The NFL season is finally here, and the Houston Texans open their 2025 campaign with a marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Two strong teams square off in what promises to be one of the most compelling Week 1 games on the schedule.
Voice of the Texans Marc Vandermeer and John Harris broke down the key storylines heading into Sunday's 3:25 p.m. CT kickoff. Here's what they're watching for when these evenly-matched teams collide.
The Stakes Are High
"This is a really tough opponent for a tough Texans team," Vandermeer noted. "These are two contenders basically going at it in Week 1."
The matchup feels particularly significant given how close these teams are in most national power rankings. Some analysts give the edge to Los Angeles, others favor Houston, with injury concerns playing a factor in the projections.
"Some look at the Texans and think, no Joe Mixon," Harris explained. "Some think, hey, Matthew Stafford's got a bad back. So a couple of key figures are dealing with injuries."
While Stafford will start despite his back issues, the Texans will be without their new running back acquisition for at least four weeks. Still, both teams enter with Super Bowl aspirations and similar strengths, particularly on defense.
Three Big Things to Watch
1. Protecting C.J. Stroud from Jared Verse
The first major storyline centers on how Houston's offensive line handles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse, one of the NFL's most disruptive pass rushers.
"Verse is one of the most powerful defensive edges you can face," Harris emphasized. "He creates pressure all game long because he's so powerful, but he's got some twitch to move inside and do some things. And he talks his trash too."
The concern stems from Verse's track record against the Texans in the past. During a joint practice last season, Verse got the better of Tunsil multiple times while engaging in verbal jousting throughout the session.
"You can't get caught up in that," Harris warned. "You got to just go one rep after the next, keep Jared Verse from getting in the face of C.J. Stroud."
2. Stafford's Health Under Pressure
On the flip side, Vandermeer is watching how Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford handles the physical demands of facing Houston's fearsome pass rush.
"Back problems – are you kidding me? This could make getting in and out of the car an adventure, never mind being in the backfield and having to deal with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. coming after you trying to inflict pain and jar the ball loose."
Stafford's situation is particularly concerning given his lack of preseason action. "This is worth watching early to see if he can withstand the pressure, the heat, the hits because he hasn't taken any all preseason. He's missed a huge chunk of it as well."
3. Establishing the Ground Game
The third key factor is Houston's ability to run the ball consistently – something that could impact both of the first two storylines.
"Can the Texans run the ball for 4.0 yards per carry? Can they be consistent running the ball?" Harris asked. "There's something that they showed in preseason. It was four yards a pop, five yards a pop. It wasn't like 80 yards and then 0, 0, minus-2, minus-3."
A successful ground game would serve multiple purposes: keeping Verse and the Rams' defensive line honest while potentially limiting the punishment Stafford might take.
"If you run the ball well, now you put Jared Verse and that really good defensive line on their heels a little bit," Harris explained. "They're thinking, 'Oh, this is going to be a run play. Oh no, it's a pass, it's play action.' But you buy yourself a half second to get the ball off because you've run the ball that well."
Honorable Mention: Secondary Showdown
The Texans' secondary faces a significant test against the Rams' talented receiving corps, which includes Davante Adams and Puka Nakua
"Can they stay with these pass catchers of the Rams? They got good tight ends, obviously," Vandermeer noted. "It's a nightmare if Stafford does get some time to throw."
The good news for Houston is that C.J. Gardner-Johnson is available to play, bolstering a secondary that needs to limit big plays.
"Keep the ball in front. Make plays on the throws in front of you," Harris advised. "Stafford's going to complete passes. There's no question about that. But you can't give up a seven-yard completion that turns into a 47-yard gain."
The X-Factor: New Kickoff Rules
Both analysts agreed that the NFL's new kickoff rules could dramatically impact the game in unexpected ways.
"This is radical stuff," Vandermeer said. "I don't think people fully realize the effect this is going to have. I think the ball is going to be live at least once per game in every game in the NFL."
The new format, with its smaller landing zone between the 20-yard line and goal line, creates opportunities for dramatic momentum swings.
"You can have a complete change in the game by putting the ball at the 40-yard line after one of those kind of kicks," Harris noted. "That's Stafford, one completion to Puka Nacua, and they're in field goal range at that point."
Bottom Line
Sunday's matchup between the Texans and Rams represents everything fans love about Week 1 – two talented teams with championship aspirations, key individual matchups that could determine the outcome, and enough variables to make the result genuinely unpredictable.
The team that can best protect their quarterback while applying pressure to the opposing signal-caller will likely walk away with the victory in this highly anticipated season opener.
The Texans-Rams game kicks off at 3:25 p.m. CT and can be heard on Sports Radio 610 and The Bull 100.3 FM.
