I mentioned in the article earlier this week, covering questions about Houston Texans’ opponents in Weeks 6 through 12, that the back end of the Texans’ schedule is unforgiving. That take comes mostly from the weather elements that will likely besiege the Texans once Week 13 rolls around.
Aside from two division home games, in Weeks 15 and 18, against the Jaguars and the Titans, there are four cold weather road games against teams that either (a) were in the playoffs last season (Steelers, Packers), (b) were in the NFC title game in 2024 (Commanders), or (c) BOTH (Eagles). Hell, as if it needed to be any more difficult, the Eagles game is on a Thursday night on Christmas Eve!
This is unlike any patch of schedule I can ever remember in Texans history. Since we’ve already examined the big question for the Titans and Jaguars, let’s look at the big questions for the four cold weather, road opponents for the Texans in December and January. Here we go:
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (Week 13) — Is Aaron Rodgers still alive by Week 13?
In the mid-season opponent “big question” preview, we asked this same question about New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, but the gist of that question centered around Dart’s reckless playing style. The spirit behind asking this same question about Rodgers has more to do with the fact that he is flat out old, and unable to protect himself by scrambling the way that he could just a few years ago, when he was winning MVP awards. The Texans made Rodgers look like an octogenarian in the playoffs last season, and I haven’t seen the Steelers do anything this offseason that changes that. Honestly, the best thing for Rodgers might be to find a way to miss this game in Week 13.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (Week 14) — Is Jayden Daniels still alive by Week 14?
Wow, it’s really dawned on me now just how morbid my questions can be, as Daniels is the third quarterback in this preview series whose in-season literal mortality is being questioned. With Dart, it was due to play style. With Rodgers, it was due to age and immobility. With Daniels, it’s a proven durability concern, as he followed up his transcendent 2024 rookie season with a second season in which he played just seven games, and had more injuries, head to toe, than the dude on the OPERATION board game. Daniels, like C.J. Stroud in 2025, is in a pivotal season, in which he could get a massive contract extension in the offseason. He needs to prove that his skinny frame can take an NFL pounding.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (Week 16) — What will the drama be this season?
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is the ultimate head coaching conundrum. Let’s start with the positives — his teams ALWAYS make the playoffs, and they’ve made two Super Bowl runs, winning one. By definition, Sirianni is a champion. On the downside, however, his teams always seem to have internal drama swirling around them, and Sirianni himself just does not seem intelligent. I mean, he was spotted verbally fighting with fans behind the Eagles bench last season. If the Eagles history under Sirianni shows us anything, the range of culture possibilities by Week 16 ranges from “everyone in lockstep” to “everyone wants to kill each other.” The one thing we do know is that the Eagles will be in the playoff hunt, they will be formidable, and that game, at night on Christmas Eve on four days rest, is easily the hardest on the schedule.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (Week 17) — Does Micah Parsons bring some magic in his second season?
If the Eagles road game isn’t the hardest Texans game for this season, then it comes the following week, as the Texans head back up to the Great White North for a game in January at legendary Lambeau Field. Oh, and did I mention the game is on Monday Night Football? Enjoy those subzero temps! As for the question asked above, Parsons was the Packers’ major acquisition last offseason, coming over in a blockbuster trade from the Cowboys. He tore his knee before the end of last season, and may not return until midseason in 2026. January is well after midseason, so barring another setback, they’ll catch Parsons this year. It will be up to the Texans’ offensive line to keep Parsons off his sometimes travel buddy, C.J. Stroud.
