The Texans seemed to shock the world last season when the squad won the division and a playoff game. It was a wonderful time to be a fan of Houston football, considering the team was not supposed to be anywhere near as good as it was in the 2023 campaign.
Alas, the 2024 season is right around the corner, and the Texans are one of the betting darlings heading into it. The team currently sits at the eighth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl, which would be the first in the franchise's history.
However, it could be time to pump the breaks on the Houston hype train. Yes, the team had a spectacular 2023 season, and a lot of players stepped up to make it that special; but, as a result of the rebuild being so successful so fast, the Texans earned themselves a first-place schedule, a vast difference from the last place schedule earned from the 2022 campaign.
By shocking everyone last year, the Texans earned themselves dates with some powerhouses. The Chiefs, Ravens, and Bills all won their respective divisions last year, meaning there will be a matchup with them this season.
In addition, the AFC South leveled up this offseason. Indianapolis got Anthony Richardson back, who decimated Houston when the two squads played in 2023. Tennessee got better and more depth at almost every position imaginable. Meanwhile, Jacksonville bolstered the secondary to make things harder on the Texans' passing attack.
The full schedule is as follows.
That’s a whole lotta Texans football ‼️ pic.twitter.com/hJ55FN8yP7
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 16, 2024
Just about the only team that got worse compared to where it was last season is the Vikings, and they made the defense a lot better. Every other team on the schedule seemingly improved.
In addition, the four weeks following the bye week are nothing short of brutal, with the Dolphins coming to town, followed by going to the Chiefs on a short week for a Saturday game, then an incredibly short week for a turnaround back home for the Ravens on Christmas. Ultimately, the Texans end with a mini-bye week before heading off to Tennessee, which is a sleeper team this year.
Speaking of bye weeks, the Texans share the latest off week of anyone this season in Week 14, splitting that week with five other teams. So, if anyone gets hurt in the early goings of the season, tough luck. They will not have a rest week until December.
With all of this going on for the Texans, and with all of the new players trying to acclimate to the team, playbook, and scheme, it could get a bit bumpy in Houston this season. The Texans could struggle with the 2024 schedule. Although, the team did prove the world wrong last season. Who's to say they can't do it again?