When the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans play on Sunday, Oct. 8, it would help Desmond Rider for his team to get off to a fast start. The game will be live streamed on fuboTV (free trial) and DirecTV Stream (free trial).

Back-to-back losses have dropped the Falcons (2-2) to .500 entering Sunday’s game against rookie C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (2-2). The Texans will be trying for their first three-game winning streak since 2018.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith said “the easy thing is to jerk the wheel” by benching Ridder after only four games in his first full season as the starter. Smith said he is not making a change this week.

It could be argued that grabbing the wheel is a dangerous tactic only when a car is moving, and too often the Falcons’ transmission has been stuck in park with Ridder driving. The Falcons have scored only one touchdown in their past two games.

Veteran Taylor Heinicke, who was signed to be Ridder’s backup, would move up if Smith changes starters.

The Falcons won two of four games in Ridder’s audition as the starter to close a 7-10 finish in 2022. The last two games of another 2-2 stretch this season have been ugly. Ridder was hurt by three turnovers last week as the Jaguars beat the Falcons 23-7 in London. Jacksonville led 17-0 at halftime.

Stroud’s 1,212 passing yards rank fourth in the league and are the second-most in a player’s first four games, behind Cam Newton’s 1,386 in 2011.

Stroud has thrown 151 passes without an interception, an NFL rookie record. He has six touchdown passes.

When is Falcons-Texans?

The Falcons and Texans play at noon (1 p.m. ET) on Sunday, Oct. 8.

Will it be live streamed?

FuboTV

The game will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo pro” package, which comprises 146-plus channels for $74.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

There is also the “fubo elite” package, which comprises 205-plus channels for $84.99 per month. It comes with fuboExtra (48 more channels) and News Plus (11 more channels). Plus, more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

The “fubo premiere” package is “fubo elite” with the addition of Showtime for $94.99 per month.

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.

There are four options of DirecTV Stream:

The Entertainment Package, which consists of 65+ channels, is $54.99 until the promotion runs out April 30. It’s the basic package for can’t-miss entertainment – including ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV.

The Choice Package has more than 90 channels and is $74.99 during the promotion. The channels in ENTERTAINMENT, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, college sports networks, and more. Enjoy Regional Sports Networks with no additional fees.

The Ultimate Package has more than 130 channels and is $89.99 during the promotion. Everything in CHOICE, plus Oxygen, Golf Channel, NHL Network, Universal Kids and more.

The Premier Package has more than 140 channels and is $134.99 during the promotion. Everything in ULTIMATE, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and more.

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial that doesn’t require much effort.

To sign up, enter a phone number, email address and credit card, and you’ll receive five days of the service without charge.

In addition, enhance your experience with the DirecTV Stream device. While it doesn’t include a free trial, it give you access to thousands of apps like Netflix and more on Google Play. You can search using the voice remote with Google Assistant, and you can enjoy a traditional live TV channel guide. It is sold separately.

Will it be televised?

The Falcons and Texans will be broadcast on Fox and is subject to blackouts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.