The Houston Texans continued their late-season surge, closing December with a string of victories that pushed them into the NFL playoffs for the third consecutive season — a franchise first.
After a 0-3 start that had fans and analysts doubting their postseason prospects, the Texans won eight straight games to improve to 11-5 and secure a spot in January’s tournament. The pivotal victory came Saturday night in Inglewood, Calif., where Houston beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-16 to clinch at least a wild-card berth.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud sparked the Texans with two explosive touchdown passes on Houston’s first two drives, connecting for a 75-yard strike to Jayden Higgins and a 43-yard score to Jaylin Noel. Despite throwing two interceptions, Stroud finished with 244 yards through the air as the Texans extended their winning streak to eight games, their longest such stretch since 2018.
“It’s what you fight for during the season, for an opportunity to be in the playoffs and go win it all,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. “We earned that. It wasn’t given to us.”
Houston’s defense also played a significant role, recording multiple sacks and holding the Chargers in check during key moments. Los Angeles missed a field goal and an extra point in the fourth quarter, mistakes that proved costly in the final outcome.
The win snapped the Chargers’ four-game winning streak, handed the Denver Broncos the AFC West title, and effectively eliminated Indianapolis from playoff contention.
Earlier in the week, the Texans defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 23-21 at NRG Stadium Dec. 21, a hard-fought game that marked Houston’s seventh straight win and kept momentum building as they entered the final stretch of the regular season.
Houston enters Week 18 still alive in the AFC South title race, needing a win over the Indianapolis Colts and a Jacksonville loss to capture the division crown. If that doesn’t materialize, the Texans are poised to remain in the playoff field as a wild-card team.The Texans’ turnaround from an early 0-3 mark to an 11-5 finish (entering Week 18) and a third straight postseason appearance underscores a season of resilience and growth.