This schedule should be very gratifying to Texans fans because it means once and for all after 10 long years we've arrived: won the AFC division and a playoff game last year, and now we are recognized as a serious contender for the AFC conference crown by way of being awarded 5 prime-time games this season. If we fans feel good about this kind of national exposure and attention, just imagine how the team members feel right now ?

Can you cite where we have ever won one other than the first franchise game against the Cowboys and that one Thursday-nighter at home against the Broncos? In the regular season, we don't win prime-time national games.

It should also come as no surprise that most national games are going to come against tough opponents so they are the ones we are most likely to lose.

On the contrary I vividly recall such highlights as giving up over 500 yards of rushing against the Seahawks six or seven years ago. I could go on but won't.

I guess you'll just continue to play the dark-cloud pessimist to my can-do optimism.

Oh, that's right! Chuck, the can-do optimist*...I forgot about that.

(* - except whenever the team is trailing or Jacoby Jones has the ball or the other team's QB is picking K-Jack's pocket or Kubiak comes up with a dumb play or the people who run Reliant Stadium do something you don't like or...)

I appreciate the chuckles.

NFLN said the Texans and the Packers were the only two teams that had a three-in-a-row road schedule. For the Texans, that starts with the Thanksgiving game against Detroit, then the next Sunday against Tennessee and finish up with a MNF against the Pats. So, at least there is wide spacing there...

Very important to take care of business within the division. Win the division should be the priority though it would be nice to get a few W's against the tougher opponents. Isn't it about time they beat the Jets, Vikings and Ravens (0-12 against these three)?

I'm sure Dolphin fans are saying the same thing about us. The Jets and Ravens have something in common - extremely physical defenses with great secondary play. There's a reason we haven't beaten them (although we did take the Ravens to overtime once before Schaub coughed up a hairball).

I think the Vikings go down this time, particularly if AP isn't 100% which ought to be likely by Week 16.

As for the three roadies, I don't mind since I don't see us beating the Patriots anyway so it shouldn't matter they schedule it in a no-win situation like a late-season Monday nighter in Foxboro before thousands of drunks. We just need to win one and possibly two of that road trip to stay on course.

not sure why everyone just concedes that pats game. no question they have a great offense, but their pass defense is horrible and their run defense is horrible. foster and tate should be able to control the ball (and therefore the texans should be able to control the clock). i am not saying i would pick the texans to win that game right now, but to chalk it up as a guarenteed loss is wrong as well . . .i think.

Why I think we'll lose to the Patriots:

1. It's at their place.
2. It's in prime time.
3. It's our third consecutive road game.
4. We can't cover tight ends and they have two of the best.
5. Wes Welker's knee won't be blown out like last time.
6. Winning a game in the Northeast has been almost impossible for the Texans.

If controlling the clock and running the ball can help you beat the Patriots, why was the #1 rushing team (Denver) thrashed twice by the Patriots last year?

What does the price of tea in London have to with it?

Denver was a deeply flawed, mediocre team that backed into the playoffs by besting the raiders. That does not mean any running game from any team is a bad thing against the patriots.

But either way pass rush is what matters against them. And hopefully we do that very well.

because they didn't have to worry about the passing game as much as they would the texans.

i must have misread something though. i thought the discussion was that you thought the texans lost to the pats no matter where on the schedule the game fell because it was up there. not based on the specifics of the schedule (3rd road game in a row)

No, what I'm saying is that we'd probably lose to the Patriots anyway, so we might as well play them under adverse conditions as opposed to playing an easier team under adverse conditions whom we would beat under better conditions but maybe not the third road game in a row, in prime time, in the Northeast in cold weather, etc.

Why have two L's when you can combine good opponent and bad scheduling to make one sure L and a better chance to find a W elsewhere?

Picking NFL wins and losses in April is impossible. Indy was a gauranteed loss last year, than injuries happen and they are a gauranteed win, and then we get beat. It's the NFL and teams constantly blow games they shouldn't. The Patriots game is far from a throw away and picking a winner or loser now is pointless.

That said, I get what you say about preferring them at a tough time as opposed to being at Jacksonville at the end of a tough 3 week road schedule.

Agreed. In April, it's all academic. That said, what else is there to talk about until Thursday?