Texans preseason schedule kicks off with MNF

HOUSTON

The Texans released their 2011 preseason schedule and it starts off with a bang as Houston will host the Jets at Reliant Stadium on ESPN's Monday Night Football. The game is set for August 15 at 7pm. It's the third consecutive year the Texans have hosted a nationally-televised preseason game.

Houston will then take on the Saints for the fourth straight year and fifth time ever in the preseason. The preseason series is even at 2-2, with the Texans last winning 31-27 in New Orleans in 2008. The Texans and Saints will also square off in the regular season in New Orleans.

The preseason road schedule opens with a trip to San Francisco for the first-ever preseason meeting against the 49ers. Houston last visited San Francisco in the 2005 regular season finale and the teams last met in the 2009 regular season, with Houston coming out on top, 24-21.

Houston closes out the 2011 preseason in Minnesota against the Vikings. The teams have met only once in the preseason, a Monday Night Football affair in 2009 in Reliant Stadium. All three meetings between the two teams (both regular season games) have been decided by seven points or less.

The NFL will release the Texans 2011 regular season schedule later this month.

Houston Texans 2011 preseason schedule (specific dates and times to be released at a later date):

Monday, August 15: TEXANS vs. New York Jets (ESPN), 7 pm
August 19-21: TEXANS vs. New Orleans Saints (ABC13), TBA
August 26-28: TEXANS at San Francisco 49ers (ABC13), TBA
September 1-3: TEXANS at Minnesota Vikings (ABC13), TBA

ABC-13 is the Official Television Home of the Houston Texans.