The Texans are appearing in HBO's famed "Hard Knocks" series, but it's the 49ers who have gone through a series of hard knocks in the offseason. The departure of former head coach Jim Harbaugh has opened the door for a new tenure in the Bay Area.

Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Football Preview

The head coaching debut of Jim Tomsula can be found here (requires free trial registration).

Preview

Game Time: 8 p.m. ET

Location: NRG Stadium, Houston

Weather: 88°F, Partly Cloudy

Odds: Texans -3.5, per Bovada

Radio: San Francisco (107.7 The Bone); Houston (CBS 610)

Position Battles To Watch

49ers: If you need a tight end, give San Francisco a look on Saturday. Vernon Davis enters as the team's unquestioned No. 1, but seven others are vying for minutes this preseason. Busta Anderson, Blake Bell, Derek Carrier, Garrett Celek, Asante Cleveland, Xavier Grimble and Vance McDonald are all competing for the remaining three roster spots at TE.

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Texans: Both Brandon Harris and A.J. Bouye will receive plenty of playing time for Houston this preseason, but the third cornerback position is there to be had. Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph have all but secured a starting role for the Texans.

Performance To Examine

The key to San Francisco's season rests on the shoulders of Colin Kaepernick. In order to alleviate that pressure, the 49ers acquired the deep-ball talents of Torrey Smith. The wideout signed with the team after spending his first four NFL campaigns with the Ravens.

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