The Texans are set to return to the NFL playoffs in star quarterback C.J. Stroud’s sophomore season.
Houston, already owning the AFC South title, is locked into its No. 4 seed in the bracket. No Week 18 results can alter the Texans’ seeding, meaning they don’t have anything left to play for in the regular season.
However, their first-round opponent has yet to be decided. Houston will host its first playoff matchup, but it will be against a currently unknown opponent.
Who could the Texans play in the playoffs? Entering Week 18, here are the potential squads that Houston could soon face in the postseason.
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Who will the Texans play in the wild-card round?
Houston will face Tennessee to end the regular season, but the matchup has no bearing on the playoff picture. Multiple other matchups, though, could impact the Texans’ first-round playoff game.
The Texans are locked into the AFC’s fourth seed, meaning they will host the fifth seed. Let’s break down the three teams still in the mix for that fifth seed.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh entered the final week of the season as the No. 5 seed in the AFC, but a loss to the Bengals on Saturday night knocked the Steelers down to the No. 6 spot. However, the Steelers own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the 10-6 Chargers.
As such, the Steelers would travel to face the Texans if Las Vegas upsets the Chargers.
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Los Angeles Chargers
Finally, the Chargers also have a clear path to a first-round matchup against Houston after Cincinnati took down Pittsburgh. The Chargers just need to handle business against Las Vegas to finish as the No. 5 seed.
This scenario would see the Steelers finish at 10-7, with the Chargers finishing 11-6. If that happens, the Chargers would face the Texans in the first round of the playoffs.
