The Houston Texans will look a lot different in the 2023 season as they will have a new starting quarterback, new star defensive player and new head coach, among other things. Let’s break down what to expect from the Texans.

A Closer Look at the Houston Texans 2023 NFL Season

And so the countdown begins… pic.twitter.com/YlwDMWazuF

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) July 2, 2023

• NFL Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 5: at Atlanta Falcons — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 6: vs. New Orleans Saints — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 7: BYE
• NFL Week 8: at Carolina Panthers — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 11: vs. Arizona Cardinals — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars — 12:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos — 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 14: at New York Jets — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 15: at Tennessee Titans — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 18: at Indianapolis Colts — TBD (TBD)

2023 NFL Draft Outcome for Houston

Houston nearly had the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and would have had it simply lost its finale at Indianapolis last season. It looked like that would be the case when the Colts kicked a field goal with 3:33 left to lead 31-24. However, the Texans scored on a Davis Mills to Jordan Akins 28-yard TD pass with 50 seconds left and Coach Lovie Smith went for two and Houston got it to win 32-31.

That gave Chicago the top pick in the 2023 draft, albeit traded to Carolina, and ended up getting Smith fired with a 3-13-1 record. His dismissal marked the second straight year in which the Texans have fired their head coach after one season on the job. David Culley was let go following the 2021 campaign. Smith was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach on Culley’s staff in 2021, and was elevated to head coach on Feb. 7, 2023.

Smith’s replacement is San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator and former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans as the Texans have become the first team in NFL history to have hired three consecutive Black coaches. In his first season, the 49ers allowed the third-fewest yards per game (310), and in 2022, San Francisco allowed the fewest points (16.8) and yards (300.6) per game. Ryans’ unit also tied for the second-most takeaways (30).

Ryans was a second-round pick out of Alabama by the Texans in 2006 and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after finishing second in league tackles (156). His 126 solo tackles were second most for a rookie in NFL history. The last team to have four different head coaches in consecutive seasons was the 49ers, who ousted Jim Harbaugh in 2014, then hired Jim Tomsula in 2015, Chip Kelly in 2016 and Kyle Shanahan in 2017.

Fresh Blood in the Roster

There is promising young talent on the roster from a nine-selection 2022 NFL Draft class, led by second-round safety Jalen Pitre and fourth-round running back Dameon Pierce. Pierce, however, ended his 2023 season on injured reserve. First-round picks cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (No. 3 overall) and offensive lineman Kenyon Green (No. 15) have had their own injury troubles and underwhelmed on the field at times. The Texans selected Stingley one pick ahead of Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, who’s a front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

While the team lost out on the top pick in this year’s draft, it took Ohio State QB CJ Stroud at No. 2 and Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson at No. 3, somehow able to trade back into that No. 3 spot with Arizona. Stroud was a Heisman finalist in 2021 and 2022, leading Ohio State to the College Football Playoffs in 2022. In two years as a starter at Ohio State, he threw for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Stroud most likely will be the starter from Day 1. Mills started most of the last two seasons, going 5-22-1 in 28 games with 26 starts as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.

Anderson finished with 58.5 tackles for loss, 34.5 sacks and 204 tackles during his three-year college career. Those numbers are why he was a two-time All-American and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Anderson should be able to help a Texans defense that ranked 27th in points allowed (24.7) and 30th in total defense (379.5) last season.

The Arizona Cardinals, who originally owned the third pick, received the 12th overall pick, the 33rd overall pick, a first-round pick in 2024 and a third-rounder in 2024 from the Texans, who also got a 2023 fourth-rounder in the deal. The Texans still own the Cleveland Browns’ 2024 first-round pick from last year’s Deshaun Watson trade.

How is the Texans 2023 NFL Schedule Looking Like?

For just the eighth time in franchise history, the Texans will open their 2023 regular season on the road as Houston travels to Baltimore to face QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Sept. 10. Baltimore is -9. The last time Houston opened on the road, it was against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2020 on Thursday night. The Texans hold a 2-5 record when on the road for opening weekend.

It’s the first time since 2006, Ryans’ rookie year, that the Texans have not had a prime-time game. It’s only the third season ever that they’re not scheduled to be under the lights. Flex scheduling is always a possibility.

Most likely, the Texans will not be favored in a road game and maybe only Week 2 vs. the Colts, Wee, 9 vs. the Bucs, Week 11 vs. the Cardinals and Week 17 vs. the Titans at home.

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READ MORE: Houston Texans 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide