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So, how many games will the Houston Texans win in 2026?
In all honesty, several games could come down to quarterback play from the opposing side.
The NFL schedule makers made sure to have the 12-win franchise battle-tested ahead of the 2026 postseason, even though oddmakers believe that Houston has the seventh-easiest schedule in the league this fall. On top of a road trip to London, the Texans close out the year with a pair of primetime games against two postseason teams from the NFC in Philadelphia and Green Bay.
Cincinnati and Baltimore are expected to be better, while Cleveland might have the easiest schedule on the planet. On top of that, Houston still must face off against four more playoff teams.
At the end of the day, the Texans have a finely-tuned defense that should keep them in every game. Offensively, it should be improved in Year 2 of the relationship between C.J. Stroud and Nick Caley. Everything will come down to the on-field play of the quarterback from the opposing sideline.
So, who is the top gunslinger Houston will face this fall? Better yet, who is the worst?
Let's go ahead and rank the opposing gunslingers that the Texans will face this season, starting with the toughest ones on schedule, which include some marquee names.
One might ask why Jackson gets the nod over, say, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, when both are viewed as stellar passers. The reality is that while Allen and Burrow might have just as much upside, this version of the Texans hasn't even been able to contain Jackson over the past three outings. In three games — including a Divisional Round loss in 2023 — Jackson has thrown 489 yards, rushed for another 217 and scored six touchdowns while completing 71.3 percent of his pass attempts. He also owns a 3-0 record over Ryans' defense.
Houston needed a banged-up roster led by Cooper Rush to defeat Baltimore last season. Jackson is back and ready to go Round 4 in late-November.
The Texans have been Allen's kryptonite throughout his career, dating all the way back to 2019 when both teams made the postseason, but one still has to be reminded of the player leading the offense in Orchard Park. A former MVP and perennial Super Bowl-caliber gunslinger who can change games within a pass, Allen is always at the top of any list to monitor. The passing attack should be much more potent since the Bills added Bears wideout DJ Moore as the new No. 1 option. Allen also has arguably the second-best rushing ability among passers.
He has to stay on the field, but given that the Bengals head to Reliant Stadium in Week 2, there's a good chance Burrow is suiting up for the franchise when the Texans' defense gets after him at home. The former Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick is just from throwing for over 4,900 yards and an NFL-leading 43 touchdown passes. He'll also have two 1,000-yard playmakers on the outside that catch nearly everything. A career completion percentage of 68.5, Burrow wins with accuracy, precision, and a high football IQ, good enough to take on any team in the league.
Overhated? Without question. Overrated? Not even close. Hurts might not have been perfect last fall, but he's been to two Super Bowls and won the MVP in the 2024 rematch against Kansas City down in New Orleans. He's one of the more physical options on this list and remains fearless of contact. Keep in mind, Hurts has also thrown for over 6,000 yards in the past two seasons while rushing for another 1,000. He's thrown 43 touchdown passes and rushed in 22 more.
Even if the Eagles take a step back, Hurts remains in the conversation of top 10 quarterback stature. In the cold night of December at The Linc, it's easy to say the advantage goes to No. 1 on the Naughty or Nice list.
Is Herbert slightly overrated? Yes. Does that mean he's not among the top five passers Houston will see next season? Nope. Even after trailing by 14, Herbert managed to throw for over 230 yards and help the Bolts mount a comeback to make it a 20-16 affair. Over his past four seasons, the former top 10 pick has thrown for at least 3,200 yards and 21 touchdowns. Go back a year before that and he's thrown for over 5,000 with 38 touchdowns. The Chargers have a team good enough to win the AFC West, but everything falls on the shoulders of Herbert and how far he elevate the offensive approach under new play-caller Mike McDaniel.
At one point, Texans fans scoffed at the idea of Prescott being within the same stratosphere as Stroud's potential. Looking back, could the Dallas star, who is always hated, have done a better job in the playoff game against the Patriots? Conductor of a top-three scoring offense, Prescott has finished top five in passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentage three times in the past six years. Two of those seasons were cut short early because of injury, but he was well on his way to over 4,700 yards. While he plays across the state, Prescott is a fine quarterback who could, if the turnovers were limited, lead Dallas to a Week 4 upset on the road.
Love is an intriguing option to discuss. On the one hand, he'll have two or three games a season where he looks All-Pro-worthy, throwing for over 300 yards, totaling four touchdown passes, and posting a 114 passer rating. Next week, he'll cough up two interceptions and throw for just over 200 yards. Don't believe me? Go look at Weeks 4-6 last season to do the math. Love is a fringe top 10 quarterback, but when he's on point, he's as dangerous as Herbert and perhaps more volatile than Prescott. In a late-season game at Lambeau, his on-field play will be the difference in besting Houston's defense.
What version of Daniels will fans see in 2026? It's similar to Stroud and his somewhat regressive outlook in 2024. After guiding his team to the NFC title game as a rookie, Daniels struggled to re-find that demeanor last fall. Yes, injuries were a concern and sidelined him for 10 games, but the former No. 2 overall pick only had two multi-touchdown games and completed less than 60 percent of his throws on five occasions. At his peak? Daniels has the skills and play style to be a top-five passer in the sport.
Didn't fans say that about Stroud? The two are likely in the same spot entering the year.
Even if the Jaguars take a step back next season, give credit where it's due to Lawrence. Under a new head coach and offensive concept, the former No. 1 overall pick looked the part of an All-Pro level passer, finishing top 10 in passing yards (4,007), touchdowns (29) and yards per game (235.7). While Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers remain on the squad, Lawrence won't have a sufficient lead back to turn to now with Travis Etienne off to New Orleans. He also will play a first-place schedule for the first time in three years, meaning the competition should stiffen up, something that wasn't a major woe last year in Duval County.
Rodgers couldn't let the final pass of his career be a pick-six to Calen Bullock in the postseason, so he's back for another year with the Steelers. Even after 41, Rodgers still managed to finish in the top half of the league in both passing yards and touchdowns with 24. He completed 65.7 percent of his throws and will have an even better arsenal next season with the addition of Michael Pittman Jr. opposite All-Pro DK Metcalf. Grandpa might not have the mobility of Allen or Jackson, but if you give him a window to throw downfield, he'll make you pay.
Dart was far from a rookie sensation en route to helping the Giants earn a top-five pick in the draft, but given his supporting cast, he played better than most first-year signal-callers in his predicament. The former Ole Miss star ended the season on a high note with four total touchdowns and a pair of wins while totalling zero turnovers against Dallas and Las Vegas. Among all rookie quarterbacks, Dart rushed for a league-leading nine scores. Of the 14 games he played in, 10 ended without a turnover. The second-year passer under new head coach John Harbaugh will be in a better system with more weapons and an upgraded offensive line. He'll answer the question pretty early next season if he's the future of the franchise or not.
Ward was a better passer than Dart and is now set to be an upgrade under the new play-caller Brian Daboll. The offense also added more offensive line help, but elevated the receiver room with the signing of Wan'Dale Robinson and the selection of Ohio State star Carnell Tate. Ward might end up being the most improved player in the division, but he struggled mightily at times last season to warrant a question about his potential. Could he be anything more than just a starting quarterback in the league? Given a re-draft, would Ward go behind someone like Fernando Mendoza from Las Vegas?
There's potential, but nothing else right now for the former top pick.
When is Jones going to be back? Houston travels to Indy in Week 3 for a date with the Colts and Jones will be less than 10 months recovered from an Achilles injury. Is he going to be cleared to practice leading up to the game? Even though he was a nice find for the offense, it's better to play it safe and assume he might not even be cleared for the first showing. Given his age and previous production, placing Jones near the bottom might actually speak more of the potential for Dart and Ward over the limitations of the former Giants Pro Bowler.
Reports indicate that the title of QB1 is Watson's job to lose. If so, Houston's former quarterback will be the worst to play the Texans this fall. Simply by production, Watson isn't near the pecking order of the rest of the passers on the list. By default, he's in last place. Houston fans would love nothing more than to watch the former passer leave the field for the final time, beaten and broken, after believing he "was better" than the franchise at foot.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans schedule: Ranking the opposing QBs Houston will face in 2026
Continue reading...
In all honesty, several games could come down to quarterback play from the opposing side.
The NFL schedule makers made sure to have the 12-win franchise battle-tested ahead of the 2026 postseason, even though oddmakers believe that Houston has the seventh-easiest schedule in the league this fall. On top of a road trip to London, the Texans close out the year with a pair of primetime games against two postseason teams from the NFC in Philadelphia and Green Bay.
Cincinnati and Baltimore are expected to be better, while Cleveland might have the easiest schedule on the planet. On top of that, Houston still must face off against four more playoff teams.
At the end of the day, the Texans have a finely-tuned defense that should keep them in every game. Offensively, it should be improved in Year 2 of the relationship between C.J. Stroud and Nick Caley. Everything will come down to the on-field play of the quarterback from the opposing sideline.
So, who is the top gunslinger Houston will face this fall? Better yet, who is the worst?
Let's go ahead and rank the opposing gunslingers that the Texans will face this season, starting with the toughest ones on schedule, which include some marquee names.
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1. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
One might ask why Jackson gets the nod over, say, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, when both are viewed as stellar passers. The reality is that while Allen and Burrow might have just as much upside, this version of the Texans hasn't even been able to contain Jackson over the past three outings. In three games — including a Divisional Round loss in 2023 — Jackson has thrown 489 yards, rushed for another 217 and scored six touchdowns while completing 71.3 percent of his pass attempts. He also owns a 3-0 record over Ryans' defense.
Houston needed a banged-up roster led by Cooper Rush to defeat Baltimore last season. Jackson is back and ready to go Round 4 in late-November.
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2. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
The Texans have been Allen's kryptonite throughout his career, dating all the way back to 2019 when both teams made the postseason, but one still has to be reminded of the player leading the offense in Orchard Park. A former MVP and perennial Super Bowl-caliber gunslinger who can change games within a pass, Allen is always at the top of any list to monitor. The passing attack should be much more potent since the Bills added Bears wideout DJ Moore as the new No. 1 option. Allen also has arguably the second-best rushing ability among passers.
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3. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow
He has to stay on the field, but given that the Bengals head to Reliant Stadium in Week 2, there's a good chance Burrow is suiting up for the franchise when the Texans' defense gets after him at home. The former Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick is just from throwing for over 4,900 yards and an NFL-leading 43 touchdown passes. He'll also have two 1,000-yard playmakers on the outside that catch nearly everything. A career completion percentage of 68.5, Burrow wins with accuracy, precision, and a high football IQ, good enough to take on any team in the league.
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4. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
Overhated? Without question. Overrated? Not even close. Hurts might not have been perfect last fall, but he's been to two Super Bowls and won the MVP in the 2024 rematch against Kansas City down in New Orleans. He's one of the more physical options on this list and remains fearless of contact. Keep in mind, Hurts has also thrown for over 6,000 yards in the past two seasons while rushing for another 1,000. He's thrown 43 touchdown passes and rushed in 22 more.
Even if the Eagles take a step back, Hurts remains in the conversation of top 10 quarterback stature. In the cold night of December at The Linc, it's easy to say the advantage goes to No. 1 on the Naughty or Nice list.
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5. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert
Is Herbert slightly overrated? Yes. Does that mean he's not among the top five passers Houston will see next season? Nope. Even after trailing by 14, Herbert managed to throw for over 230 yards and help the Bolts mount a comeback to make it a 20-16 affair. Over his past four seasons, the former top 10 pick has thrown for at least 3,200 yards and 21 touchdowns. Go back a year before that and he's thrown for over 5,000 with 38 touchdowns. The Chargers have a team good enough to win the AFC West, but everything falls on the shoulders of Herbert and how far he elevate the offensive approach under new play-caller Mike McDaniel.
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6. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
At one point, Texans fans scoffed at the idea of Prescott being within the same stratosphere as Stroud's potential. Looking back, could the Dallas star, who is always hated, have done a better job in the playoff game against the Patriots? Conductor of a top-three scoring offense, Prescott has finished top five in passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentage three times in the past six years. Two of those seasons were cut short early because of injury, but he was well on his way to over 4,700 yards. While he plays across the state, Prescott is a fine quarterback who could, if the turnovers were limited, lead Dallas to a Week 4 upset on the road.
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7. Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love
Love is an intriguing option to discuss. On the one hand, he'll have two or three games a season where he looks All-Pro-worthy, throwing for over 300 yards, totaling four touchdown passes, and posting a 114 passer rating. Next week, he'll cough up two interceptions and throw for just over 200 yards. Don't believe me? Go look at Weeks 4-6 last season to do the math. Love is a fringe top 10 quarterback, but when he's on point, he's as dangerous as Herbert and perhaps more volatile than Prescott. In a late-season game at Lambeau, his on-field play will be the difference in besting Houston's defense.
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8. Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
What version of Daniels will fans see in 2026? It's similar to Stroud and his somewhat regressive outlook in 2024. After guiding his team to the NFC title game as a rookie, Daniels struggled to re-find that demeanor last fall. Yes, injuries were a concern and sidelined him for 10 games, but the former No. 2 overall pick only had two multi-touchdown games and completed less than 60 percent of his throws on five occasions. At his peak? Daniels has the skills and play style to be a top-five passer in the sport.
Didn't fans say that about Stroud? The two are likely in the same spot entering the year.
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9. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
Even if the Jaguars take a step back next season, give credit where it's due to Lawrence. Under a new head coach and offensive concept, the former No. 1 overall pick looked the part of an All-Pro level passer, finishing top 10 in passing yards (4,007), touchdowns (29) and yards per game (235.7). While Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers remain on the squad, Lawrence won't have a sufficient lead back to turn to now with Travis Etienne off to New Orleans. He also will play a first-place schedule for the first time in three years, meaning the competition should stiffen up, something that wasn't a major woe last year in Duval County.
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10. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers couldn't let the final pass of his career be a pick-six to Calen Bullock in the postseason, so he's back for another year with the Steelers. Even after 41, Rodgers still managed to finish in the top half of the league in both passing yards and touchdowns with 24. He completed 65.7 percent of his throws and will have an even better arsenal next season with the addition of Michael Pittman Jr. opposite All-Pro DK Metcalf. Grandpa might not have the mobility of Allen or Jackson, but if you give him a window to throw downfield, he'll make you pay.
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11. New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart
Dart was far from a rookie sensation en route to helping the Giants earn a top-five pick in the draft, but given his supporting cast, he played better than most first-year signal-callers in his predicament. The former Ole Miss star ended the season on a high note with four total touchdowns and a pair of wins while totalling zero turnovers against Dallas and Las Vegas. Among all rookie quarterbacks, Dart rushed for a league-leading nine scores. Of the 14 games he played in, 10 ended without a turnover. The second-year passer under new head coach John Harbaugh will be in a better system with more weapons and an upgraded offensive line. He'll answer the question pretty early next season if he's the future of the franchise or not.
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12. Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward
Ward was a better passer than Dart and is now set to be an upgrade under the new play-caller Brian Daboll. The offense also added more offensive line help, but elevated the receiver room with the signing of Wan'Dale Robinson and the selection of Ohio State star Carnell Tate. Ward might end up being the most improved player in the division, but he struggled mightily at times last season to warrant a question about his potential. Could he be anything more than just a starting quarterback in the league? Given a re-draft, would Ward go behind someone like Fernando Mendoza from Las Vegas?
There's potential, but nothing else right now for the former top pick.
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13. Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones
When is Jones going to be back? Houston travels to Indy in Week 3 for a date with the Colts and Jones will be less than 10 months recovered from an Achilles injury. Is he going to be cleared to practice leading up to the game? Even though he was a nice find for the offense, it's better to play it safe and assume he might not even be cleared for the first showing. Given his age and previous production, placing Jones near the bottom might actually speak more of the potential for Dart and Ward over the limitations of the former Giants Pro Bowler.
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14. Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Reports indicate that the title of QB1 is Watson's job to lose. If so, Houston's former quarterback will be the worst to play the Texans this fall. Simply by production, Watson isn't near the pecking order of the rest of the passers on the list. By default, he's in last place. Houston fans would love nothing more than to watch the former passer leave the field for the final time, beaten and broken, after believing he "was better" than the franchise at foot.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans schedule: Ranking the opposing QBs Houston will face in 2026
Continue reading...
