The school year is coming to an end which means it’s time to start handing out grades.
When Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans was a star linebacker for the Texans, a (bad) decision was made to trade him to the Philadelphia Eagles. He went on to lead the Eagles in tackles the next 2 seasons, before ultimately exiting due to a torn achilles.
Now, as you well know, Demeco is back in H-Town, but this time as the (potentially) greatest coach in Texans history. On Christmas Eve, he’ll lead his current
team against his former franchise when they travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Over in the land of cheese steaks and brotherly love, the longest running Philly sports podcast, The Philadelphia Sports Table, is running a series called “Opposition Territory”. Jeff Warren, who runs the show, invited me on to discuss the Texans 2026 off-season and grade out the highs and lows of where the Texans are, and where I expect they’ll be when the 2026 games have all wrapped.
The first question we discussed:
As you assess this offseason, how would you grade the Texans front office?
Think about that and cast your vote here:
We then moved on to the following questions:
How do you see this offensive line taking shape as they look to be the foundation of the passing and rushing game this coming season and beyond?
Should the Texans give C.J. Stroud an extension, and if so, what next steps in his development does he need to take?
Who on offense do you think helps Stroud the most this coming season as he tries to get to that next developmental step?
Where would you rank this defense coming into this season and why?
As you look towards this coming season after dissecting what the Texans have done this offseason:
— Biggest strength on the team?
— Biggest weakness on the team?
As you ponder your own answers, here are mine.
(link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc3nXjM_0TA)
At the end of the day, we can mumble and grumble about the past and how that tempers expectations for the future. OR. We can get excited for what Ryans and Nick Calley have built/are building inside NRG. A top tier defense, loaded offense, great culture and multiple young players with their best days ahead sure sounds like the start of a dynasty. But, this is H-Town and we have been waiting for next season since 2002…
Houston Texans Schedule 2026
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13 vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27 @ Indianapolis Colts
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4 vs Dallas Cowboys
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11 @ Tennessee Titans
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 18 @ Jacksonville Jaguars (London game)
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25 vs New York Giants
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 8 @ Los Angeles Chargers
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15 @ Cleveland Browns
Week 11: Thursday, Nov. 19 vs. Indianapolis Colts (Amazon Prime)
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6 @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday Night Football)
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 13 @ Washington Commanders
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 16: Thursday, Dec. 24 @ Philadelphia Eagles (Amazon Prime)
Week 17: Monday, Jan. 4 @ Green Bay Packers (ESPN)
Week 18: Sunday, Jan. 10 vs Tennessee Titans
By the time Christmas Eve hits, expect a lot of folks to bill this one as the Super Bowl preview. While the Myles Garrett trade to the L.A. Rams draws a lot of eyes, the Eagles are still a dominant force in the NFC.
#GoTexans
