“Designed for things like this”

HOUSTON – A little trickery proved an effective strategy for the Texans the last time they hosted a Sunday Night Football game against the New England Patriots.

After a handoff to running back Duke Johnson, a second handoff to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a pitchback option to quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Texans were in the end zone for a touchdown.

Fast forward to Sunday night and the Texans are back in a nationally televised game Sunday night as they welcome the Chicago Bears and rookie quarterback and first overall pick Caleb Williams to NRG Stadium.

The reigning AFC South champions, who started the season 1-0 after a season-opening away win over the Indianapolis Colts, are seven-point favourites.

“I’m definitely ready, man,” Texans receiver Tank Dell said. “I’m built for this stuff. I’m built for this kind of game. I’m ready, that’s all I can say.”

It’s a sign of growth for the Texans, who have a franchise-record six national games with four prime-time games this season after completing a dramatic turnaround to finish 11-8 in coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season that included an AFC wild-card playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns.

“Wherever we play, whoever we play, we’re just excited to have another opportunity to get better and play football,” Ryans said. “So to have the opportunity to play here in our home stadium on Sunday night, we know our fans are going to be excited. Our players are excited. We need our stadium to be in tip-top shape on Sunday night. Show up, make some noise, be loud. We need it to be a true home-field advantage so they can communicate on offense and be as loud as they can be.”

A year ago, the Texans weren’t even a secondary consideration when NFL decision-makers were scheduling the most prestigious games on the regular-season schedule.

This year, a game against the Baltimore Ravens is airing on Netflix on Christmas Day. Last year, the Texans didn’t play a single game in prime time, except for a night game against the Colts, which helped them win the division title and a playoff spot.

This is the first of two Sunday night games on NBC for the Texans, who won a playoff game last season against the Cleveland Browns, including a Nov. 10 home game against the Detroit Lions. The Texans travel to face the New York Jets and former NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers in an Amazon Prime Thursday night game on Oct. 31 against the New York Jets. And they’ll face the Dallas Cowboys on the road in a Monday night game in a battle to see who’s the best NFL team in Texas.

“Your family is watching you, so you have to commit to the name on the back of your jersey,” wide receiver Nico Collins said. “Commit to yourself, commit to your city, have fun and enjoy every moment. I feel like that’s what we’re about to do. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.”

The Texans have invested heavily in their roster, including trading Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, as well as a two-year, $51 million deal for Pro Bowl defensive end and Morton Ranch graduate Danielle Hunter.

Diggs caught two touchdowns against the Colts. Mixon rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 30 carries in Indianapolis.

The Texans plan to open the roof of NRG Stadium for this night football game. The stadium was damaged by Hurricane Beryl and is nearly repaired with plans for a full repair by the Week 4 home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Texans principal owner Cal McNair said of the prime-time excitement.

Williams is a stellar scrambler who had an anemic start as a passer, throwing for an NFL-low 93 yards in a win over the Tennessee Titans.

The Texans reviewed Williams’ USC film to prepare for this matchup against the former Heisman Trophy winner.

“We all kind of went back to college to see what he did well there,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “I think he’s an elite player at making throws out of the pocket. He’s got really, really good arm talent all day long. He’s got a real knack for making real plays and making throws out of the pocket.”

The Texans allowed a lot of deep balls against the Colts with multiple coverage errors.

“What I see offensively is starting with the quarterback, Caleb, I think he’s a really exciting player to watch, strong arm, guy can move in the pocket, rush to throw,” Ryans said. “You’ve got to stay on your coverage because he’s going to find somebody deep. We’ve got to be on the details there when it comes to watching him move in the pocket. We’ve got to make sure we’re as sticky as possible in coverage against them.”

A year ago, the Houston Texans weren’t even a last-minute consideration when NFL decision-makers were planning the most prestigious part of their schedule.

It’s a moment for the franchise, which has all-new uniforms, including white-on-white jerseys and pants for this game.

The Texans, led by Pro Bowl quarterback CJ Stroud, have improved dramatically.

“I’m still going to be myself,” Stroud said. “I don’t get caught up in the hype and the crowds that are playing away or at home. It doesn’t really bother me. I just try to execute and do my game, do what I need to do at a high level. Hopefully with it being a night game, people will come a little earlier.”

“Maybe because of the traffic in Houston, people are coming in a little late. And then on offense, if they could be a little quieter, that would help. Especially when we’re going fast, it’s hard for guys to hear me. So, I think we can do a little better with that. But hey, we love the energy.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com