Houston Texans: Top 5 non-divisional matchups on 2023 schedule

What are the five toughest non-divisional opponents on the Houston Texans' schedule in 2023?

The Houston Texans signed some solid veteran leadership via free agency, then selected nine rookies in the 2023 NFL Draft. Among those selected was the hopeful franchise quarterback, C.J. Stroud, and possibly the lynchpin of an excellent pass rush, Will Anderson Jr.
They also added some new weapons with Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson, among others.

Now it's time to begin to look ahead to the season and the Texans' opponents. We all know the importance of the division schedule. Win your division and you're in the playoffs. This might be the easiest path to a surprise playoff berth for the Texans.

The Texans are not ready for the AFC just yet, but they are headed in the right direction. But they just might be good enough to compete in the AFC South, where both the Indianapolis Colts and possibly the Tennessee Titans will be starting rookie quarterbacks as well. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars pose any real challenge in the division.

What about the 11 non-divisional games? What are some of the matchups we can look forward to for the Texans? A last-place schedule should benefit the team this year, as they will face teams such as the Arizona Cardinals (likely without Kyler Murray or DeAndre Hopkins) and other rebuilding teams like the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. Did any of these teams make the top-five non-divisional games list?

Despite the last-place schedule, the Texans still have the Cincinnati Bengals on tap, along with teams like the Baltimore Ravens and the now Aaron Rodgers-led N.Y. Jets. While I'm confident the Texans are on the right path, the AFC is just too loaded for them to make a serious playoff push in 2023 but wins against these five teams would change that. Let's get into the Texans' top five non-divisional games of 2023.