2012 Schedule
 

I believe the regular season schedule will be announced next Tuesday 4/17. We can use this thread to monitor the conversation.

The preseason opponents were disclosed a few days ago.
Wk1 @ Carolina
Wk 2 vs San Francisco
Wk 3 @ New Orleans (8/25 7pm on CBS!)
Wk 4 vs Minnesota
As a ticket holder, I hatehatehate the home game on week 4. A total waste.

Here are the 2012 regular season opponents:
HOME
Indy
Tenn
Jacks
Buffalo
Miami
GB
Minn
Baltimore

AWAY
Indy
Tenn
Jacks
New England
NY Jets
Chicago
Detroit
Denver

I 2nd this statement. Shame, but what are you gonna do?
I usually try to write these off as a customer gift, but not everyone has this luxury. :)

Place your bets for PRIMETIME. I see no shutouts this year.

My bets:
HOME
GB

AWAY
Chicago
Detroit - Turkey Day Game

"Might" see a Thursday game with BMore or Denver as well.

A "leaked" schedule came out last week that turned out to be a fake but they did start the season with Houston at Denver on Sunday Night as the return of Peyton Manning which would certainly get some big ratings if that happened (and why not pair Manning against his biggest patsy?).

That will be a reasonably challenging schedule, but confident we will do well.

Some tidbits about the 2011 schedule:

The Texans were 10-3 (8-4-1 ATS) when they clinched against Cincy in Week 14 with 3 games left to go last year. They finished the season on a 3 game losing streak (Carolina, Indy, Tenn) but defeated the Bengals (again) in their very first playoff appearance.

Before the season started last year, I thought that schedule was kinda middle-of-the-road, neither a cakewalk nor a gauntlet. This years schedule seems to be a little tougher so I'm hoping the Texans can up their game.

NBC's Al Michaels promised the Texans would be on Sunday Night Football this year.

I think Baltimore is the most likely PT home game because we've actually developed some history with the Ravens. Certainly not saying it's a rivalry type of game with them that they have with the Steelers for example, but we've played them in a couple close games in the last year or 2 including a very spirited playoff game in Baltimore last year.

I thought that was Bob Costas, or did Michaels say something too?

Unless things go horribly wrong, I see at least a 10-6 record with that schedule.

I'd say 10-6 is right on target. I see 8-4 (with losses to GB, Balt, NE and our annual inexplicable division loss) with these four road games being the difference between 12-4 and 8-8:

NY Jets
Chicago
Detroit
Denver

With all four games, I could see us losing or winning any of them for a number of reasons.

Yep, that's it. Don't know why I remember it as Michaels - getting old sucks. ;)

Texans to have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL in 2012
 

$hit like this absolutely cracks me up....
It doesn't take into account that 32 (~20%) of those losses came intra division, with 25 (18%) of them coming from two teams.

From the Chronic:
http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans...e-nfl-in-2012/

The NFL will release its detailed schedule on Tuesday night, but we already know the Texans will have one of the easier schedules in the league.

The Texans’ combined opponent record from 2011 is 121-135, a .473 win percentage. That’s ranked 29th in the NFL, easier than all but Buffalo (.473), Green Bay (.469) and New England (.453).

The Patriots lost to the Giants in last year’s Super Bowl. The Giants have the toughest combined schedule, with a combined opponent record of 140-116, for a .547 win percentage. Denver (.543) and Cleveland (.527) are second and third. The Cowboys’ schedule is ranked 11th.

The Texans will face Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Miami, Baltimore, Green Bay and Minnesota in home games and Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, New England, New York Jets, Denver, Chicago and Detroit on the road.

The game dates and times will be announced Tuesday night.

Yeah, he must have come up with that easy schedule analysis just to get a reaction and stir the pot or ...

Four prime time games + Thanksgiving. Two Sunday night, two Monday night.

From the chron:

1 Sun, Sep 9 vsMiami 1:00 PM
2 Sun, Sep 16 @Jacksonville 1:00 PM
3 Sun, Sep 23 @Denver 4:15 PM
4 Sun, Sep 30 vsTennessee 1:00 PM
5 Mon, Oct 8 @New York 8:30 PM
6 Sun, Oct 14 vsGreen Bay 8:20 PM NBC
7 Sun, Oct 21 vsBaltimore 1:00 PM
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun, Nov 4 vsBuffalo 1:00 PM
10 Sun, Nov 11 @Chicago 8:20 PM
11 Sun, Nov 18 vsJacksonville 1:00 PM
12 Thu, Nov 22 @Detroit 12:30 PM
13 Sun, Dec 2 @Tennessee 1:00 PM
14 Mon, Dec 10 @New England 8:30 PM
15 Sun, Dec 16 vsIndianapolis 1:00 PM
16 Sun, Dec 23 vsMinnesota 1:00 PM
17 Sun, Dec 30 @Indianapolis 1:00 PM

I like this schedule. We own the Dolphins so that's a great start. We get a bye week before playing Mario. The Lions are very unpredictable on Turkey Day and not always in a good way. The Patriots game is the only one where we could get snow. I wish they played the Colts early instead of late because it will give the Colts more time to gel. Without any crippling injuries, the Texans should be at worst 8-8 and at best 12-4. I think they'll win their division and anything beyond that is up for grabs.

wow...that lays out pretty good i think

5-2 heading into the bye should be expected

7-2 down the stretch with 3 easy ones on paper to close it out

it's early yet but i'm thinking 12-4 would be a reasonable expectation

With these prime time games, the other worry here are the trap and letdown games. Hopefully Kubiak will keep the team focused. There are "easy" home games against the Jags and Colts coming after a couple of these prime time games that could be painful if dropped.

The good news is the Texans are at home each week following one of these, except the Thanksgiving game where they have 10-day break to recover.

...at least the rest of the AFC South sucks. The Texans should win this division even at 8-8.

This is about as good a schedule as we could have hoped for. The season starts with a long series of highly winnable games and only one cold weather game (against a team that they're not likely to beat under any conditions). The three game in a row road stretch is tough but the team then gets rewarded by what should be three easy victories (if necessary) to close out the season.

I'm worried about the Green Bay game on a short week but at least it's still relatively early in the season.

On ESPN last night, one of the hosts said "everyone's temptation is to take their teams schedule and immediately put Ws and Ls next to each game" to which one of the analysts said "and they almost always come out with 10-6".

And, for the Texans, yep, 10-6 is the mean.

1 Sun, Sep 9 vs Miami 1:00 PM CBS W
2 Sun, Sep 16 @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS W
3 Sun, Sep 23 @ Denver 4:15 PM CBS W*
4 Sun, Sep 30 vs Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS W
5 Mon, Oct 8 @ New York 8:30 PM ESPN L*
6 Sun, Oct 14 vs Green Bay 8:20 PM NBC L
7 Sun, Oct 21 vs Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS L*
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun, Nov 4 vs Buffalo 1:00 PM CBS W
10 Sun, Nov 11 @ Chicago 8:20 PM NBC L*
11 Sun, Nov 18 vs Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS W
12 Thu, Nov 22 @ Detroit 12:30 PM CBS W*
13 Sun, Dec 2 @ Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS W
14 Mon, Dec 10 @ New England 8:30 PM ESPN L
15 Sun, Dec 16 vs Indianapolis 1:00 PM CBS W
16 Sun, Dec 23 vs Minnesota 1:00 PM CBS W
17 Sun, Dec 30 @ Indianapolis 1:00 PM CBS L*

* - considered toss-up games that will determine our season.

About week 17, I can see two reasons we might lose this game. One is that we've never won at Indy and second, we may have the playoff spot sewn up and not need to win this game so we bench our stars and play our scrubs.

I think we benefit catching the Broncos early, even though they are on the road because this team isn't nearly as talented as last year's 8-8 record and they will not have worked out the kinks in the Manning offense by week 3.

Although the Packer game is at home, I just think they have too many weapons for us to defend and when it comes down to Kareem Jackson against their third-best receiver, we're toast. Same goes for the Patriots.

I think we can beat the Lions because they are as likely to lay an egg on Turkey Day (like last year) as they are to pull an upset. Their fans turn on them quickly too so an early lead can mean a big road win.

We've had no luck with the Jets and the only way I see us winning that one is if the Jets players are already in back-stabbing mode which could happen.

The Bills and Bears are the two greatest Jeckyl-and-Hyde teams in the league. You just never know if they'll be great or terrible. By mid-season, you could get either.

As i said previously, I could see us finishing anywhere from 8-8 to 12-4 but we ought to win the division almost by default.

Bob, ever the pessimist, has the team losing all four of its nationally broadcast night games.

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?