The San Francisco 49ers went 6-10 in 2020, and finished in 4th place in the AFC West.
It was the fourth season for head coach Kyle Shanahan, who guided the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. Shanahan, who was an assistant in Houston in 2008 and 2009, is 29-35 as head coach in San Francisco.
This year's engagement is just the fifth meeting between the two franchises. Houston's lone win against the 49ers came at home in 2009. The last matchup was December 10 of 2017, when San Francisco triumphed by a 26-16 margin.
Notable 49ers: QB Trey Lance, TE George Kittle, EDGE Nick Bosa, LT Trent Williams, WR Brandon Aiyuk, LB Fred Warner
In addition to Shanahan, a slew of 49ers assistants were once coaches in Houston. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, LB coach Johnny Holland and WR coach Wes Welker were all once on staff with the Texans. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is one of the greatest players in Texans history, as he led the defense at linebacker from 2006 through 2011.