Hogs Haven
The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.
2026 opponent preview series: Wk 1 Eagles | Wk 2 Cowboys | Wk 3 Seahawks | Wk 4 Colts | Wk 5 Giants | Wk 6 49ers | Wk 9 Rams | Wk 11 Bengals | Wk 12 Cardinals | Wk 13 Titans
In 2026, the Commanders will, like every other team in the NFL, play 17 games against 14 opponents. With the amount of roster change that NFL teams undergo annually along with the unusually large number of head coach and coordinator changes in 2026, it seems useful to spend some time to review each of Washington’s regular season opponents.
TEXANS
After playing 3 road games in 4 weeks, the Commanders play the Texans at Northwest Stadium, December 13th at 1 p.m. ET. The Texans won 12 games last season, but finished in 2nd place (behind the 13-4 Jaguars) in the AFC South. They fell to the eventual AFC Champion Patriots in the divisional round after beating the Steelers decisively in the wild card round.
The Texans are ranked #13 on the ESPN preseason Power Index.
Date: December 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland
By Week 14, the playoff picture is likely starting to shaking out. The Texans will be looking at 3 tough games after their visit to Washington — with Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and Green Bay in Weeks 15, 16, and 17. The Commanders will have the Falcons, Vikings, and Jaguars in the same three weeks. Houston will be looking for a win before 3 tough games, two of them on the road. Washington will, hopefully, be trying to keep a winning streak alive after road games against the Cardinals and Titans.
This has the makings of a very good Sunday afternoon game between two teams, each in pursuit of a playoff spot and in need of every possible win.
This series has a very short history, dating back only to 2002, when the Texans played their first season of NFL football.
Washington and Houston have played one game every four years since that time and have never met in the playoffs. In fact, no team in the NFL has played fewer games against the burgundy & gold than the Texans.
In the 6 games played between the two teams, things stand even at 3-3-0.
The Commanders won the most recent game in November 2022, when a Taylor Heinicke-led team held a 20-0 halftime...
