It’s do or die time for the Houston Texans. At 8-5, they are tied for the crown of the AFC South, with none other than an opponent they will see twice in the next three weeks: the Tennessee Titans.
Houston, if they have playoff aspirations, must at least split the series with the Titans and beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sandwich game to ensure their spot in the playoffs.
Texans standout linebacker Zach Cunningham explains.
“I mean, it’s basically what it is. Three games left, we gotta, you know, put our best foot forward going into the rest of the season,” said Cunningham on Monday.
Cunningham, in his third professional season, is a catalyst to the Texans’ success. He already has a career-best in combined tackles with 114, which also paces the team. His 79 solo tackles sit at second in the NFL while his 114 combined ones are sixth.
Of course, Cunningham won’t be the one to lead the Texans to the post-season alone. He needs to rest of the team to step up to the challenge, which he feels like they can do.
“I feel like we are able to step up to the challenge. Just got to go out there and prove it,” said Cunningham.
Houston will have to embark in their three-week stretch to the postseason without their best defensive player, J.J. Watt, who has been out since Week 8. Instead, their defense will be compiled by a lesser-known group, one that Cunningham believes will get the Texans where they want to be.
“Definitely confident in the guys that we have in the locker room. Guys will continue to fight and throughout the whole season,” said Cunningham. “That’s what we continue to show.”
The Texans will begin their playoff quest on Sunday. They will travel to Nashville to face the surging Titans.