For Houston.. It’s simple as this..

If the Jaguars lose either one of their upcoming games against the Colts or Titans and Houston beats the Colts in Week 18..

the Texans will win the AFC South for the third consecutive season.

— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) December 28, 2025

The Houston Texans are still in the running for the AFC South division title, but the pathway to secure a third straight home playoff game in the wild-card round is on thin ice following Sunday’s battle out at Lucas Oil Stadium.

With the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans could only finish with the same record as Jacksonville. That only happens if the Texans win in Week 18’s battle against the Colts and the Jaguars fall short to the Tennessee Titans.

Since the Texans and Jaguars would be tied at 12-5, the Texans would win the division with a 5-1 record in division play while the Jaguars would finish 4-2.

Houston’s defense continues to be the backbone of the team’s successful eight-game winning streak. They totaled five sacks in their 20-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers that served as the clinching moment for a third consecutive playoff berth under DeMeco Ryans and Co.

“These guys have been playing lights out, all year, every single game,” Ryans said. “But the way the D-line showed up today with sack after sack, really putting pressure on the quarterback, it was really cool to see a lot of different guys get a sack.”

Behind a bloody day from Trevor Lawrence through the air, the Jaguars clinched their first 12-win season since 2005. The defense forced two sacks on Philip Rivers while Lawrence scored two touchdowns with his legs in the red zone.

Entering the closing window of Week 17, the Texans are the No. 6 seed and would face off against the Jaguars in the wild-card round of the playoffs at EverBank Stadium. With a Bills‘ loss to the Eagles in the later window, Houston would move to the No. 5 seed and face off against the winner of the AFC North.

Kickoff for Week 18’s battle against has yet to be determined entering Sudnay evening.