2020 Houston Texans season
2020 Houston Texans season | |
---|---|
Owner | D. Cal McNair |
General manager | Bill O'Brien (fired Oct. 5) Jack Easterby (interim) |
Head coach | Bill O'Brien (fired Oct. 5, 0–4 record) Romeo Crennel (interim, 4–8 record) |
Offensive coordinator | Tim Kelly |
Defensive coordinator | Anthony Weaver |
Home field | NRG Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 4–12 |
Division place | 3rd AFC South |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | QB Deshaun Watson OT Laremy Tunsil |
Uniform | |
The
Following their first 0–4 start since 2008 and the trade of DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, the Texans fired O'Brien on October 5, 2020.[3] Romeo Crennel was later named as interim head coach and broke the record for oldest NFL head coach in history at 73 years and 112 days old.[4][nb 1] The season was stained with drama primarily consisting of trade rumors about Deshaun Watson and J. J. Watt and locker room issues. The Texans would lose many close games this year, with 8 of their 12 losses being decided by 8 points or less.
Draft
2020 Houston Texans draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 40 | Ross Blacklock | DT | TCU | from Arizona |
3 | 90 | Jonathan Greenard | OLB | Florida | |
4 | 126 | Charlie Heck | OT | North Carolina | from LA Rams |
4 | 141 | John Reid | CB | Penn State | from Miami |
5 | 171 | Isaiah Coulter | WR | Rhode Island | |
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Draft trades
- The Texans traded their offensive tackle Julién Davenport, and cornerback Johnson Bademosi to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a 2020 fourth-round selection, and a 2021 sixth-round selection.[5]
- The Texans traded defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebacker Jacob Martin, linebacker Barkevious Mingo, and a third-round selection.[6]
- The Texans traded the third-round selection gained from Seattle in the Jadeveon Clowney trade to the Las Vegas Raiders (then Oakland Raiders) in exchange for cornerback Gareon Conley.[7]
- The Texans traded a conditional fourth-round selection (that became a third round selection after meeting aforementioned condition) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for running back Duke Johnson.[8]
- The Texans traded a sixth-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for cornerback Keion Crossen.[9]
- The Texans traded 2021 NFL Draft.[10]
- The Texans traded a second-round selection (No. 57) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a 2022 fourth-round selection.[11]
- The Texans traded a fourth-round selection (136th) and two seventh-round selections (248th and 250th) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fourth-round selection (126th).[12]
- The Texans traded a seventh-round selection (240th) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round selection.[13]
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
Preseason
The Texans' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]
Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 14 | at Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
2 | August 22 | Seattle Seahawks | NRG Stadium | |
3 | August 29 | at New Orleans Saints | Mercedes-Benz Superdome
| |
4 | September 3 | Dallas Cowboys | NRG Stadium |
Regular season
Schedule
The Texans' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.[14]
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 10 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 20–34 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 20 | Baltimore Ravens | L 16–33 | 0–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
3 | September 27 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 21–28 | 0–3 | Heinz Field
|
Recap |
4 | October 4 | Minnesota Vikings | L 23–31 | 0–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
5 | October 11 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 30–14 | 1–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
6 | October 18 | at Tennessee Titans | L 36–42 (OT) | 1–5 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
7 | October 25 | Green Bay Packers | L 20–35 | 1–6 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
8 | Bye | |||||
9 | November 8 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–25 | 2–6 | TIAA Bank Field
|
Recap |
10 | November 15 | at Cleveland Browns | L 7–10 | 2–7 | FirstEnergy Stadium
|
Recap |
11 | November 22 | New England Patriots | W 27–20 | 3–7 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
12 | November 26 | at Detroit Lions | W 41–25 | 4–7 | Ford Field | Recap |
13 | December 6 | Indianapolis Colts | L 20–26 | 4–8 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
14 | December 13 | at Chicago Bears | L 7–36 | 4–9 | Soldier Field | Recap |
15 | December 20 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 20–27 | 4–10 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
16 | December 27 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 31–37 | 4–11 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
17 | January 3 | Tennessee Titans | L 38–41 | 4–12 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
Chiefs | 0 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 10
- Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 56 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 15,895
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the loss, the Texans began the season at 0–1 for the fourth consecutive season.
Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ravens | 3 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
Texans | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
at
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the loss, the Texans dropped to 0–2 for the first time since the 2018 season.
Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Steelers | 3 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 28 |
at
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
The Texans held a 21–17 lead at halftime, but were shutout in the second half to lose 21–28. With the loss, Houston fell to 0–3 for the first time since 2018.
Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
Texans | 0 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 23 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 12,102
- Referee:
Game information | ||
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With this loss, the Texans dropped to 0–4 for the first time since the 2008 season. The following day, head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien was fired.
Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Texans | 0 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 30 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 12,413
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Sherree Burruss
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the win, the Texans improved to 1–4 and 1–0 under interim head coach Romeo Crennel.
Week 6: at Tennessee Titans
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 0 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 36 |
Titans | 14 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 42 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 10,166
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Jay Feely
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the loss, the Texans dropped to 1–5 and 1–1 under Crennel.
Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
Texans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 12,618
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the loss, the Texans fell to 1–6 and 1–2 under Crennel.
Week 9: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 10 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
Jaguars | 7 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 25 |
at
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 15,668
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the close victory, the Texans improved to 2–6 and 2–2 under Crennel. This was also their sixth consecutive win against the Jaguars.
Week 10: at Cleveland Browns
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Browns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Rain, 59 °F (15 °C)
- Game attendance: 10,613
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Matt Millen and Sara Walsh
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
The game was delayed moments before kickoff due to severe weather, with the weather delay lasting for 37 minutes.
With the close loss, the Texans fell to 2–7 and 2–3 under Crennel.
Week 11: vs. New England Patriots
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patriots | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
Texans | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 12,503
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and AJ Ross
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
Days prior to the game, New England head coach Bill Belichick stated that Romeo Crennel is the best coach he ever worked with. The two previously worked together with the New York Giants in the 80s, while Crennel served as Belichick's defensive coordinator on the Patriots from 2001 to 2004. This is the second time Crennel will face off against his former team as a head coach.[16] At the time of kickoff, Belichick and Crennel will set a record for the oldest head coaching matchup in NFL history at 68 and 73 years old, respectively, for a combined age of 141 years.[17][nb 2]
With the win, the Texans improved to 3–7 and 3–3 under Crennel.
Week 12: at Detroit Lions
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 13 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 41 |
Lions | 7 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 25 |
at
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
With the win, the Texans improved to 4–7 and 4–3 under Crennel. The day following the game, it was announced that receiver Kenny Stills would be cut from the team. The move was a mutual decision between Stills and the team.[18]
Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 14 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
Texans | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 57 °F (14 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 12,316
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Sherree Burruss
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Texans fell to 4–8 and 4–4 under Crennel.
Week 14: at Chicago Bears
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Bears | 7 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 36 |
at
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 34 °F (1 °C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Land Clark
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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With this loss, the Texans were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2017. The Texans fell to 4–9 and 4–5 under Crennel.
Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
Colts | 14 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
at
Game information | ||
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Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 7 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 37 |
Texans | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information | ||
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After the loss, J. J. Watt was seen at the postgame poastal during his interview very angry about how the season had gone up to that point. With the loss, the Texans fell to 4–11.
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Titans | 3 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 41 |
Texans | 3 | 6 | 19 | 10 | 38 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: January 3, 2021
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 12,504
- Referee:
Game information | ||
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|
With the loss, the Texans finished their season at 4–12 and were swept by the Titans for the first time since 2007. This was also Deshaun Watson's final game as the Texans starting quarterback, as he sat out the entire 2021 season due to a trade demand and multiple allegations of sexual assault, which then led to him being traded to the Cleveland Browns just before the 2022 season.
Standings
Division
AFC South | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(4) Tennessee Titans | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 491 | 439 | W1 |
(7) Indianapolis Colts | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 451 | 362 | W1 |
Houston Texans | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 384 | 464 | L5 |
Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 1–5 | 1–11 | 306 | 492 | L15 |
Conference
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .465 | .464 | L1 |
2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .512 | .471 | W6 |
3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .475 | .448 | L1 |
4[a] | Tennessee Titans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .475 | .398 | W1 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5[b][c] | Baltimore Ravens | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .494 | .401 | W5 |
6[c][d] | Cleveland Browns | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .451 | .406 | W1 |
7[a][b][d] | Indianapolis Colts | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .443 | .384 | W1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
8 | Miami Dolphins | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .467 | .347 | L1 |
9 | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .539 | .477 | W1 |
10[e] | New England Patriots | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .527 | .429 | W1 |
11[e] | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .482 | .344 | W4 |
12 | Denver Broncos | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .566 | .388 | L3 |
13 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .438 | L1 |
14 | Houston Texans | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .541 | .219 | L5 |
15 | New York Jets | East | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .594 | .656 | L1 |
16 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .549 | .688 | L15 |
Tiebreakers[f]
| |||||||||||
|
Statistics
Team
Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
---|---|---|---|
Passing offense | 4,538 | 283.6 | 4th |
Rushing offense | 1,466 | 91.6 | 31st |
Total offense[19] | 6,004 | 375.3 | 13th |
Passing defense | 4,104 | 256.5 | 24th |
Rushing defense | 2,564 | 160.3 | 32nd |
Total defense[20] | 6,668 | 416.8 | 30th |
Individual
Category | Player | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
Offense | |||
Passing yards | Deshaun Watson | 4,823 | |
Passing touchdowns | Deshaun Watson | 33 | |
Rushing yards | David Johnson | 691 | |
Rushing touchdowns | David Johnson | 6 | |
Receiving yards | Brandin Cooks | 1,150 | |
Receiving touchdowns | Will Fuller | 8 | |
Defense | |||
Tackles (Solo) | Zach Cunningham | 106 | |
Sacks | J. J. Watt | 5 | |
Interceptions | J. J. Watt Bradley Roby Vernon Hargreaves |
1 |
Source:[21]
Notes
- ^ The previous record was held by Chicago Bears head coach and NFL co-founder George Halas at 72 years and 318 days old. The last game Halas coached was on December 17, 1967.
- ^ The previous record was set during week 2 of the 2020 season between Belichick (68) and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (69) at 137 combined years.
See also
- List of NFL teams affected by internal conflict
References
- ^ "DeAndre Hopkins trolls Texans for getting eliminated from playoffs". December 13, 2020.
- ^ "Deshaun Watson traded to Cleveland Browns; QB set to sign deal worth $230M guaranteed, sources say". ESPN.com. March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "Texans fire Bill O'Brien as general manager, head coach". www.nfl.com. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Breech, John (October 8, 2020). "Oldest NFL coach ever: Texans' Romeo Crennel will break record in Week 5 that has stood for nearly 55 years". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Gantt, Darin (August 31, 2019). "Dolphins fire sale sends Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills to Texans". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ Patra, Kevin (August 31, 2019). "Seahawks acquire DE Jadeveon Clowney from Texans". NFL.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ Patra, Kevin (October 21, 2019). "Raiders trade CB Gareon Conley to Houston Texans". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ "Browns trade Duke Johnson to Texans for 2020 pick". NFL.com. August 8, 2019.
- ^ Thomas, Oliver (August 31, 2019). "Patriots reportedly deal corner Keion Crossen to Texans". PatsPulpit.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ "Cards get DeAndre Hopkins, ship RB David Johnson to Texans". ESPN.com. ESPN. March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ "Rams trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks to Houston in deal for second-round pick". Cbssports.com. April 9, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ Patrick D. Starr (April 25, 2020). "Texans draft North Carolina offensive tackle Charlie Heck". Si.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Aime Just (April 25, 2020). "Saints trade back into 7th round, draft Mississippi State QB Tommy Stevens". Nola.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Shook, Nick. "Texans-Browns kickoff delayed due to severe weather in Cleveland". NFL.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- CBSSports. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- CBSSports. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- NBCSports. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- ^ "2020 NFL Team Total Offense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ "2020 NFL Team Total Defense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ "2020 Texans Statistics". Houston Texans. Retrieved March 23, 2022.