone game? It'd be a game with two great quarterbacks and fun defenses squaring off on the field and we know the Bills always put on a show.
New York Jets
If Aaron Rodgers is healthy and ready to go for the 2024 season, we could potentially see the Texans square off against the Jets under the lights this year. It'd be fun to see C.J. Stroud go up against one of the greats and to see how he'd fare against that stealthy Jets defense.
Detroit Lions
What could be more fun than putting two up-and-coming teams on a primetime game? The Lions stunned the world a season ago by reaching the NFC Championship after being a struggling franchise for most of their existence. While the Texans haven't been around nearly as long, the fan base is all too familiar with having rough seasons.
This could be a really fun match-up between two teams who people didn't think much of a few years ago. What better way to prove them wrong than by giving everybody one hell of a show?
Division Rival
The last option would be to have the Texans square off against one or more of their AFC South counterparts. The Texans have other opponents on their schedule that are more appealing than that of the Colts, Jaguars, or Titans but the NFL likes to put divisional games in primetime so it could make sense to have one of should be many primetime games against a division rival.