Houston Texans record prediction: Picks for every game in 2020
Will the Houston Texans score another AFC South title in 2020?
For all the wrong reasons, Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans have stolen headlines throughout the 2020 offseason. Whether it was continuing to devalue draft capital, making the shocking trade that sent away DeAndre Hopkins or just simply not doing all that much to improve their team, this group has plenty of question marks entering the 2020 season.
Admittedly, the Texans do have somewhat of an identity. They have improved the offensive line and hope that David Johnson, acquired in the Hopkins trade, can spark the run game. Star quarterback Deshaun Watson will also have a ton of downfield weapons with Will Fuller, Kenny Stills and trade addition Brandin Cooks.
But while the defense still has J.J. Watt, the rest of the unit has a lot of question marks, especially in the secondary. Furthermore, the style of offense that the Texans are seemingly prepared to play seems precarious at best.
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So where will that leave this team after 16 weeks? Let’s go game-by-game through the Houston Texans 2020 schedule predicting the outcome of each contest to determine what their record will be.
Week 1: at Chiefs (Thursday Night Football) – Loss
The Texans have the unkind task of starting the season against the reigning champion Chiefs, the same team that destroyed them and erased a 21-point lead in the playoffs in what felt like seconds. This one will be less dramatic but the result will be the same.
Week 2: vs. Ravens – Loss
Talk about a murderer’s row to start the 2020 season, even with 10 days rest, the Texans go from facing the defending champs to facing the Ravens, a team that went 14-2 a year ago. That won’t amount to a great opening stretch for Houston.
Week 3: at Steelers – Loss
While the Steelers end the run of playoff teams that the Texans must face, they aren’t an easy team to face, especially in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger should have a field day against the Houston secondary while the Steelers strong defense will bottle up Watson.
Week 4: vs. Vikings – Loss
Could the Texans’, a playoff team last year, actually start the 2020 season 0-4? Yes, they can. Part of that is due to Houston itself. The other part, however, is the Vikings are yet another extremely tough opponent that will cause the Texans issues.
Week 5: vs. Jaguars – Win
Finally a victory. The Jaguars are expected to be in competition to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which doesn’t bode well for them competing with a team like the Texans.
Week 6: at Titans – Loss
The Titans are likely to regress in the 2020 season but, when you think about what Ryan Tannehill did once taken over, isn’t that still a 9-7 or 10-6 team? I think they’ll still be formidable and grind one out at home against rival Houston.
Week 7: vs. Packers – Loss
Not having to travel to Lambeau Field is certainly welcomed by the Texans. That’s about all that’s welcomed, however. While I’m dubious of Green Bay’s offseason, the simple truth is that they are a double-digit win team that’s tough for anyone to beat.
Week 9: at Jaguars – Win
Back to the Jaguars after the bye week, the Texans enter this game at just 1-6, which will likely have many calling for O’Brien’s job. They’ll quell those calls for at least one week with another victory to their credit.
Week 10: at Browns – Loss
I’m on the record as stating that the Browns are going to actually realize the hype in the 2020 season that we had for them last year. This offense will be a nightmare for Houston to handle in Cleveland.
Week 11: vs. Patriots – Win
I’ve toiled back and forth on this game as I don’t have full faith in the Patriots but still believe in Bill Belichick. Even still, my questions about the New England offense and this matchup taking place in Houston give the edge to the Texans.
Week 12: at Lions (Thanksgiving Day) – Win
Sure, it’s a short week for both teams but are we sure the Lions are going to be all that good? The deep-threat weapons that Houston has should feast outside of Jeff Okudah and that will be enough to push Houston to 4-7 on the year.
Week 13: vs. Colts – Win
It’s late in the year for the Texans’ first matchup against the Colts, which is interesting but probably benefits Indianapolis. They have changes on offense but the defense has questions. I think this is a shootout, which favors the home team.
Week 14: at Bears – Win
The Texans and Bears, outside of quarterback, fall into similar categories for me as teams that could see the bottom fall out int he 2020 season. Watson will prove to be the difference in this game, though, which is a punch to the stomach for fans in Chicago.
Week 15: at Colts – Loss
Facing the Colts for the second time in three weeks, I don’t expect much to change in terms of game-style. This will be a high-scoring affair but, just as in Week 13, the home team gets the advantage in this contest.
Week 16: vs. Bengals – Win
Joe Burrow, if he’s who we think he is, should be hitting his stride by this point. The problem is that he can only do that but so much with the roster around him, specifically the offensive line and defense. That will help the Texans find their late-season momentum and pick up a win.
Week 17: vs. Titans – Win
Splitting with the Titans and Colts feels like the most plausible outcome for this iteration of the Texans. They are good enough to compete with those teams but are imperfect. That means all three teams win the home matchups when facing Houston.
Houston Texans 2020 record prediction: 8-8
Something that I’ve been preaching for much of the offseason is that the misguided moves of Bill O’Brien the general manager will eventually come to bite Bill O’Brien the head coach. And I think that an 8-8 record would be indicative of that.
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This team has had a stronghold on the AFC South for the past few years and that will dissipate in the 2020 season. The Texans will likely miss the playoffs, which is a shame when Watson in their quarterback. But with the lack of defense and what I determine is a poor approach to building the offense, that seems to be the most likely outcome.