http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2778632 Texans enter third season with high expectations Game 1 • Date: Sept. 12 • Opponent: San Diego • Storyline: The Texans are the first expansion team in NFL history to win each of their first two season openers. Make that three in a row. The Chargers are the worst team in the NFL, and the Texans will handle them easily. • Prediction: Texans 27, Chargers 10 • Texans record: 1-0 Game 2 • Date: Sept. 19 • Opponent: at Detroit • Storyline: It will be the Texans' first game against the Lions and the first head-to-head meeting between David Carr and Joey Harrington, the first two quarterbacks picked in the 2002 draft, and Charles Rogers and Andre Johnson, the first two receivers picked in last year's draft. The Texans finally win consecutive games and Carr gets a long-awaited trip to the barber shop. • Prediction: Texans 20, Lions 17 • Texans record: 2-0 Game 3 • Date: Sept. 26 • Opponent: at Kansas City • Storyline: After opening the season with back-to-back victories, the Texans are feeling pretty good about themselves, but reality bites. The Chiefs return almost everyone from a team that won 13 games last year. Playing at Arrowhead Stadium is one of the most difficult road tests in the NFL, as the Texans will soon learn. • Prediction: Chiefs 34, Texans 20 • Texans record: 2-1 Game 4 • Date: Oct. 3 • Opponent: Oakland • Storyline: The Raiders have a new head coach in Norv Turner and new systems on both sides of the ball. They'll still be working out the kinks when they visit Reliant Stadium and a Texans team eager to avoid back-to-back losses. • Prediction: Texans 21, Raiders 17 • Texans record: 3-1 Game 5 • Date: Oct. 10 • Opponent: Minnesota • Storyline: This is when the Texans had their open date the past two seasons, but instead, the high-powered Vikings are coming to town, and rookie cornerback Dunta Robinson will get to judge himself against Randy Moss, the best receiver in the league. Unfortunately for the Texans, it's still early in the season when the Vikings typically play their best football. • Prediction: Vikings 31, Texans 20 • Texans record: 3-2 Game 6 • Date: Oct. 17 • Opponent: at Tennessee • Storyline: The Texans have never beaten the Titans and played one of their worst games of the season last year at Tennessee. Newly acquired defensive lineman Robaire Smith spends the week telling his new teammates that his old teammates can be had, but it's not enough. • Prediction: Titans 17, Texans 10 • Texans record: 3-3 Game 7 • Date: Oct. 31 • Opponent: Jacksonville • Storyline: Which AFC South bottom feeder will make the biggest improvement in 2004? Let the debate begin. Historically, the Texans have not fared well after the open week, losing each of the past two years. That will change against a Jaguars team the Texans beat on the last play of the game last year at Reliant Stadium. • Prediction: Texans 23, Jaguars 17 • Texans record: 4-3 Game 8 • Date: Nov. 7 • Opponent: at Denver • Storyline: The Texans got a good look at the Broncos during the preseason and matched up well when both teams had their starters on the field. But this is the regular season, and they'll be stepping into a much different atmosphere at Invesco Field, where the Broncos have lost just four times in their last 18 regular-season games. • Prediction: Broncos 26, Texans 17 • Texans record: 4-4 Game 9 • Date: Nov. 14 • Opponent: at Indianapolis • Storyline: The Colts are the best team in the AFC South and a Super Bowl contender. The Texans have never beaten the Colts, and that won't change in this game. The Texans drop below .500 for the first time all season. • Prediction: Colts 23, Texans 20 • Texans record: 4-5 Game 10 • Date: Nov. 21 • Opponent: Green Bay • Storyline: The Texans return to Reliant Stadium after two weeks on the road to greet ESPN and its Sunday Night Football cameras. Brett Favre and Co. won't be caught napping. The Texans' downward spiral continues with a third consecutive loss. • Prediction: Packers 27, Texans 21 • Texans record: 4-6 Game 11 • Date: Nov. 28 • Opponent: Tennessee • Storyline: The Texans have had losing streaks of five and four games over the past two seasons, but they're better than that ,and what better way to break out of their slump than beating the former Oilers for the first time. They've had a chance to win in all but one of their games against the Titans, and this time they finally break through. • Prediction: Texans 24, Titans 23 • Texans record: 5-6 Game 12 • Date: Dec. 5 • Opponent: at New York Jets • Storyline: The Texans experienced the joy of winning back-to-back games earlier in the season and liked it so much they'll do it again. Led by former Jets Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman, the Texans put forth their best defensive effort of the season in the first trip to the Big Apple. • Prediction: Texans 17, Jets 3 • Texans record: 6-6 Game 13 • Date: Dec. 12 • Opponent: Indianapolis • Storyline: The Texans are in the wild-card picture with four weeks remaining. Winning out would almost certainly land the Texans a playoff berth, but taking three of the last four might do the trick, too. But the Colts are on a roll, and the Texans don't come close to stopping them. • Prediction: Colts 31, Texans 10 • Texans record: 6-7 Game 14 • Date: Dec. 19 • Opponent: at Chicago • Storyline: The Texans can't wait to get back onto the field after having the air let of them by the Colts. They make their first trip to Soldier Field, where they play a Bears team with no offense. Once again, the defense turns in a solid performance, and there's still a glimmer of hope in the Texans' playoff bid. • Prediction: Texans 17, Bears 6 • Texans record: 7-7 Game 15 • Date: Dec. 26 • Opponent: at Jacksonville • Storyline: The Texans spend Christmas in Jacksonville and resume one of the most heated rivalries in their existence. A win keeps the Texans in the playoff chase; a loss eliminates them. In what amounts to their most meaningful game, the Texans are good, but not quite good enough. • Prediction: Jaguars 21, Texans 20 • Texans record: 7-8 Game 16 • Date: Jan. 2 • Opponent: Cleveland • Storyline: With nothing to play for in their final game except pride, the Texans turn in an inspired performance against the Browns and give themselves something to build on for the 2005 season. • Prediction: Texans 31, Browns 13 • Texans record: 8-8
I think that Cleveland and the Jets will be better than expected this year, so I predict the Texans finish with a 6-10 record.
I can maybe see the Jets.....but Cleveland? Thats an ugly team. I would love to see us close out the season with a win.
8-8 is what everyone is predicting and I tend to agree. Gotta think we beat Green Bay though. We own Sunday night ESPN! Just out of curiosity, anyone going to put any money on the Texans to go all the way? They gotta be like 50-1 odds or something.
I see anywhere from 6-10 to 10-6. It all depends on injuries, how well the offense has gelled and how well the 2 defensive rookies play.
