The Texans' 2021 schedule, in quarters | Daily Brew

If you break the Texans' 2021 regular season schedule into four mostly-equal parts--three groups of four games, and a final group of five--the first and final quarters are against teams with a combined losing record, while the middle two are against teams collectively over .500. Overall, Houston's opponents went a combined 137-135 in 2020. The Texans play eight 2020 playoff teams.

Houston opens at home against the Jaguars, then is at Cleveland, back home in Week 3 versus the Panthers and on the road again in Buffalo the following week. Jacksonville was the worst team in football last year, and has beaten the Texans just twice since 2014. The Browns were back in the playoffs with an 11-5 mark, while the Panthers were 5-11. Buffalo was 13-3 and played in the AFC title game last year. That quartet went a combined 30-34 in 2020. Last year's first three opponents, the Chiefs, Ravens and Steelers won 37 games combined when it was all said and done.

The middle eight games of the 2021 slate have five contests against squads that posted double-digit win totals in 2020. Another, the Cardinals, went 8-8. Just two, the Week 5 home date versus New England and the roadie at Jacksonville in early December, are against teams that were below .500 last year.

The second quarter of games had teams with a combined 36-28 mark, while the third quarter had squads with a 34-30 record.

The final five games are a sandwich of sorts. The bread in that equation--Seattle at 12-4 last year, and Tennessee at 11-5--is around a trio of squads in Jacksonville, the Chargers and San Francisco that combined to win just 14 games.

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