The entirety of the NFL will turn the page to 2026 as the regular season schedules are announced on Thursday, May 14th. Tomorrow, the road to Houston’s first Super Bowl will be laid in front of them, and debate will rage onward as the bitter pills of the 2025 season are swallowed and forgotten. But, even though we won’t know the exact schedule until a bit later, the Texans have already announced their opponents for the upcoming season, and they are:
- Indianapolis Colts (Home & Away)
- Tennessee Titans (Home & Away)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Home & Away)
- Baltimore Ravens (Home)
- Cincinnati Bengals (Home)
- Buffalo Bills (Home)
- Dallas Cowboys (Home)
- New York Giants (Home)
- Cleveland Browns (Away)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)
- LA Chargers (Away)
- Philadelphia Eagles (Away)
- Washington Commanders (Away)
- Green Bay Packers (Away)
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So many intriguing matchups in a single season, you can almost smell the fireworks from four months away! It may seem like a daunting schedule at first glance, but the combined win percentage of all of these opponents is just .474, good for seventh-weakest in the league. Although now that free agency and the draft have come and gone, many of these teams (especially the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders) are far more intimidating than they were just a few months ago.
But, what are the most exciting matchups? The games that will get you excited, or maybe even nervous? What games will define the 2026 season for the Houston Texans? Well, don’t wait to tell us down in the comments below, as you can vote on your most anticipated game in the most recent Battle Red poll right here:
All of these are good options, and I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on which of these games will be the most exciting in the comments section below. Personally, there’s four games that stand out to me as the most interesting, the most worrying, and/or the most impactful on Houston’s hopes of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy in 2026.
Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Take yourself back to Christmas Day, 2024. Hopefully, fond memories unrelated to football come to mind, because there was nothing worth remembering about that 31-2 drubbing at home besides the Beyoncé halftime show and that safety forced by then-rookie CB Kamari Lassiter. Even with his virulent energy and Beyoncé’s heavenly intonations serenading her hometown crowd on Christmas Day, both felt just like a footnote to a day dominated by the relentless churning of Baltimore RB Derrick Henry’s legs.
Behind Baltimore’s punishing offensive front, Texans d-linemen Tommy Togiai and Tim Settle were utterly helpless as they were tossed to the side to make way for the Henry tsunami, who finished the game with 147 yards rushing on 27 attempts. Houston simply could not stop him, and even when the ball wasn’t going to Henry, the Ravens’ offense was still a dream-killer for Houston fans because of QB Lamar Jackson’s handful of back-breaking completions and successful scrambling. Standing at 9-6 and limping their way into the playoffs, this loss signified one of Houston’s lowest points in the CJ Stroud era…which would make a second year in a row of revenge all the more sweeter! Houston already completed some act of retribution last year in their 44-10 beat down of the Ravens in October last year, but considering Baltimore’s injuries at the time of that game, Houston won’t get full satisfaction of getting the purple albatross off their neck until they beat Lamar Jackson fair and square.
The Texans have had many games end sourly because their defense failed to contain a mobile quarterback, and Jackson is no exception to that rule. Keeping him contained would vindicate general manager Nick Caserio’s roster building, head coach DeMeco Ryans’ game-management and coordination, and it would make the big contracts handed out to DE Danielle Hunter, DE Will Anderson, and LB Azeez Al-Shaair look all the more worth it. At the end of the day, Caserio, Ryans, and all of these players were brought to Houston to beat great opponents like Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, and they were able to do it once last year, now it’s time to make that success the norm. If the Steelers can beat the Ravens every year, then it should be no problem for the Texans.
Houston Texans @ Washington Commanders
To paraphrase Charles Barkely, I’ve got two words for you: CJ Stroud and Jayden Daniels – Must-see TV! Okay, maybe that was a little more than two words, but you can’t tell me that a match between two of the NFL’s best young signal callers isn’t one of the most intriguing matchups of the season, especially when you consider the connective tissue between both teams. Former LT Laremy Tunsil was traded to the Washington Commanders last March, concluding his heavily debated tenure in Houston with an equally controversial ending. Then, during this most recent cycle of free agency, Texans DT Tim Settle departed Houston after Washington offered him a three-year, $24 million contract. It may be a homecoming for Settle, who grew up in the Virginia area and was drafted by Washington in 2018, but that won’t stop me from feeling a little burned when I see him lining up against one of Houston’s new interior linemen this coming season.
The real headliner for this game will be the Stroud vs. Daniels matchup, though. Stroud was only one year removed from one of the best rookie quarterback seasons the NFL has ever seen when Jayden Daniels swooped in from LSU in 2024 and stole all of the thunder from Stroud, leading Washington back to relevance with a rookie year for the ages. In just a single year, it felt like the national spotlight had quickly pulled away from Stroud and right onto Daniels, and for good reason considering the state Houston’s offense was in for much of the 2024 season. But, now that we’re in 2026 and both Daniels and Stroud have had an opportunity to disappoint fan bases, this matchup will be a chance for their rivalry to start in earnest. Two of the most talented young QBs in the league, trying to lead their misfit teams to the promised land, going head-to-head in a game that could end up defining each of their seasons if either aren’t careful – count me in!
This game won’t have as deep of an impact on Houston’s playoff race considering it’s an out-of-conference matchup, but due to the similarities in age and recent success both teams have enjoyed, I believe that Jayden Daniels and CJ Stroud will always be connected to each other as the NFL community tries to determine who’s the #1 superstar quarterback of the 2020s. Although, before either player starts assembling a legacy of success, they’ll need to spend some more time slaying the demons that hold dominion over the league right now. Namely, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills!
Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills
Oh yeah, rematch time! Last year, the Texans stunned the NFL world as they laid waste to Bills QB Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense, ending the game with 8 sacks, 12 QB hits, a forced fumble and fumble recovery, and two interceptions! Despite QB Davis Mills leading the Texans that night due to a concussion CJ Stroud was still recovering from, Houston was still able to manhandle the Bills and escape the dreaded Thursday night matchup with a victory. It was a miracle, made even more impressive considering the Texans only scored three points the entire second half, and their defense had to tolerate the offense going three-and-out over and over again towards the end of the game. It was Josh Allen vs. the Texans’ defensive line for the vast majority of the game, and it only takes a quick look at the stats to see who won that matchup. That night, a national audience was exposed to what the Texans were really capable of and what the “swarm” mentality really meant. That night, football viewers all around the world became Houston Texans fans.
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Although, if you were listening to the telecast, or checking social media while the game was going on, you probably would have been hearing one name and one name only: Josh Allen, Josh Allen, and some more Josh Allen. It’s no secret that Josh Allen, in all of his might and majesty, has taken over the air waves of the many sports broadcasters and podcast hosts. His yearly dominance on the gridiron and weekly highlight-reel performances practically demand to be covered on the national stage, and the fact that his team is always coming up just short in the big contests just gives pundits more opportunity to defend Allen as this sort of heaven-sent quarterback that will one day conquer the mighty Kansas City Chiefs, hoist Excalibur and become king of the NFL. But, for me personally, I had just about had it with the Josh Allen talk after that Texans victory. Here the Texans were, doing everything under the sun to escape with a much-needed victory against an powerhouse AFC opponent with their BACKUP QUARTERBACK, and the national conversation was still all about Josh Allen and his ugly night.
Well, in 2026, Houston will have an opportunity to show up the Josh Allen fan club once again, press his nose under their boot for the second year in a row, and firmly establish themselves as the destroyers of the Josh Allen agenda. With a second victory in a row, the Texans can leapfrog the Bills as one of the AFC’s premiere teams, ready to take on any challenger and dethrone the Chiefs as the new team-to-beat. It’s been a long time since the Texans have held the attention of a national audience, but if they’re able to beat down the Bills again, there’s no telling how far Houston’s star will rise. But, why stop at capturing the national audience when the Texans could go international?
Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars – International Game, Wembley Stadium in London, UK
That’s right! After heavy rumors circulated online about the potential of the Texans playing the Jaguars in London, it was confirmed this morning: The Houston Texans will face the divisional-rival Jacksonville Jaguars in London, England on October 18th, 2026 (Week 6) at 8:30 AM CST. This will be the first international game for the Texans since 2019, when they defeated the Jaguars 26-3 in the same venue.
The fact that this game will be in London adds some intrigue all on its own, but don’t be fooled because this Jaguars team can ruin the Texans’ season in a hurry. The Jaguars were the only division opponent to beat the Texans in 2025, and that single loss hung over Houston for the rest of the season and granted the Jaguars the AFC South crown. In fact, Houston would have been swept by the Jaguars if it weren’t for a thrilling fourth quarter comeback orchestrated by DE Danielle Hunter and backup QB Davis Mills, who sprinted into the end zone for the game-winning score with just 37 seconds left on the clock.
I think it’s safe to say the Jaguars were highly annoyed with letting that game slip through their fingers. After that game, the Jaguars rattled off an eight-game win streak (which was only bested by Houston’s nine-game win streak), ending in a wildcard loss to the Buffalo Bills. If it weren’t for that single loss to Houston, the Jaguars would’ve finished 14-3 and atop the AFC, but instead, they had to hand the #1 seed to the Denver Broncos and kiss their Super Bowl dreams goodbye on the first weekend of the playoffs. Something tells me that the Jaguars have grown tired of the Texans getting in their way, and will want to make a point of squishing them in their home away from home in London.
Not if CJ Stroud has anything to say about it, though! Stroud may have missed that thrilling 36-29 victory over the Jaguars in week 10 last year, but considering how ugly his 2025 postseason was, Stroud will be aiming to prove himself against the NFL’s best in 2026. He, Danielle Hunter, and the rest of the Texans’ team will look to prove that last year’s win was not just a fluke, and that the Texans are the true powerhouse of the AFC South. There’s been many years where the rivalry between the Texans and Jaguars was ignored because one or both teams were terrible, but that isn’t the case anymore. Both the Jaguars and Texans have star quarterbacks with years of NFL experience, a strong supporting cast around them, and a great defense to boot. Just like last year, I expect both teams to be making noise in the postseason, so this one game in London could end up deciding the AFC-South crown, the #1 seed in the AFC, or even the eventual Super Bowl champion. How about that for some international intrigue!
And that’s my list for the four most exciting games of the upcoming 2026 NFL season. But who did you vote for? What games do you think will be the most exciting of the 2026 NFL season? Don’t forget to vote in the poll, and let us know your thoughts down in the comments below! If you want to follow along for schedule release rumors and leaks, and want to follow the news tomorrow as the schedules are officially announced, click here. For all other Texans news and rumors, keep it tuned to Battle Red Blog!
Go Texans!!!
