2017 Houston Texans Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Houston Texans haven't always played the prettiest football, but the team has won the AFC South two years in a row. They will go for a third division title in 2017.

While there was a change at quarterback with Brock Osweiler shipped out of town, the squad will once again rely upon its strong defense. The unit allowed the fewest yards in football last season, and that was without J.J. Watt for most of it.

Between the return of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and the emergence of Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, Benardrick McKinney and more, the Texans defense should once again be among the best in the NFL.

The question is whether the offense can hold up its end of the bargain.

With a schedule that ranks just tied for 25th in difficulty, per John Breech of CBSSports.com, the Texans shouldn't have too tough of a time putting together another winning record.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV Info
1	Sept. 10	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	1 p.m.	CBS
2	Sept. 14	at Cincinnati Bengals	8:25 p.m.	NFL Network
3	Sept. 24	at New England Patriots	1 p.m.	CBS
4	Oct. 1	vs. Tennessee Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 8	vs. Kansas City Chiefs	8:30 p.m.	NBC
6	Oct. 15	vs. Cleveland Browns	1 p.m.	CBS
7	BYE	BYE	BYE	BYE
8	Oct. 29	at Seattle Seahawks	4:05 p.m.	CBS
9	Nov. 5	vs. Indianapolis Colts	1 p.m.	CBS
10	Nov. 12	at Los Angeles Rams	4:05 p.m.	CBS
11	Nov. 19	vs. Arizona Cardinals	1 p.m.	Fox
12	Nov. 27	at Baltimore Ravens	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
13	Dec. 3	at Tennessee Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
14	Dec. 10	vs. San Francisco 49ers	1 p.m.	Fox
15	Dec. 17	at Jacksonville Jaguars	1 p.m.	CBS
16	Dec. 25	vs. Pittsburgh Steelers	4:30 p.m.	NBC/NFL Network/Amazon
17	Dec. 31	at Indianapolis Colts	1 p.m.	CBS

Analysis

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Fans likely cheered the day Osweiler was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a fourth-round pick and $16 million off the books, but there are still question marks about who will start the year under center. Tom Savage started two games last year and, although he is largely unproven, could be the top option going forward.

"I've always felt good about Tom," head coach Bill O'Brien said, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. "He's a hard-working guy. He's got an excellent arm. But he's been injured. He hasn't had great luck when it comes to the health front."

While there are still quality weapons on the outside in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, this team will once again try to move the football with the run game and rely upon the defense to win.

This isn't necessarily ideal, but the Texans have had a winning record in five of the last six years, only once finishing in the top 10 in offensive yardage. Conversely, the defense has ended up in the top 10 five times in that stretch.

The defense-first approach is working, so there is no reason to change plans now.

With the schedule featuring quality offenses like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts (twice), the Texans defense will be tested throughout the season. 

Pivotal Matchups

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The Tennessee Titans will be dangerous as they improve from last year—and even the Jacksonville Jaguars should be better with their additions—but so often the Texans' season comes down to the matchups against the Colts.

From 2012 to 2015, the Texans lost six straight games against Indianapolis. However, the Week 15 win in 2015 lifted Houston to the division title, while a sweep in 2016 effectively closed the door for Andrew Luck and Co.

It won't be easy to extend the current three-game winning streak, but the home game on Nov. 5 and road game on Dec. 31 will likely tell the story of the 2017 season.

The defense was key in the 2016 battles as it pressured Luck and forced him into three combined interceptions. He averaged just a 77.7 quarterback rating in the two games.

Considering the problems Indianapolis has defensively, this type of effort could be enough to earn two more key wins next year while moving toward another division title.