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From the NFL's press release:
The 2016 NFL schedule will be released on NFL Network, NFL.com, NFL Now and NFL Mobile from Verizon on Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 PM CT.
NFL Network’s coverage will be highlighted by 2016 NFL Schedule Release Presented by Verizon on Thursday, April 14 at 8:00 PM ET, a three-hour special hosted by Rich Eisen and featuring analysts Eric Davis, Kurt Warner, Shaun O’Hara, Brian Billick and Michael Silver. The special will break down the entire 2016 NFL regular season schedule, division by division, analyzing the top matchups and primetime games, including the 18-game Thursday Night Football schedule on CBS, NBC and NFL Network.
A three-hour special, huh? That seems over the top, but this is the NFL, so we'll all lap it up.
The NFL Network says they're going to have reporters stationed in eight (8) cities for the announcement, with Houston being one of those cities. What does that mean? Could it mean that your Houston Texans will open the NFL season against the reigning Super Bowl champions in Denver on Thursday night, as has been rumored? Could it mean a surprising portion of primetime games? Or maybe it's just that the NFL wants to capture Bill O'Brien's understated reaction to the schedule for all eternity.
Remember: We already know which teams the Texans will be playing next season; you can find that list here. In fact, unlike 30 other teams, we even already know the date, opponent, and site of one of their sixteen (16) regular season games. Furthermore, we learned Houston's preseason schedule last week, so tonight's news will answer any remaining questions we have about how things will play out for the Texans in 2016.
Except for the whole draft thing, I guess. Oh, and how the new quarterback will look. Yeah, I suppose there's also some questions about the offensive line, what with the loss of two starters there via free agency. It's also fair to wonder how the offense will look with Lamar Miller at running back, or how the offense will function without Arian Foster.
You know what? Questions will remain even after tonight. They just won't stop us from dissecting the schedule and making outlandishly early predictions about Houston's record in 2016.