The Texans’ 2025 schedule was recently unveiled, and chatter hasn’t stopped.
How will the Texans do in the third season of DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud? How challenging is the schedule? Will the Texans continue to reign supreme in the AFC South? Will this finally be the season the Texans break through past the second round of the playoffs under Ryans? What will be Ryans’ emotions as he faces the 49ers, his former team, for the first time?
Answers to many of the questions being thrown out are still too early to tell. All that is for certain at this point is that the Texans kick off the season on Sept. 7 in Los Angeles against the Rams, and new offensive coordinator Nick Caley will make his Texans debut against his old team.
But the excitement at this point is in the speculation. So, based on the released schedule, which includes six nationally televised games for the second straight season, here is the best speculation you will find.
What to expect this season
Look for the Texans to remain at the top of the AFC South for a third straight year. It’s not that the Texans have made any big offseason pushes to improve their superiority over the division as the Colts, Titans and Jaguars all are still trying to figure it out. But that may not be the case for long if the Jaguars figure out at what position Travis Hunter brings them the most value, Titans’ rookie quarterback Cam Ward pans out and if third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson finally gets it together in Indianapolis.
National spotlight
The NFL viewing audience will see the Texans with six nationally televised games. The biggest may be the Texans’ home opener when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Monday Night Football game in Week 2. It will be the first time the Texans play a home opener on MNF in franchise history. They have another Monday Night Football game at Seattle on Oct. 20, followed by a Prime Thursday Night Football contest at home against Buffalo, and then have another big one at Kansas City for a Sunday Night showdown at Arrowhead Stadium. The only hope is that the Texans will fare better than their 2-4 record in primetime games last season.
Tough Stretch
The Texans have a relatively easy start and finish to the season, but the middle stretch, which begins Oct. 5 at Baltimore and concludes Dec. 7 at Kansas City, will be brutal and telling. Not only will the Texans face the two teams that put them out of the playoffs in the second round the last two seasons as bookends of the stretch, but inside of that, they will face San Francisco, Denver and Jacksonville in a three-game home stretch and then get the Bills at home on Nov. 20.
Key matchup
Circle Oct. 5 in Baltimore as the gut-check game for the Texans. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have feasted on the Texans during the Ryans-Stroud era. The Ravens are 3-0 against the Texans and have outscored them 90-21 in that span. As powerful as Stroud and the offense have been during the last season, the Texans have yet to score an offensive touchdown against Baltimore and Stroud has only thrown for better than 200 yards once in those three games. The Texans’ defense hasn’t been any more effective against Jackson and Co., allowing an average of 30 points per contest. Overcoming the Ravens will be huge.
The 2025 Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 7: at Los Angeles Rams, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Monday, Sept. 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6 p.m., ABC
Sunday, Sept. 21: at Jacksonville Jaguars, noon, CBS
Sunday, Sept. 28: vs. Tennessee Titans, noon, CBS
Sunday, Oct. 5: at Baltimore Ravens, noon, CBS
Monday, Oct. 20: at Seattle Seahawks, 9 p.m., ESPN+
Sunday, Oct. 26: vs. San Francisco 49ers, noon, FOX
Sunday, Nov. 2: vs. Denver Broncos, noon, FOX
Sunday, Nov. 9: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, noon, CBS
Sunday, Nov. 16: at Tennessee Titans, noon, FOX
Thursday, Nov. 20: vs. Buffalo Bills, 7:15 p.m., Prime
Sunday, Nov. 30: at Indianapolis Colts, noon, CBS
Sunday, Dec. 7: at Kansas City Chiefs, 7:20 p.m., NBC
Sunday, Dec. 14: vs. Arizona Cardinals, noon, FOX
Sunday, Dec. 21: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Week 17: at Los Angeles Chargers, date, time and channel TBD
Week 18: vs. Indianapolis Colts, date, time and channel TBD
