The only question for the Houston Texans now is where they will be headed in the first round of the playoffs. And yes, that still technically includes staying home at NRG Stadium for a wild-card round.
Sitting at 11-5 following a 20-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Texans are officially in the playoffs. They might not win the AFC South division title, but for a third straight season under DeMeco Ryans, Houston will be playing football in January.
“I know how they work throughout training camp, when nobody’s watching,” Ryans said postgame. “I know how close our team got throughout training camp and throughout the season. I know how we just have guys who are true believers, who are unwavering in their faith, guys who come to work every single day, put in the work no matter what they’re saying on the outside.”
So, what must Houston do clinch its spot as the division winner? For starters, the Texans must win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18’s season finale. Then, they need to be pulling for the Tennessee Titans to pull off the upset to claim another division title.
Should the Jaguars and Texans win, Jacksonville could jump to the No. 2 seed, depending on the outcome of the game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. As for Houston, it would be the highest wild-card team thanks to wins over the Chargers and Buffalo Bills in the regular season, thus leading to a road trip to either Baltimore or Pittsburgh as the No. 4 seed.
Here’s the latest AFC playoff picture entering Monday’s matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams:
NFL playoff picture (AFC)Denver Broncos: 13-3New England Patriots: 13-3Jacksonville Jaguars: 12-4Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8Houston Texans 11-5Los Angeles Chargers – 11-5Buffalo Bills: 11-5
The Baltimore Ravens (8-8) are also still in the hunt in the AFC, though Baltimore is out of contention for a wild-card spot since it has head-to-head losses to both Houston and Buffalo.