Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

2009 opponents

Hervoyel

BUENO!
Houston
Home: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, New England, N.Y. Jets, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle
Away: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Arizona, St. Louis
The official 2009 schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/29/09-opponents.ap/index.html
:tiphat:
That is not a difficult schedule at all.

Starting with our divisional opponents (arguably the toughest teams we'll face next year) we have Indianapolis who we appear to be closing the gap with and would have split with had Sage not chosen that moment to fall apart on us, Tennessee who we did split with, and Jacksonville who we should have swept but for a glaring lack of defense that hopefully we're in the process of fixing.

I don' think that .500 in the division is asking too much. 3-3 should be a bare minimum expectation. 4-2 would be better of course.

Then at home we get:

New England and if you have to play New England its best to get them at home.
New York (Jets) who should be in the midst of changes
Oakland who still aren't good and we will no doubt be looking forward to paying back
San Francisco who are at best no better than our equals
Seattle who are again no better than our equals

There's not one "How are we going to beat them?" team in that group.

On the road we're playing:

Buffalo and a good team can go in there and beat them (so if we're "good"...)
Miami who will probably beat us for the first time ever
Cincinnati who suck and will be tougher at home but who are beatable
Arizona who seems to be turning a corner but who also underachieve regularly
St Louis who continue to suck year after year since Vermiel left.

We've had much worse schedules in our time.
 

texanhead08

All Pro
Its because of our place in the final standings. You play a team from another division that finished the same place in the standing as said team.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
That is not a difficult schedule at all.
The Texans played probably their weakest schedule in 2005, when they had 8 games against teams with 6 or fewer wins. Remember what happened that season???

There are fans across the country chalking up an easy win for their teams when seeing the Texans on the schedule. Happens every year. More often than not, those fans are right. I really don't think the strength of schedule, or lack thereof, means squat. If the Texans are good enough to make the playoffs, they will win some big games against tough teams. If they don't, they will stay home for the 8th year in a row.

Looking at the lineup of teams to be played, I doubt Tennessee and Miami will have as good a season as 2008. I doubt Jacksonville and Seattle will play as poorly. Everything will even itself out, and the best teams will be in the playoffs. And if the Texans are there it will be because they are one of the best teams. Not because that had a gimme schedule.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
The Texans played probably their weakest schedule in 2005, when they had 8 games against teams with 6 or fewer wins. Remember what happened that season???

There are fans across the country chalking up an easy win for their teams when seeing the Texans on the schedule. Happens every year. More often than not, those fans are right. I really don't think the strength of schedule, or lack thereof, means squat. If the Texans are good enough to make the playoffs, they will win some big games against tough teams. If they don't, they will stay home for the 8th year in a row.

Looking at the lineup of teams to be played, I doubt Tennessee and Miami will have as good a season as 2008. I doubt Jacksonville and Seattle will play as poorly. Everything will even itself out, and the best teams will be in the playoffs. And if the Texans are there it will be because they are one of the best teams. Not because that had a gimme schedule.

Do you really think Arizona makes the playoffs if they played our schedule?

I agree that it's silly to overanalyze schedules but I am looking forward to a reasonable one. Starting this season at Pitt, at Tennessee, at Jacksonville and Indy was a brutal start and certainly impacted our chances.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
I know all this. It doesn't change the fact that this isn't an intimidating group of teams. Some games go the way you expect them to and others do not. That's every year no matter what. Looking at the list of opponents though in January of 2009 I'm hard pressed to find the negative side of this bunch.
 

b0ng

Bad Hombre
Houston
Home: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, New England, N.Y. Jets, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle
Away: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Arizona, St. Louis
The official 2009 schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/29/09-opponents.ap/index.html
:tiphat:
That schedule looks much more favorable than last years. Mostly because the road teams appear to be much easier than @Pittsburgh, @Minnesota, @GB appeared last season.

I mean going into this schedule we had a lot of games against teams that were pretty freaking good the year before. This year I think the teams to worry about are NE, MIA, SEA, and maybe STL. BUF is retaining their pretty mediocre coach, Cincy seems iffy about whether to fire Lewis or not. Plus their owner is pretty awful. I think SF really has nothing for offense and even under "Mad" Mike, he's still fairly inexperienced as an HC, so he might need a year to get everything down right.

This year more than ever, our divisional record will make or break us. We improved from a 1-5 where the 1 was a gimmie by the other team, this year we legitimately beat 2 of our division rivals (both at home). We increase that to 3-3 (just win the home games, not that hard) we have at least a decent chance of getting some kind of playoff hope (especially if we beat each team once). I think most of these teams would have to make big turnarounds, or we get screwed with a ton of road games to open, we should be at least okay.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
Starting this season at Pitt, at Tennessee, at Jacksonville and Indy was a brutal start and certainly impacted our chances.
Whether it's at the beginning, middle, or end of the season, those games must be played. The Texans weren't prepared to win those games, just as they weren't when Minnesota, Baltimore, Indy, and Oakland showed up on the schedule. What impacted the Texans chances was their play.

Had they played well in those games, the Texans would have won their share (not all) and had a very good chance to make the playoffs. Had the Texans played as they did, they could have faced the teams on the 2009 schedule instead, and still had the same 8-8 record. Eventually, you are what your record says you are.
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock into predicting next year based on the schedule. Good teams can go bad quickly and bad teams can become good.
 

kastofsna

Hall of Fame
when you look at teams like Miami, Baltimore and Atlanta making ridiculous turn arounds in a season, it's pretty impossible to look ahead at this point and see which teams are going to be a tough challenge and which are beatable. plus there's that every-given-sunday thing, too
 

mexican_texan

Furry Tractors
when you look at teams like Miami, Baltimore and Atlanta making ridiculous turn arounds in a season, it's pretty impossible to look ahead at this point and see which teams are going to be a tough challenge and which are beatable. plus there's that every-given-sunday thing, too
I'll go ahead and say the Niners will compete for the wildcard next year.


Woah woah woah, that schedule's wrong right? I don't see Cleveland there
 

Txn_in_FL

All Pro
Wife is from Saint Louis so I'm going try my damndest to make that my first Texans games.

Should be a serious ass whooping that I can rub in her face.

:)
 

ObsiWan

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I'm with Mex_Tex, I also look for SF to be one of next year's Cinderella stories like ATL and Miami were this year. A firey new coach (god I wish he'd been let go so he could be our DC) and quite a few young studs. The only thing they're unsure of is the QB spot.

Oh and I'm not calling Baltimore a Cinderella story because they finished 13-3 in 2006 and that defense was (is) still in place and they improved their running game.
 

SheTexan

Hall of Fame
I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock into predicting next year based on the schedule. Good teams can go bad quickly and bad teams can become good.
Never a truer statement! We see this happen every year. NO ONE thought Miami would be in the playoffs, or the Cards. You just never know what the new year will bring.

I'm looking forward to the NINER game more than any! Being a longtime NINER fan, except when they play the Texans, this will be the game of the year for me, regardless. My two fav teams on the field at the same time. Can't beat that!!!
 

Ryan

THIS YEAR
I will be looking forward to seeing New England at home this year. They're my team I pull for in the playoffs, well except this year.

And I am looking forward to the Rams game. They are my favorite NFC Team.

But on the outcome of next season, i agree with kastofsna and any other who mentioned something like that.
 

WesmanTexanfan

SeNior Smack
wow, it looks like we are easily playoff bound in '10...

but, we shall see, looks like an easy schedule at the moment...



the NFL is starting to warm up to our Texans it seems, maybe they are tired of the act in Dallas, i sure am.
 

Mailman

Pwned by Hakeem
Wife is from Saint Louis so I'm going try my damndest to make that my first Texans games.

Should be a serious ass whooping that I can rub in her face.

:)
If you rub that in her face, say goodbye to rubbing other stuff in her face.
 

IlliniJen

Hall of Fame
I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock into predicting next year based on the schedule. Good teams can go bad quickly and bad teams can become good.
Well, poo on you. It's fun to make predictions!

ASSUMING our defense improves next year, I can see our home record being anywhere from 5-3 to possibly 7-1. On the road, I think 4-4 or 5-3 is realistic.

I think we can split with Indy and Ten. I don't see Jacksonville improving next year, so with them, I can see a sweep.

Trap games: Buffalo and SF.
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
Well, poo on you. It's fun to make predictions!
Can I help ya with that eyepatch sweetheart? LOL

Yeah, poo on me. I'll make my predictions after we hire coaching replacements and the offseason free agent spree and the draft is over with.

If Miami can do what it did this year, and Dallas can fall as quickly as they did, I'll be saving my predictions until about mid way through next season. LOL
 

TEXANRED

Texan-American
Home: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, New England, N.Y. Jets, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle
Away: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Arizona, St. Louis
The official 2009 schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.

This is actually a pretty tough schedule. Indy is still Indy, despite what we woulda shouda coulda done against them, the Titans are still going to be the Titans, and the Jags are a good team that had a bad off season that trickled over into the regular season.

Now compound that with having to play the AFC East that had an 11-5 Patriot team missing the playoffs, we are going to be in some serious trouble if we don't hit the FA market hard and draft well. Especially if we don't shore up the DLine and our run D.

MJD, Johnson, White, Brown, Jones, Washington, McFadden, Gore, Lynch, Addai, all backs that could expose our run D.

Singletary has the 49ers playing hard. That team has a lot of talent to not be good, the 9ers are going to surprise a lot of people next year. Oakland, another team that started to play hard and has a lot of talent. They where also victims of a bad off season trickling over. The Hawks are good but Holmgren saying he was quiting no one cared.

There is not a powder puff games on this schedule. If we are not careful I think we will head into our 3rd straight 8-8 season.
 

ObsiWan

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Can I help ya with that eyepatch sweetheart? LOL

Yeah, poo on me. I'll make my predictions after we hire coaching replacements and the offseason free agent spree and the draft is over with.

If Miami can do what it did this year, and Dallas can fall as quickly as they did, I'll be saving my predictions until about mid way through next season. LOL
whut he sed.
 

Norg

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Houston
Home: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, New England, N.Y. Jets, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle
Away: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Arizona, St. Louis
The official 2009 schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/29/09-opponents.ap/index.html
:tiphat:
not a easysechudle IMO maybe 2 years ago i would look at this sechudle and say pretty easy but now i dont know

even if u go into it rdy and say not even the easy games will be easy

NE and jets might be hard teams u can say San fran and Oakland will deff be tougher and Oakland beat us this year

Miami my goss bufflo might be easiest game

and u have to say chincy and st louis wil be mch better this year eso St louis
 

axman40

Hall of Fame
Home: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, New England, N.Y. Jets, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle
Away: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Arizona, St. Louis
The official 2009 schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.

This is actually a pretty tough schedule. Indy is still Indy, despite what we woulda shouda coulda done against them, the Titans are still going to be the Titans, and the Jags are a good team that had a bad off season that trickled over into the regular season.

Now compound that with having to play the AFC East that had an 11-5 Patriot team missing the playoffs, we are going to be in some serious trouble if we don't hit the FA market hard and draft well. Especially if we don't shore up the DLine and our run D.

MJD, Johnson, White, Brown, Jones, Washington, McFadden, Gore, Lynch, Addai, all backs that could expose our run D.

Singletary has the 49ers playing hard. That team has a lot of talent to not be good, the 9ers are going to surprise a lot of people next year. Oakland, another team that started to play hard and has a lot of talent. They where also victims of a bad off season trickling over. The Hawks are good but Holmgren saying he was quiting no one cared.

There is not a powder puff games on this schedule. If we are not careful I think we will head into our 3rd straight 8-8 season.
The 49ers already atrap game?
It's a Trap 267 up, 28 downOriginally stated by Admiral Ackbar in Starwars, it has now become a Meme on the Internet.
When I found out the hot chick was really a man, I screamed "It's a Trap"
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=It's a Trap
 
wow, it looks like we are easily playoff bound in '10...

but, we shall see, looks like an easy schedule at the moment...



the NFL is starting to warm up to our Texans it seems, maybe they are tired of the act in Dallas, i sure am.
I really wouldn't overlooked any of these games, a team can be crappy one year and really good next year.

But hopefully, we will make the playoff. :wild::fans:
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
We can overlook these teams all we want. The Texans on the other hand have to take everyone seriously because as we all know they've never once had a winning season.

So if they do what they're supposed to do (take these teams seriously) then I don't think we have much to worry about. We'll win our share and that should be more wins than losses (finally).
 

Vinny

shiny happy fan
We can overlook these teams all we want. The Texans on the other hand have to take everyone seriously because as we all know they've never once had a winning season.

So if they do what they're supposed to do (take these teams seriously) then I don't think we have much to worry about. We'll win our share and that should be more wins than losses (finally).
The Texans of all teams should not take anyone on the schedule for granted...it's not like we can schedule a lower division school and play non NFL teams. Teams that haven't had a winning season in 7 years don't get the right to get comfy.
 

imatexan

All Pro
No doubt that our road schedule looks much easier hopefully we can start playing good on the road and keep up what we have been doing at home.
 

GP

Go Texans!
Seattle isn't going to come around soon.

Cincy could be even worse.

Miami doesn't scare me. I've said all along that they either played teams at just the right time or played completely weak teams, inflating their record.

Niners? I don't see them turning it around soon, either.

Oakland could get stronger, but they will brainfart all the late-season success somehow. It's. Al. Davis.

Rams are in a down funk. That ship has sailed rather quickly.

Then we have our own division whereby the Colts finally look like they don't really give a crap anymore, and the Jags are imploding. The Titans are the only real threat there.

Arizona is a problem.

Bills are always tricky when we play them. Hard to call that one.

The schedule looks a lot better than this past season's, that's for sure.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
The Texans of all teams should not take anyone on the schedule for granted...it's not like we can schedule a lower division school and play non NFL teams. Teams that haven't had a winning season in 7 years don't get the right to get comfy.


Sure, but as a fan, it is hope inducing to see a schedule that likely won't create the firewall that this year's schedule did. I can look at the schedule and say will relative certainty that we won't be outclassed in talent in many games. It will very difficult next year to get a stretch of games like we began this season with...

Based on our pre-Ike schedule, our first six opponents finished a combined 66-30.
 
P

Polo

Guest
I think the Titans regress next year unless they become more dynamic on the offensive side of the ball...
 
Top