(SportsRadio 610) -- The Houston Texans' 2021 schedule has officially been revealed.
Immediately, what jumps out is the Texans opening the season at home against the new-look Jacksonville Jaguars.
Both teams have new coaches and the quarterback situations have also changed drastically since the Texans swept the season series in 2020.
Other standout moments on the schedule include the Texans' Oct. 24 trip to Arizona, where they'll face former franchise greats J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins.
The only primetime game comes in Week 3, when the Texans host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football.
Take a look at the full schedule here.
Now that we have all the information, let's break down way-too-early storylines for each week.
Week 1 Jaguars at home
How will the Texans introduce Trevor Lawrence and Urban to the NFL? In some ways, he seems like Lawrence made out easy, with this being as close to an ACC or Big Ten team as he'll find in the league.
But beyond this being a matchup of two of the game's worst teams, it's a decent opportunity for the Texans to start the season on a high note at 1-0.
Week 2 at Browns
Remember how terrible the Texans' run defense performed last season? Well here's an early test to see if general manager Nick Caserio's personnel moves and the addition of Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator were effective in correcting this weakness.
The Texans and Browns played a forgettable game in Cleveland last year, but it ended with Nick Chubb running down the sideline to secure the win.
It's probably unreasonable to expect the Texans to beat the Browns, but they can at least show some improvement defending the run.
Also, former Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney plays for the Browns now, though he has few former teammates remaining in Houston.
Week 3 Panthers at home
The only primetime game for the Texans is this one, and it's a Thursday night game on the NFL Network.
Like most Texans games, there won't be a ton of widespread interest in this one, despite its national reach.
But I'll be interested in watching all of the teams rumored at some point to be interested in trading for Deshaun Watson.
There are a few of those on the schedule, and this one's the first.
Week 4 at Bills
From a competitive standpoint, the Bills should have their way with the Texans. They are infinitely more talented on both sides of the ball and probably win the coaching matchups in every aspect.
Still, like with the game before it, an offseason storyline is what makes this game intriguing.
The Texans interviewed Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier for the head coaching position eventually awarded to David Culley.
Frazier was the former NFL head coach and current coordinator who most fans were familiar with, while Culley was the position coach who seemingly came out of nowhere.
It's also a rematch of the 2019 AFC Divisional game, which Buffalo fumbled after leading 16-0 at halftime.
What a difference a season makes.
Week 5 Patriots at home
Could the Texans beat the Patriots at home for the third straight year?
That seems in play, which would also be very different from what used to be normal.
The obvious storyline here, though, is Patriots vs. Old Patriots, namely Caserio facing his former team for the first time.
If the Texans had it their way, Caserio would have been the general manager in 2019, and everything that happened after June of that year until the end of last season would've at least been guided by a steady hand.
Instead, it took some time to get a real general manager in the building. Look out in the days leading up to this game to hear if Bill Belichick offers anything interesting about Caserio, or executive Jack Easterby.
Week 6 at Colts
The Colts' latest post-Andrew Luck experiment is revitalizing Carson Wentz. That alone is interesting.
But we're also to another offseason storyline playing out on the field.
Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus interviewed for the Texans head coaching vacancy. Eberflus, like Frazier, was someone at least on the radar to make such a move.
So here's your first chance to watch the Culley offense vs the Eberflus defense and wonder what if.
Week 7 at Cardinals
Here's the moment we've all been waiting for. A side-by-side portrait of what was and what is.
DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt star for the Cardinals now, when less than two years ago they were beating the Bills in a playoff game for the Texans.
It's surprising this one didn't somehow make it as the Texans' lone primetime game. Seems rather obvious.
Week 8 Rams at home
By this point in the season, we should have a feel for how Matthew Stafford's first season in LA is going. What that feeling is can dictate some of the anticipation for this game, so stay tuned.
Do expect it to be a difficult day for the Culley-Kelly-Hamilton run offense against some of the game's best defensive players in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
Week 9 at Dolphins
Just painful. They have Will Fuller, Benardrick McKinney and all of those draft picks Bill O'Brien traded.
The Texans have a franchise tackle in Laremy Tunsil with no franchise quarterback for him to protect.
Effectively, the Dolphins represent the Texans' past, present and future in all of the most painful ways.
*BYE WEEK*
Week 11 at Titans
The Titans games are the only ones with really no buzz whatsoever, outside of being AFC South division games.
Texans-Titans doesn't really need a sexy storyline to have tension or interest for those interested in the squads. I'd consider this the dullest matchup of them all.
Week 12 Jets at home
At least here the Jets have the second overall pick in quarterback Zach Wilson, to go along with the first-year head coach Robert Saleh, a top candidate this offseason who the Texans never considered in their search.
This also at one point seemed like an ideal landing spot for Deshaun Watson in a trade, before things became more complicated with his legal situation.
We should have an idea of how the new Jets are looking at this point, too.
Week 13 Colts at home
The Colts again, this time at NRG Stadium. Same concept from the previous game, and from the Titans game, applies here.
Week 14 Seahawks at home
My guess is Russell Wilson plays quarterback for the Seahawks this season and we forget there was ever any acrimony during the offseason.
That'll be the enviable example of when the franchise quarterback gets sideways with the franchise, but nothing gets set on fire.
Former Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown also makes his first return to NRG Stadium since being traded three years ago.
A tribute video, lame and cliche as it's become, is in order.
Week 15 at Jaguars
Neither team will be operating with the false hope it may have been operating with in the season-opener. This one could be ugly.
Week 16 Chargers at home
Texans fans are going to have to wait before they can see last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert torch the Houston defense.
Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor, cornerback Desmond King, offensive line coach James Campen, and quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton also get to face their former team.
Or as In The Loop's Landry Locker pointed out Wednesday, there's an underrated possible grudge match between Taylor and the doctor who punctured his lung last year.
Week 17 at 49ers
Here is another team at one point believed to be a good fit for Watson in a trade, but instead moved in another direction.
Watch Trey Lance, who at this point in the season should be the starter, develop as the Niners' franchise player.
The interesting question to ask about the Texans is whether Davis Mills has shown enough to start these final couple of games of the season, which it might help the Texans' draft positioning to lose anyway.
Week 18 Titans at home
Again, the Titans games are yawners unless you care deeply about the rivalry. But the fact there's a Week 18 at all will be an adjustment.