TEXANS OPEN ON THE ROAD

Dissecting the Houston Texans 2023 schedule

Dissecting the Houston Texans 2023 schedule
The Houston Texans open the season in Baltimore. Composite Getty Image.

The 2023 NFL schedule has been released, and the new-look Houston Texans know exactly when they will face off against this year’s foes.

There are several eye-popping details in Houston’s 2023 schedule. The No. 1 being the Texans will not have a single prime time game, at least to begin the year. There is always the possibility a game gets flexed later on, which would mean Houston is having an impressive season, but as of now, the league doesn’t believe they will.

What's missing? No prime time games.

With the NFL abolishing the guarantee that each team will get at least one prime time game, Houston did not notch even a Thursday Night game.

Houston’s first four weeks of the season will be a difficult challenge in what could be Stroud’s first month as a starter in the NFL. Facing off against the Ravens right out of the gates would put the young quarterback in a tough and hostile environment if he is a starter from day one.

Trying to contain Lamar Jackson and that offense will also be a difficult task for head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke as their first challenge together with Houston. At least they have almost four full months to build their game plan against the explosive, star-led offense.

The Colts will be in a similar position to the Texans in week two in that they will be trying to find an identity early, so that matchup could make for a fun and entertaining game.

Houston’s week three matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road will be a great barometer to see how the Texans stack up against what is expected to be the AFC South’s top team in 2023.

Houston wraps up week four against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’s vaunted defense led by T.J. Watt will cause problems for Stroud or whoever is under center for the Texans.

The schedule eases up in weeks five through nine. Houston faces off against Atlanta and New Orleans and then will have a bye week before playing against the rest of NFC South in Carolina and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

These four games in five weeks could offer the best opportunity for the Texans to come away with multiple victories in a row, as the NFC South is expected to have a down year.

Houston could have its toughest challenge of the year in week 10 against one of the AFC’s expected Super Bowl contenders in the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans follow up that formidable test with what is expected to be their easiest game of the season — a battle against the Arizona Cardinals in week 11. There is just one caveat, there are no guarantees in the NFL.

The Texans host the Jaguars in week 13. That will be a great opportunity to see how Houston, and in particular Stroud, has grown from the early weeks of the season.

Weeks 13 and 14 against the Denver Broncos and New York Jets are complete wild cards in that both teams are led by veteran, star quarterbacks whose best days could be behind them. By this point it will be clear whether Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have been able to recapture their magic or if they are still struggling like they did in 2022.

The Texans will not see the Tennessee Titans until week 15, which is an interesting schedule quirk. By this point, both teams will have a solid idea of who they are. It could also be the first time Stroud and Will Levis face off against each other.

Week 16’s game for Houston will be on Christmas Eve. The weather inside NRG Stadium will be frightful when Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns return.

If Stroud has put together an admirable rookie season and the Texans are anywhere close to or even above .500, the atmosphere for this game will be absurd. Regardless, there will be a lot of Houston fans hoping to hand the former franchise quarterback a lump of coal in the form of a loss for Christmas.

Week 17 will see Houston play against Tennessee again. With it being the Texans’ final home game of the regular season, it could make for a fun New Year’s Eve party at NRG Stadium. Considering both teams will be just two weeks removed from playing each other, it could be a grueling, physical contest.

Houston ends its season on the road against the Colts. The final game of the regular season will offer one last opportunity for both Stroud and Anthony Richardson to put a stamp on their rookie years. Who knows, perhaps even one of them will be eyeing the postseason.

With the schedule now out, Sept. 10 cannot get here soon enough.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Houston faces Duke on Friday night. Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images.

After narrowly defeating Texas A&M in overtime (100-95) the Cougars are heading back to the Sweet 16 and will face-off against Duke.

This will be the first time these two basketball powerhouses will play each other in program history, and Houston may have the upper hand thanks to some key players and a defense that can rival any team left in the NCAA Tournament.

Containing Duke’s stars

The Blue Devils defeated both Vermont and James Madison easily in their first two games of the tournament, thanks to some prolific scoring performances from freshman guard Jared McCain and elite play from potential NBA lottery draft pick Kyle Filipowski.

Containing these star players will be the number one priority when it comes to defeating Duke.

The Cougars have one of the highest rated defenses in the country and have multiple players who can slow down Duke’s dynamic duo.

Houston guards LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead are more than capable of handling the defensive assignment on McCain, and Filipowski can be contained by either J’Wan Roberts or Ja’Vier Francis.

Sure the Blue Devils have other players who can score when needed like Tyrese Proctor and Jeremy Roach, but if Houston were to limit the production of the Fililposki/McCain duo and force Duke’s other players to step up, it would give the Cougars a much better chance of securing a victory and advancing to the Elite Eight.

Staying out of foul trouble

Houston’s starters got into major foul trouble early on and it nearly cost them in their previous outing against the Aggies.

Ja’Vier Francis and LJ Cryer fouled out before the start of overtime, and their absence was certainly felt. Guys like Damian Dunn and Mylik Wilson were able to step up, but not having both Francis and Cryer in overtime was nearly detrimental to Houston.

Sophomore forward Emanuel Sharp fouled out in overtime and after hitting a 3-pointer, and Jamal Shead left the game with 18 seconds left.

The Cougars might have lost four starters in their previous outing, but were able to walk away victorious thanks to a clutch free throw from Ryan Elvin, and the team was able to hold the Aggies scoreless in their final few possessions.

Houston has the talent to defeat any team left in the NCAA Tournament, as long as their star players stay out of foul trouble.

Trust the guys that brought you here

Over the last four seasons, the Cougars have been one of the best teams in the country thanks to an elite defense year after year, and head coach Kelvin Sampson finding the perfect players for his system.

Senior guards LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead have developed into one of the best backcourts in the country, and either one of them has the capability to take over a game thanks to their stellar play.

Cryer is Houston’s leading scorer this season (15.5 points per game), and has the ability to get hot at a moment's notice, just as he did against Texas A&M.

Shead has been one of the best players in the country this year, and is the unquestioned leader of this team.

The 21-year-old is a prefect point guard for coach Sampson’s system, as he leads the team in both assists and steals, and is essentially a second coach when he is on the floor.

Shead is one of the best facilitator’s in the nation and does a stellar job of getting all of his teammates involved as well.

Another player who can heavily impact a game is Emanuel Sharp, who scored a career-high 30 points in his previous outing against the Aggies.

Senior J'Wan Roberts has been another key piece to Houston's success this year, and has been arguably the third-best player on the team, behind only the aforementioned duo of Cryer and Shead.

The 22-year-old came into the tournament with some injury concerns, but has looked good in his previous two games.

Roberts played 33 minutes against the Aggies, and was the only starter not to foul out of that game.

Needless to say, the senior forward looks healthy and will be a much-needed scorer/rim protector to have during the NCAA Tournament.

All four of these starters are essential to Houston’s success and provide excellent defense in addition to having the ability to take over a game with ease.

As it currently stands, the Cougars are a 4.5-point favorite to defeat Duke according to most odds. So long as Houston can play up to their standards and their starters stay out of foul trouble, there is reason to believe the Cougars can walk away victorious on Friday night and advance to the Elite Eight.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome