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Preview Texans' Final Preseason Game vs. Panthers
Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) stands in the pocket on a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Texans are on the cusp of their third and final preseason game of the year against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night, and a game which marks their first road trip of the season, following their first two home bouts against the LA Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.

And it was in those first two matchups for the Texans where they've failed to come out with a win in either. Houston lost in blowout fashion against the Chargers, 7-27, and lost to the Las Vegas Raiders last week, 20-22.

Time will tell if the Texans will be able to right the ship for week three of preseason action––where most, if not all, starters are expected to be resting––just a couple of weeks away before the regular season kicks off.

Here's how to watch the action taking place in Charlotte on Friday:

How to Watch Texans' Preseason Game vs. Raiders

Date: Friday, Aug. 28

Time: 6 p.m. CT

Location: Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, NC

TV Information

TV channel (local): ABC 13 KTRK

Streaming: NFL+ | Fubo | YouTube TV

The Texans are primarily going to be rolling with their backups in this one,per comments from head coach DeMeco Ryans earlier this week, which comes after Houston and Carolina faced off in a joint scrimmage on Wednesday.

The two sides and their first teams got reps with one another, the Texans performed well in those, and as a result, rolling out starters for another game of exhibition action isn't going to be the approach Houston is taking on Friday.

Nonetheless, there's still going to be a handful of noteworthy storylines worth keeping an eye on as the Texans take the trip to Charlotte, with roster cuts sitting just a couple of days away, combined with players fighting for positioning on the depth chart:

Storylines Worth Keeping an Eye On

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

- Brett Rypien's case to remain as QB3: The Texans won't be playing C.J. Stroud like they did in last week's contest, meaning Davis Mills and newly-signed Brett Rypien will be handling duties under center. And for Rypien in particular, this matchup could be a dire point in certifying himself as one of the 53 names to make it past cutdown day.

With a lackluster game two vs. the Raiders, another lowly outing here against Carolina gives the Texans even less incentive to hold three quarterbacks on the roster for Week 1.

- The workload between Kayshon Boutte, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones: The Texans have brought three wide receivers onto the roster since the last time they stepped onto the field––two being veterans from the free agent market, the other being Boutte in their recent trade with the New England Patriots.

How will the Texans deploy them, how do they look, and could either of the veterans be in line to cement themselves on the roster past this weekend? This position group will be one of the more fascinating ones to watch throughout the night.

- How is the edge depth going to recover?: The Texans' edge room has seen a ton of health troubles in recent days, with four depth pieces likely not suiting up for this one due to a short- or long-term injury.

So now, the attention turns towards who else in the room can step up. Solomon Byrd, Sebastian Harris, and Derek Parish will be those who probably get the most reps for the Texans off the edge against Carolina, and a big day from any of them could be the perfect boost to their stock heading into this weekend.


This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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