In revealing the dates for their 17 games and one bye week, the Texans informed fans that Watson's new team, the Cleveland Browns, will head into NRG Stadium in Week 13 on Sunday, Dec. 4.
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The Texans rolled out their schedule in concert with the league-wide schedule release, which in recent years has become a major yearly event comparable to the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl.
While select teams already made known of certain dates and matchups ahead of time, primarily those with primetime placement, the Texans had no dates to offer
As part of the NFL's standard inter-and intra-conference rotation, the Texans in 2022 face off with the NFC East and AFC West, as well as two other AFC teams who finished in comparable divisional positions last season and the defacto "17th opponent" from the NFC that is determined by standings, rotation, and prior matchup frequency.
And as always, Houston has home-and-away matchups with its three AFC South rivals.
So, what are the matchups you should spot once the schedule drops later this week?
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Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson's potential return to NRG Stadium will be something for those who salivate over storylines loaded in old-fashioned football games. Watson, whom the Texans traded to Cleveland after the QB fell out with management and later was dogged with sexual misconduct allegations, could be under center when he plays his first game in Houston since the end of the 2020 season. (Watson was a healthy scratch for all of the Texans' 2021 games.) It's still unclear what the NFL will do in response to the Watson scandal, but full- or partial-season suspensions are possible.
SEE ALSO: Timeline of every sexual misconduct civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson
Dallas Cowboys: They face off every preseason, and 2022 will be no different. This year, though, the I-45 rivalry will be played in the regular season for just the sixth time since the Texans became an NFL club in 2002. The Cowboys lead the series 3-2, but Houston won the latest matchup: a 19-16 overtime thriller in 2018. This year's game will be in Arlington.
Philadelphia Eagles: There isn't a lot screaming off the page of this game other than Philly's big offseason moves, including acquiring Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown. But this will serve as a sentimental homecoming for Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, who rose to the top of recruiting lists when he played for Channelview High School. Hurts will get the chance to play in Houston for the first time in the NFL.
SEE ALSO: How the Hurts family is an institution in Channelview
Here is the full Texans regular season schedule:
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- Week 1: vs. Indianapolis, Sept. 11
- Week 2: at Denver, Sept. 18
- Week 3: at Chicago, Sept. 25
- Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Oct. 2
- Week 5: at Jacksonville, Oct. 9
- Week 6: Bye
- Week 7: at Las Vegas, Oct. 23
- Week 8: vs. Tennessee, Oct. 30
- Week 9: vs. Philadelphia, Nov. 3
- Week 10: at New York Giants, Nov. 13
- Week 11: vs. Washington, Nov. 20
- Week 12: at Miami, Nov. 27
- Week 13: vs Cleveland, Dec. 4
- Week 14: at Dallas, Dec.11
- Week 15: vs. Kansas City, Dec. 18
- Week 16: at Tennessee, Dec. 24
- Week 17: vs. Jacksonville, Jan. 1, 2023
- Week 18: at Indianapolis, Jan. 7/8, 2023
Of the Texans' 17 games, only one - Week 9 against the Eagles - will air in primetime.
Houston's preseason games are:
- Week 1: vs. New Orleans, TBD, Airs on ABC13
- Week 2: at Los Angeles Rams, TBD, Airs on ABC13
- Week 3: vs. San Francisco, Aug. 25
SEE ALSO: Houston Texans NFL Draft: Pair of SEC talent highlight team's 2022 1st round
Texans' 1st round pickups include LSU star and Atascocita HS alum