Texans @ Chiefs - TNF Season Kickoff

[Keith]

Fun to have the opening game and the Thanksgiving games.

Opening the season at KC and vs Baltimore is tough. O'Brien though already planning on being veteran-heavy and Watson hopefully near full health will help. While 0-2 is probably likely, a hot start will really set the team up for potential playoff positioning later.

Also, having two of the toughest, in-conference game early in the season, given the uncertainty of COVID-19 delays, means erasing them from the results could also boost potential playoff positioning if you think they're both losses. Also, playing at KC in Thursday night primetime potentially in an empty or less-than-full Arrowhead would have to help the Texans. And again, Watson in primetime is usually pretty good.

Alternatively, the rest of the schedule is nearly all noon kickoffs. Watson has had more sluggish first halves in noon kicks than at any other gametime. Hopefully that will prove to simply be a youthful immaturity trend that he improves with age.

Week 8 for a bye works. Middle of the campaign, plus an extra week to prepare for a road division rival. It also comes before a 4-game stretch of 3 games on the road including the short Thanksgiving week.

Potentially a cold December road game at Chicago in Week 14, but the temps may be mitigated some by the noon kickoff. Historically, the Texans (unlike their predecessors) haven't been affected too much by the cold.

Then close out the season with two home games. The Week 17 finale versus the Titans could prove pivotal for either or both teams once again for clinching a playoff spot and/or positioning.

[HPF Bob]

I think the Texans will have to rebound from an 0-4 start.

[Keith]

Oh, certainly possible. Throw in the tough roadie at Nashville in Week 6, and a 1-5 start isn't unfathomable either.

So what's your record prediction if the season is cut short to 12 games, as some have speculated?

And how hot does the seat get for O'Brien with an 0-4 or 1-5 start to the season?

[nunusguy]

At Arrowhead to play the defending SB champs, so I say why not open the season with the toughest game on the schedule as it's all down hill after that, right, since they can't get any tougher ?

[Keith]

Considering how the Texans played the Ravens last season, Week 2 seems just as daunting as playing in front of no fans at Kansas City in Week 1. If you want to be the best, you got to beat the best, apparently in mid-September.

Which is interesting for this year's schedule... the league is prepared to take each week and move it to the end of the schedule in January (and maybe beyond) if the beginning of the season needs to be delayed. And I believe the Week 2 opponents all share a bye week to make up a game mid-season, too. So the ordering of the games may become moot as we get closer to it.

[HPF Bob]

I applaud how the NFL just soldiers on as if everything will be back to normal by September. MLB is thinking about reopening the season in every team's home cities but I believe they are forming a contingency plan for cities where the governor and/or mayor is refusing to reopen the city. The NFL needs to think seriously about doing the same thing. It would not surprise me at all if certain states don't reopen until after the November elections because they'd rather have their states still in lockdown than to help a president they despise ride herd over a recovery. I'd like to think they care more about the good of the country but I don't carry much hope for it.

[Arky]

1 Sep 10, 2020 @ Kansas City 8:20 pm Arrowhead Stadium
2 Sep 20, 2020 vs Baltimore 4:25 pm NRG Stadium
3 Sep 27, 2020 @ Pittsburgh 1:00 pm Heinz Field
4 Oct 4, 2020 vs Minnesota 1:00 pm NRG Stadium
5 Oct 11, 2020 vs Jacksonville 1:00 pm NRG Stadium
6 Oct 18, 2020 @ Tennessee 1:00 pm Nissan Stadium
7 Oct 25, 2020 vs Green Bay 1:00 pm NRG Stadium
8 BYE
9 Nov 8, 2020 @ Jacksonville 1:00 pm TIAA Bank Field
10 Nov 15, 2020 @ Cleveland 1:00 pm FirstEnergy Stadium
11 Nov 22, 2020 vs New England 1:00 pm NRG Stadium
12 Nov 26, 2020 @ Detroit 12:30 pm Ford Field
13 Dec 6, 2020 vs Indianapolis 1:00 pm NRG Stadium
14 Dec 13, 2020 @ Chicago 1:00 pm Soldier Field
15 Dec 20, 2020 @ Indianapolis TBA Lucas Oil Stadium
16 Dec 27, 2020 vs Cincinnati 1:00 pm NRG Stadium
17 Jan 3, 2021 vs Tennessee 1:00 pm NRG Stadium

They better have TV's in the FEMA camps or I'm going to be pissed....