Texans secure No. 5 seed in NFL playoffs: Who will Houston play?

4 days ago 2

With the comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts, plus the Jacksonville Jaguars' victory over the Tennessee Titans, the Houston Texans know who they're taking on in the wild-card round next week.

The Texans officially secured the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. As the highest-seeded among wild card teams, Houston will take on the lowest-ranked division winner.

Who is that? The winner of the AFC North, which won't be decided until the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens play on Sunday Night Football. Regardless of the winner, the victor will automatically clinch the No. 4 seed with either a 10-7 record or a 9-8 finish.

Behind a six-field-goal afternoon from Ka'imi Fairbairn, including the game-clinching 43-yard field goal with less than 10 seconds remaining, the Texans secure their ninth straight win to close out the season with a 38-30 win over the Colts. Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai scooped up a fumble on the final play and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown just for good measure to ensure a victory.

With the win, the Texans move to 12-5, marking their best finish as a franchise since 2012. While starters on offense rested in the second half, C.J. Stroud still made plays in the first half. The third-year starter accounted for two touchdowns, including a 2-yard scramble in the second quarter to give Houston a six-point lead going into halftime.

The NFL typically finalizes and announces the full Wild Card Weekend schedule, which includes specific days, times, and TV assignments for all six games late, often during or shortly after the conclusion of the Sunday Night Football game.

Houston is expected to play in the Monday Night Football game, though nothing is set in stone.

Here's the schedule of opponents for both sides entering Wild Card Weekend.