How many games will the Texans win? Composite image by Jack Brame.
We found out on Wednesday morning that the Texans will be hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1 at NRG. According to the Vegas oddsmakers, the Jaguars are favored by 1.5 points despite starting rookie QB Trevor Lawrence on the road in his first NFL game.
The big news on Wednesday night involves the NFL's reveal of the rest of the 2021 schedule. Check out the Texans schedule below and be sure to leave your predictions in the comment section on social media. We'll have a full breakdown of the Texans entire schedule on Thursday, so be sure to come back to SportsMap for an in-depth discussion.
Week One: Jacksonville @ Houston
Week Two: Houston @ Cleveland
Week Three: (TNF) Carolina @ Houston
Week Four: Houston @ Buffalo
Week Five: New England @ Houston
Week Six: Houston @ Indianapolis
Week Seven: Houston @ Arizona
Week Eight: Los Angeles Rams @ Houston
Week Nine: Houston @ Miami
Week Ten: BYE
Week Eleven: Houston @ Tennessee
Week Twelve: New York Jets @ Houston
Week Thirteen: Indianapolis @ Houston
Week Fourteen: Seattle @ Houston
Week Fifteen: Houston @ Jacksonville
Week Sixteen: Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston
Week Seventeen: Houston @ San Francisco
Week Eighteen: Tennessee @ Houston
The Houston Texans 2021 Schedule Release is being served 🍚
Experience gameday together » https://t.co/aKFLCi7IZ9 #WeAreTexans | @FriedRiceArt pic.twitter.com/Gd9mOuloIB
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 12, 2021
With Astros spiraling, we're about to finally see first substantial shakeup of season
Apr 24, 2024, 5:00 pm
Astros GM Dana Brown joined the Astros flagship on Wednesday and discussed several trending topics impacting the club right now.
Are they open to changing the batting order?
It's no secret Alex Bregman is off to another slow start. But how much longer can you bat a guy at cleanup who has 5 RBIs and no home runs on the season? When asked about it, Brown sounded open to the idea of moving Bregman until he starts heating up.
“Yeah, I think at some point Joe will make an adjustment there,” said Brown. Overall though, he sounds more concerned with the team's inability to hit with runners in scoring position. He's not happy with the quality of their at-bats in critical situations. He also made it clear that Espada is in charge of the lineup, just like Dusty Baker was before him.
That didn't take long!
The Astros lineup has been released for game two against the Cubs. Notice Bregman is hitting second and Yordan Alvarez is batting third.
The Astros against Jameson Taillon: Altuve 4, Bregman 5, Alvarez 7, Tucker 9, Diaz DH, Peña 6, Singleton 3, Caratini 2, Meyers 8
Arrighetti RHP
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 24, 2024
Injury updates
Cristian Javier heading to the IL was a “cautionary” move with the team having so many days off. Brown said Javier missing only two starts felt like the smart move. Pitching him too soon in a cold environment like Chicago felt too risky. And Framber Valdez could return to the rotation after the series in Mexico City.
Jose Abreu can't be the best option at first base
Brown addressed the Abreu situation just like Espada did on Tuesday. They both talked about “mixing and matching” and how they've already done some of that this year. But Abreu was in the lineup again on Tuesday, and once again did not record a hit. You have to wonder if Espada and Brown are being pressured to start Abreu. But then again, Brown made it clear that the guys getting opportunities when Abreu sits, aren't coming through either. He's not wrong. Singleton is getting the start on Wednesday, and Dubon (who has the third-most RBIs on the team) is sitting once again.
Is there any accountability for players that don't perform?
Brown responded by saying, “I do think these guys are taking this seriously.” He also mentioned there are some players in the minors playing well, and at some point they'll have to make a move. “There's some urgency in that respect,” said Brown. This comment applied to both position players and pitchers. Which makes me think JP France better get things going. Dana said in passing several times that you're not giving your team a legit chance to win by allowing five runs in the first inning. Even if you do settle down over the next few innings.
Playing with a sense of urgency
Brown was asked if the team's approach would be the same if they were 5.5 games back with only 30 games left to play. This response was very interesting.
He said, “Dubon would sneak in there a little more” and they would play the guys that are more consistently producing. That statement made me feel much better. Brown and Espada see the same things we see. Dana pointed out that you try to give your best hitters a chance to get going early in the year. If that doesn't work, you look for other options. Clearly, the Astros aren't to the point in the season when winning each game is the top priority. The MLB season is a marathon.
“You can't start sprinting too early,” said Brown. If the Astros were in a better division, you wonder if they would feel differently. They keep saying they're only 5.5 games back in the division, which is true. But he never mentioned that the team is ten games under .500.