During July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be analyzing the schedules of every team in the NFL. We rank each game in order of difficulty (with one being the most difficult). This series will be split up into the eight most difficult games (ranked 1-8) and the eight easiest games (ranked 9-16) for each team. In this article, the Houston Texans most difficult games are the focus.
Houston Texans Most Difficult Games in 2016
1. Week 13 @ Green Bay Packers
With a healthy Aaron Rodgers, the Texans defense will have their hands full at Lambeau Field on December 4th. For one, it’s going to be December in Wisconsin. The only player used to that cold is J.J. Watt, who attended college at the University of Wisconsin. The Texans secondary will have their hands full if Rodgers finds his rhythm early. Rodgers also has a platoon of wide receivers at his disposal. Jordy Nelson looks to make a come back after a torn ACL kept him from playing in 2015. Look for Rodgers to target Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, and James Jones frequently as well.
2. Week 14 @ Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck looks to make his return in 2016 after missing a significant chunk of 2015. The Colts historically have been a tough matchup for the Texans, dating to times when future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was behind the helm at quarterback. The Texans are 13-1 all time against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. In 2015, the Texans pulled off their first away victory at Lucas Oil Stadium since the team’s inception in 2002. Luck will be looking to make a big splash this year after signing a monster contract extension. This offseason, Luck signed a six year $140 million dollar contract. $87 million is guaranteed. The annual earning of $23.3 million will make the former Stanford Cardinal the highest paid player in the NFL.
3. Week 16 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
This will be an important game for the Texans as they face a potential opponent in the AFC playoffs. Last season, the Bengals went 12-4 and won the AFC North handily. Andy Dalton will look to bounce back after breaking his thumb during a Week 14 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals went 1-2 after Dalton went out with the injury and lost in the wildcard game. Many have said that had Dalton stayed healthy, the Bengals would have faced the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Houston will be hard pressed against the fast paced offense and scrappy defense that Cincinnati is known for. It will be a good test late in the season for Houston.
4. Week 11 vs. Oakland Raiders
The Texans will be playing the Raiders for the first ever game played in Mexico. The Raiders are the “home” team. The Texans have a lot of fans in Mexico City and one would expect to see their fans outweigh the number of Raiders fans. The Raiders improved their team this offseason, looking to bolster both sides of the ball. Quarterback Derek Carr will have stand out receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. This will be a good match up for the Texans as the 7-9 record of the Raiders last year does not indicate how good this team really is.
5. Week 2 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Revenge. The Texans will be looking for revenge when they play the Chiefs in Houston Week 2. Still fresh on the minds is the 30-0 beating the Texans took during the first game of the playoffs in 2015. Four turnovers by former Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer lead to a discouraging ending to what looked like a promising season. The Texans seem to have found the answer at quarterback in Brock Osweiler and add to their offense this offseason. The Chiefs are a playoff team in 2016, and Houston wants to set the pace early if they are to see success this season.
6. Week 3 @ New England Patriots
The only reason this game has slipped so low in rankings is due to the fact that the Patriots will be missing their star quarterback. Tom Brady is suspended the first four games of the season. Houston’s defense will face Jimmy Garoppolo come week 3. The Patriots won’t look to let the suspension slow them down, as head coach Bill Belichick already has an assertive game plan for those four weeks.
7. Week 10 @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are another team that made a big splash this offseason. Jacksonville drafted very well, looking to give quarterback Blake Bortles some more offensive weapons. The Jaguars no longer want to be looked at as a “gimme” when playing them. Jacksonville looks to change that this year and one could expect them to make a play for the division if everyone can stay healthy. The Jags refuse to be overlooked any longer.
8. Week 7 @ Denver Broncos
In 2015, the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl. The Broncos are nearly identical on paper, minus their quarterback situation. The departure of Brock Osweiler left Denver stunned. They signed Mark Sanchez during the offseason on drafted Paxton Lynch in this year’s draft. Neither one of those quarterbacks will compare to what Peyton Manning was able to bring to the table. While some would argue that Manning was on his last leg last season, he was still able to lead Denver to a Super Bowl. Manning was able to control the locker room and had a connection with every player on that field. While the quarterback situation raises many concerns, the Broncos are still the defending Super Bowl champions.
Make sure you also check out Houston’s eight easiest games.
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