RELATED: Kubiak discusses preseason schedule
The Houston Texans 2012 preseason schedule features two division champions from a year ago and a nationally-televised game, at New Orleans on Aug. 25 (Preseason Week 3) at 7 p.m. on CBS. Houston will play the San Francisco 49ers (Preseason Week 2) and Minnesota Vikings (Preseason Week 4) at home, and will open the preseason on the road against the Carolina Panthers.
Dates and times for Houston's non-nationally-televised preseason schedule will be released at a later date.
Houston opens the preseason at Carolina in what will be the first preseason meeting between the two teams. The Texans and Panthers last met in Week 15 of the 2011 season at Reliant Stadium, a 28-13 Panthers win.
The Texans play host to defending NFC West champion San Francisco in Week 2. It marks the third consecutive preseason Houston will play a team that advanced to a conference championship game the year prior (New Orleans 2010, New York Jets 2011). Houston defeated San Francisco 30-7 in a 2011 preseason matchup at Candlestick Park.
Houston will then take on the Saints for the fifth straight year and sixth time ever in the preseason. The Texans lead the preseason series 3-2 against the defending NFC South champions and won last year's preseason matchup 27-14 at Reliant Stadium. It will also be the seventh time in 11 seasons the franchise will be featured on a national broadcast in the preseason.
The Texans close the preseason against Minnesota at home. The Vikings, who will also visit the Texans in the regular season, hold a 2-0 advantage in the preseason series and won last year's preseason finale, 28-0. It is the third consecutive year Houston is slated to face an opponent in the regular season and preseason (Dallas 2010, New Orleans 2011).
