- Date:
- 1997 - present
- Headquarters:
- Houston
- Areas Of Involvement:
- American football
- Related People:
- Kyle Shanahan
Houston Texans
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Who are the Houston Texans?
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The franchise was established in 1999 after the Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee. They began playing in 2002 and are members of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Texans play their home games at Reliant Stadium, which opened in 2002. Despite a rocky start, they have achieved several division titles and playoff appearances, showcasing resilience and competitiveness in the NFL.
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What sport do the Houston Texans play?
The Houston Texans are an American professional gridiron football team that plays in the National Football League (NFL). The team is based in Houston and plays in the American Football Conference (AFC).
Houston-area businessmen started to create the franchise in 1997, after the Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee. In 1999, the NFL awarded Houston an expansion franchise, and the team's first game was in 2002. Football is very popular in Texas, and the Houston Texans are a popular team.
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Where do the Houston Texans play their home games?
The Houston Texans, an American professional football team, play their home games at Reliant Stadium (opened in 2002), now known as NRG Stadium, located in Houston, Texas. The Texans were established in 1999, and they played their first game in 2002. Reliant Stadium is part of the Reliant Center (formerly the Astrodomain Complex), which features various convention, sports, and entertainment facilities.
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When did the Houston Texans join the National Football League (NFL)?
The Houston Texans joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion franchise in 1999, but the team's first season and first game was in 2002. The Houston Texans were created after the Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee in 1997. In their inaugural game, the Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys; however, they concluded their first year at the bottom of the divisional standings with a 4-12 record.
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Who are some famous players or coaches associated with the Houston Texans?
The Houston Texans, an American professional football team, has been associated with several famous players and coaches. Some notable players include Andre Johnson, a dominant wide receiver, Matt Schaub, a standout quarterback, J.J. Watt, a sensational defensive end, and Deshaun Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. The team also drafted quarterback C.J. Stroud in 2023, who had a stellar first season. Ken Houston was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1967 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
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Houston Texans, American professional gridiron football team based in Houston that plays in the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL).
Houston-area businessmen began their efforts to create the franchise that would become the Texans in 1997, when the NFL’s Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee. The NFL awarded an expansion franchise to Houston in 1999. The team’s first game came in 2002: a victory over the established cross-state power (and presumed rival) Dallas Cowboys. That win was one of just four in the team’s inaugural season, and the Texans finished their first year in the league at the bottom of the divisional standings. The 2002 campaign was the beginning of a trend, as the team placed last (or tied for last) in the AFC South in five of its first six seasons of existence and became arguably best known for possessing a porous offensive line that in 2002 allowed a record number of sacks of quarterback David Carr—who repeated as the league’s most-sacked quarterback in 2004 and 2005.
In 2009, behind a powerful offensive line led by dominant wide receiver Andre Johnson and standout quarterback Matt Schaub, the Texans posted the first winning record (9–7) in franchise history. Houston captured its first division title in 2011 after going 10–6 and won its opening-round playoff game before being eliminated by the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round of the postseason. Led by sensational defensive end J.J. Watt, the Texans set a franchise record with 12 wins in 2012 but again lost in the divisional round of the following postseason. In 2013 an injury-plagued Texans team swiftly fell from the upper echelons of the AFC and posted a league-worst 2–14 record. The team rebounded the following season, posting a 9–7 record and narrowly missing out on a playoff berth.
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Houston won 9 games again in 2015 to capture a division title, but the team was soundly defeated in its opening postseason game. The Texans had the same win total in 2016 and again won their division. In the playoffs, the team won its opening game but was eliminated in the second round. The Texans started off the 2017 season with an unexpectedly explosive offense behind the play of standout rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson, but his mid-season knee injury derailed the team’s momentum, and Houston finished the year with a 4–12 record. Watson and Watt remained healthy during the 2018 season, and the Texans rallied from an 0–3 start to win 11 games and a division title. However, the team lost its opening postseason game to the division rival Indianapolis Colts. The Texans won another division title in 2019, which the team followed with a victory in the postseason wild-card round before being eliminated in the division round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Houston struggled the next three seasons, posting losing records. The team went through a series of head coaches, and in 2021 Watt was released at his request. In the 2023 NFL draft, the Texans selected quarterback C.J. Stroud, who had a stellar first season. Backed by his strong play, the team posted a winning record, 10–7, and won the division title. Houston upset the Cleveland Browns in the wild card round but lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional game. In a repeat of the previous season, Houston went 10–7 in 2024 and again lost in the divisional round, this time to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Texans improved to 12–5 the next year and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round but were defeated by the New England Patriots in the divisional game.