Reigning Defensive Player of the Year J. J. Watt and the Houston Texans weren't great in 2014, but they were able to improve by seven wins over their poor 2013 season. They were right near the middle of the league in both offensive and defensive yards, so an improvement in either side of the ball should help them make it back to the Playoffs.

The Texans are lucky enough to play in the poor AFC South and go into the 2015 season with one of the easiest schedules in the league.

Home: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Away: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers

Here are three of the matchups to keep an eye on:

Indianapolis Colts: The Texans could sweep their series against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans and still miss the playoffs if they aren't able to beat the Colts, which is why these are the most important games on their schedule. They have been swept two years in a row by Indy, so their goal is to at least win their home matchup against the reigning AFC South champs.

New England Patriots: The Texans are lucky enough to get their toughest non-divisional game at home this year. They haven't beaten the Patriots since 2008, which happened to be the last time these two teams squared off in Houston.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Texans don't have a very tough schedule away from home this season, so they could end up with a great road record if they can defeat the Bengals. These two teams put up similar numbers on both sides of the ball last year, which means this game has a good chance of going down to the wire.

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