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As the preseason reaches its final week, the Los Angeles Rams are hitting the road to take on the Houston Texans at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET. Here’s a rundown of how to watch the Rams vs Texans online without cable, with the live streaming options being dependent on where you reside:
If The Game is in Your Market
First, you’ll want to know what channel the game is on. It’s on CBS in Los Angeles and ABC in Houston, and it will be on either ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW or MyTV in other cities.
Then, if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of one, some or all of these channels (in select markets) on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV or other streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
Fans in Los Angeles, Houston & Other Select Markets: Hulu With Live TV
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC & CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area).
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Rams vs Texans on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Fans in Los Angeles, Beaumont & Other Select Markets: Amazon Prime
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in Los Angeles, Beaumont, Corpus Christi and other markets), and you don’t need any other channels, Amazon Prime’s CBS channel is a great option.
If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all live and on-demand CBS content via the CBS All-Access Amazon Channel, which comes with a seven-day free trial.
Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the CBS channel, you can then watch a live stream of the Rams vs Texans on your computer via the Amazon website, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or other streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
Fans in Los Angeles & Other Select Markets: FuboTV
Fox, NBC, CBS and CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area) are among the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports. ABC is not included, so fans in Houston will want to use a different option.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Rams vs Texans on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Fans in Los Angeles, Houston & Other Select Markets: PlayStation Vue
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages, all of which include Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC and MyTV (all live in select markets; view channels in your area).
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Rams vs Texans on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PS Vue comes with cloud DVR.
If The Game is Out of Your Market
You can watch every out-of-market preseason NFL game online via NFL Game Pass, which costs $99.99 for the season (or you can pay four installments of $29.99).
You can start a free trial of NFL Game Pass right here, and then if the game is outside of your market, you can watch the Rams vs Texans on your computer via the Game Pass website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NFL app.
If You’re in Canada: DAZN
Viewers in Canada can watch every preseason, regular season and postseason NFL game live online via DAZN, a digital streaming service that also includes NFL Network, NFL RedZone, Premier League soccer, Champions League soccer, boxing and other live sports for $20 per month or $150 per year.
You can sign up for a free one-month trial of DAZN right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Rams vs Texans and every other NFL game on your computer via DAZN.com, or on your phone, tablet, smart TV, Roku, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the DAZN app.
Rams vs. Texans Preview
As the preseason hits its final week, most teams will take a long, hard look at the deepest part of their depth charts with 53-man roster cuts on the horizon. Few, if any starters usually see the field in the preseason finale.
Most teams play just four preseason games — the exception being the two teams who play in the annual Hall of Fame Game — hoping to find a balance between staying sharp and avoiding injuries. That being said, there are always injuries that arise in the exhibition games that leave teams and fans with their heads in their hands.
The Rams — the Super Bowl runner-up last season — are 1-2 this preseason, having won their latest contest against the Denver Broncos 10-6. The Rams have played their starters minimally this preseason, including leaving several stars at home for a trip to Hawaii to face the Cowboys at Aloha Stadium.
“I think you always want to try and keep your guys healthy,” McVay told reporters. “I think the biggest thing that we’ve said for us, is we just feel like that’s the best approach for our team. I don’t think anybody has the intention of guys getting injured and that’s unfortunate – you never want to see that.
“But, it’s part of the evaluation and part of some people’s philosophy on getting guys ready to go for the regular season. We feel confident and comfortable with the approach we’re taking and we understand that it might not be for everybody. But we feel like it’s worked best for us and that’s why we’ve gone in that direction, as you know.”
The Texans on the other hand are now in need of finding a viable running back solution after starter and Pro Bowl talent Lamar Miller went down on his first carry of the game against the Cowboys last week. It was revealed shortly after the contest that Miller tore his ACL and will miss the season.
Duke Johnson Jr. — who the Texans traded for earlier this offseason — is the next man up on the depth chart.
Don’t expect Johnson to earn his paycheck running between the tackles. Johnson, who’s in his fifth season out of Miami, has played the third down back role for most of his career, averaging over 500 yards receiving per season in his career.
Johnson joined the Browns as a third-round pick in 2015. He appeared in 64 games with 10 starts. In all, he registered 1,286 rushing yards and 2,170 receiving yards on 235 receptions with 13 total touchdowns.
But the Texans also got some news that favored them when their division rival Indianapolis saw quarterback Andrew Luck retire. That opens up the AFC South as the Colts look to ride the talents of Jacoby Brissett, who will now take the reins under center.
The Texans start their year in New Orleans against the Saints on Monday Night Football, while the Rams travel to take on the Panthers in Week 1.