The Houston Texans were dead in the water. CJ Stroud and company were 0-3 after their first three games of the season. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts were off to a strong 3-0 start, and the Jacksonville Jaguars had plenty of talent to spare as well.
How were the Texans going to find their way out of the hole they had dug themselves? Well, they did just that, going 12-2 in their final 14 games of the year, finishing behind the Jacksonville Jaguars by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Breaking Down the Texans’ Next Opponent
The Texans are in the playoffs as the top-seeded Wild Card team and earned a trip to Pittsburgh to face off against Aaron Rodgers and his Steelers. That game was played on Monday Night Football, and Houston came away with a dominant win.
The Texans already know where they are headed since they had the last game of the week. After their win tonight against the Steelers, Houston will face the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. The Texans will once again be on the road, and the game will be played on Sunday.
According to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, Houston has the second-best defense in the league. Pittsburgh had a tough challenge ahead in the Wild Card round, which they ultimately failed to overcome.
On the other side, the Denver Broncos will host the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. The Texans will like their chances against either of them if they were to reach the AFC Championship Game.
The Texans beat up Josh Allen the first time those two teams met this year, sacking him eight times en route to a 23-19 victory. The Broncos did beat the Texans this season, but it was another game started by Davs Mills in a low-scoring affair.
Can the Texans Host a Divisional Round Game?
Yes, it was possible before the start of the Wild Card round games. The path toward that was hoping that both road teams in the AFC would win before the Texans kicked off on the road in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
In that scenario, they would have hosted the Buffalo Bills, with a chance to host the AFC Championship Game if the Chargers were to then upset the Denver Broncos after beating the New England Patriots.
Unfortunately, that scenario is no longer possible. However, if the Texans defeat the Steelers and the Patriots, and the Bills advance past the Broncos, then Houston will host the AFC Championship Game.
