For the first time since 1978 the NFL is altering the number of games they play in a season. Prior to 1978 an NFL regular season was 14 games. In '78 they upped it by two to 16 games. For the next 12 seasons they played those 16 games in 16 weeks. It wasn't until 1990 that they added a bye week. So for 43 years, a 16 game schedule has been the way of life in the NFL.
That changes in 2021 as the league as upped the number of games to 17.
When the Texans joined the league in 2002, the NFL went to it's current 4 teams in 8 divisions, 4 divisions each in 2 conferences, format. With it was a schedule that saw a team play the other 3 teams in the same division twice per season. The teams in that division would play the same 4 teams from one of the other 3 divisions in the same conference on a rotating basis of every 3 years. They would also play all 4 teams from one of the 4 divisions in the other conference, rotating every 4 years. Then there would be 2 games scheduled from the same conference, from the divisions that weren't in the rotation that year, and all corresponding to where you finished in your division. Example, if you finished in 3rd place in your division, you'd play the 3rd place teams from the other 2 divisions the next season.
To put that into play, let's take the Texans, who are in the AFC South division. They play the other 3 teams in their division (Indy, Tennessee & Jacksonville) twice every year. That's 6 games. They will then play 4 teams in one of the other 3 AFC divisions on a rotational basis. Teams from the AFC East one year, the AFC North the next year, and so on. Last year the Texans played the AFC North division (Steelers, Browns, Ravens & Bengals). That makes for 10 games. In the other 2 AFC divisions, the Texans played a team in each division that corresponded to the Texans finish in the standings the previous year. In 2019 the Texans finished in 1st in their division. That means they had to play the 1st place teams from the AFC East (New England) and the AFC West (Kansas City). That brought the total to 12 games. The remaining 4 games came from playing 4 teams from an NFC division, that is also on a rotational basis. Last year it was the NFC North (Packers, Lions, Bears & Vikings). That gave you 16 games.
That is the formula the NFL has been using since 2002. So basically, since that formula came to be in 2002, we've known who a team's opponents would be every season after that, except for the 2 teams that are chosen from where you finish in the standings. So in 2002, we knew the Texans would play the Green Bay Packers in 2020. If the format stays the same, we know the Texans will play the Packers again in 2024, 2028, 2032 and so on.
With the NFL moving to a 17 game schedule now, that kind of throws a wrench into that formula. Where is the extra game going to come from? Well, the NFL has decided to use the same formula as they have since 2002, and the extra game will come from a team in the division of the opposite conference, related to where you finish in the standings the year before. In the case of the 2021 season, we'll again use the AFC South as an example. This year the teams in the AFC South will play all 4 teams from the NFC West (Rams, 49ers, Cardinals & Seahawks). So they can't get that 17th game from that division. So to start, the AFC South will be matched up with the NFC South. In the Texans case, who finished in 3rd place last year, they will play the 3rd place finisher in the NFC South, which was Carolina. This will be on a rotating basis as well. The AFC South plays the NFC East next year, so their 17th game will likely come from the NFC North, which means the Texans could play the Packers again then, if they both finish in the same place in the standings.
This year, the Texans will play their 6 intra-division games with the Titans, Jags & Colts. They will play the AFC East this season (Pats, Jets, Dolphins & Bills) - 10 games. They also get the NFC West (Rams, 49ers, Cards & Seattle) - 14 games. Their 2 other AFC games corresponding to where they finished last season will be against the Chargers and the Browns, who both finished in 3rd place in their respective divisions last year, which is where the Texans finished. That's 16 games. And the 17th game will come from the NFC South's 3rd place finisher last year - Carolina. That will be a Texans home game as this will rotate every year with all the AFC teams playing that 17th game at home this year, with all the NFC teams getting it at home next year.
The only thing not known is the order in which these games will be played. That isn't known until the NFL schedule is released each year, which in the past has usually happened a week or 2 before the draft. This year it was held up because of the 17th game addition, and is being announced almost 2 weeks after the draft. And that release date was Wednesday, May 12.
The NFL will keep their normal start of the season, which since about 1961, with the exception of a brief period in the 1990's, has been the first Sunday after Labor Day. This year that is Sept. 12. Since 2004, the Super Bowl champion has hosted the NFL opening game on the Thursday night after Labor Day. This season that will be the champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Thur. Sept. 9. The only disruption in that was 2019 when the NFL went with Chicago and Green Bay to kickoff the season, 2 of the league's oldest franchises, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NFL.
So now is the time when we know the order of the games, the dates and times, the Thursday night, Sunday night and Monday night games, bye weeks and all. So here is the 2021 schedule for your Houston Texans:
- Week 1 - Sun. Sep. 12 - JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS - noon
- Week 2 - Sun. Sep. 19 - @ Cleveland Browns - noon
- Week 3 - Thu. Sep. 23 - CAROLINA PANTHERS - 7:20 pm
- Week 4 - Sun. Oct. 3 - @ Buffalo Bills - noon
- Week 5 - Sun. Oct. 10 - NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - noon
- Week 6 - Sun. Oct. 17 - @ Indianapolis Colts - noon
- Week 7 - Sun. Oct. 24 - @ Arizona Cardinals - 3:25 pm
- Week 8 - Sun. Oct. 31 - LOS ANGELES RAMS - noon
- Week 9 - Sun. Nov. 7 - @ Miami Dolphins - noon
- Week 10 - BYE WEEK
- Week 11 - Sun. Nov. 21 - @ Tennessee Titans - noon
- Week 12 - Sun. Nov. 28 - NEW YORK JETS - noon
- Week 13 - Sun. Dec. 5 - INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - noon
- Week 14 - Sun. Dec. 12 - SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - noon
- Week 15 - Sun. Dec. 19 - @ Jacksonville Jaguars - noon
- Week 16 - Sun. Dec. 26 - LOS ANGELES CHARGERS - noon
- Week 17 - Sun. Jan. 2 - @ San Francisco 49ers - 3:05 pm
- Week 18 - Sun. Jan. 9 - TENNESSEE TITANS - noon
The first 5 games of the season will be home-road-home-road for the Texans. After the opener at home against the Jags, they head to Cleveland in week 2, where it should still be plenty warm weatherwise. Then it's a short week to get ready for the Panthers at home for the Thursday night game. That will give them an extended week for their week 4 matchup against the Bills in Buffalo, again missing out on winter type conditions.
In week 5, for the 7th year in a row, and 9th time in the last 10 seasons, the Texans play Bill Belechick's Patriots at NRG, this time without Tom Brady. They actually played the Pats without Brady in 2016 when Brady was suspended for deflategate, and got shutout 27-0 by the Patriots' then 3rd string QB Jacoby Brissett. This time Cam Newton will be the Pats QB, unless the rookie Mac Jones has taken over by then.
The Texans hit the road the next 2 weeks, and after a week 6 game in Indianapolis, the Texans head to the desert in week 7 to face J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, and the Arizona Cardinals. Back home in week 8 for the Rams and their new QB Matthew Stafford. Week 9 has the Texans in south Florida to face the Dolphins and all the draft picks the Texans gave them the last couple of years. That will take the Texans into their bye week.
Coming out of the bye week, the Texans will head to Nashville for their 1st of 2 against the Titans. Then it's 3 home games in a row starting in week 12 with the Jets and the #2 overall pick in the draft, Zach Wilson. They finish off the season series with the Colts in week 13, and the Seahawks come to town in week 14.
The next 2 games will see the Texans in Jacksonville, followed by a home game against the Chargers in week 16, a day after Christmas. The Chargers is where Texans QB Tyrod Taylor was employed last season, and where he suffered a punctured lung getting an injection from team doctors in week 2, and missed the rest of the season.
The Texans head to the west coast to play the 49ers in week 17. There they have a chance to face the 3rd overall pick in the draft, QB Trey Lance. If that happens, the Texans will have faced the top 3 picks in this past NFL draft. The Texans 1st ever week 18 game will have them closing out the season against the Titans at NRG. Both of those games will be played after the calendar flips to January.
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