There are more than a few reasons to arrive early for the Texans Thursday night showdown with the Miami Dolphins. Yes, there's the best tailgating in the NFL. But the game also has the crew of NFL GameDay Kickoff broadcasting from the BULLevard. They'll go on at five, so get there early and show the nation what team has the best fans in the NFL.
This is why you love football. There's a prime time game. Your team is on a bit of a roll. They have a chance to log their longest winning streak since 2012, going for their fifth straight. A traditional NFL power is in the building (okay, they haven't been that 'powerful' in recent years but they have a winning record at the moment and they have won a gazillion games in their history and even won the first Super Bowl played in Houston in 1973 at Rice Stadium).
So much has been made about Brock Osweiler's return. It's going to fire up the crowd, yet the players said all the right things. Osweiler was part of a winning season with a playoff victory, one of only three in the history of this franchise. But it's clear the Texans moved in a better direction with Deshaun Watson, who's career is just taking off as he makes his 14th start on Thursday night.
Speaking of taking off, the Houston defense is starting to rev up at a good time. All the times we talked about the big three pass rushers being on the field together and playing well – it's finally happening. It just took some games to get everyone in rhythm and firing on all cylinders.
Besides the chance to get a couple of games over .500 at the halfway point, the reward for the players will be a weekend off, followed by a trip to Denver, then the bye. There's a chance to get some real momentum here but the Texans need to continue to improve.
These are the moments of anticipation to appreciate. It's football season. It's primetime. Your team is winning. There's really nothing like it.
Check out the best Week 7 images from Texans team photographer Zach Tarrant. Presented by Houston Methodist.