Crazy Portion of Houston Texans 2024 Schedule ABout to Kick In

Because it’s an odd number of games, in a 17-game NFL season, there really is no halfway point to evaluate and opine on things (unless you do it at half-time of the ninth game, I suppose, but that would be weird ). So if you are itching to give some sort of midseason report card or a midseason prediction, you can do it after eight games or nine games, your choice.

For me, this Texans season is at its halfway point. I like to divide the schedule into portions, based on a variety of factors. The first eight games of the Texans’ 2024 schedule looked a lot like most of the last couple seasons. Seven noon Sunday starts with a Sunday night game mixed in in Week 2. My hope (and prediction) was that the Texans would go 6-2 in those eight games. They did just that.

The reason why I put the metaphorical dotted line in between Week 8 and Week 9 is because now the Texans schedule gets bananas. We have been on the easy part of the roller coaster, with some rolling swells for eight weeks, but now comes the triple loop-the-lopp and the 150 foot drop, complete with multiple prime time games OVER THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, as well as a stretch of three games in 11 days culminating on Christmas! This is a football acid trip, man! Take a look:

REMAINING SCHEDULE

WEEK 9: at Jets (TNF)
WEEK 10: vs Lions (SNF)
WEEK 11: at Cowboys (MNF)
WEEK 12: vs Titans
WEEK 13: at Jaguars
WEEK 14: BYE
WEEK 15: vs Dolphins
WEEK 16: at Chiefs (Saturday)
WEEK 17: vs Ravens (Christmas Day)
WEEK 18: at Titans

At 6-2 overall, 5-0 in the AFC, and 3-0 in the division, along with a head to head win over the Bills, the Texans are in an deliverable and awesome spot right now. More on that in a minute. Let’s dig into this crazy carnival ride of a schedule for a few paragraphs, shall we?

Three straight prime time games starting Thursday
The Houston Texans went nearly two years without a Thursday night game, and went damn near five years without a Sunday or Monday night game, before this season. They had the one Sunday night game in Week 2 versus the Bears, but now, we are getting all three — Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night — within a two week period. I always thought that this would be the stretch that decides the season. Even with the Jets at 2-6 and the Cowboys at 3-4, that both those games are on the road makes this three game stretch still daunting. After three years of practically ALL noon Sunday starts, three prime time games in a row is like sending a teetotaler on a hardcore whiskey bender.

Three games in 11 days, culminating on Christmas
After the three-game, prime-time stretch, the Texans get a couple breathers against the Titans and Jaguars before a bye in Week 14. After that comes the next loop-the-loop — a three game in 11 day platter that includes the Dolphins at home, followed by games against the Chiefs and Ravens within four days. The Ravens game is Christmas Day at NRG Stadium. The two most recent MVPs are on the Chiefs and Ravens, with Patrick Mahomes (2022) and Lamar Jackson (2023). In fact, if you include the Jets game, and Aaron Rodgers, the Texans are facing the last SIX league MVP award winners, as Rodgers, Mahomes and Jackson have all won it twice since 2017.

Opposing quarterback play gets turned up
As you can see, from the previous paragraph, the Texans step up in weight class significantly in terms of opposing quarterbacks in the second half of the season. Jared Goff (Detroit, Week 10) is a prime MVP candidate this season. Dak Prescott (Dallas, Week 11) was MVP runner up last season. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami, Week 15) is back from his concussion, and if he stays healthy through Week 15, the Dolphins are a completely different operation than the one who was struggling to score ten points a game with Tua out. And those are the guys NOT named Mahomes or Jackson!

The reality of the situation is actually really good
So while this all looks a whole lot more difficult, there is the reality of the Texans’ situation. They are in the best spot of any of the division leaders right now. They are 6-2 overall, 5-0 in the AFC, 3-0 in the division, have the season sweep over the second place division rival, and a head to head win over the Bills, who are also 6-2 and leading their division. Let’s say the Texans go 4-5 down the stretch to match their 10-7 record of a year ago. The Colts would have to go 7-2 to win the division. That is not happening. Get ready for more postseason football in Houston this January, people!

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