Even with a loss on Christmas Day, the Houston Texans have won in 2024.
Fresh off a 10-win campaign and playoff appearance, C.J. Stroud guided the AFC South champions back to a division title. Amid a slew of injuries, the Texans were also to poach nine wins entering Week 17’s bout against the Baltimore Ravens.
And with a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 18, Houston would secure another double-digit victory season under second-year coach DeMeco Ryans.
Remarkably, the Texans might be 1-2 over a three-game span, but given their schedule and myriad of injuries, they’re lucky to be in the postseason conversation with the option to rest starters against a struggling Titans team.
The question is, will they?
Ryans said Monday that starters would see action. How much? That’s on a different timeline that could be determined on the games outlook.
“For us, right now, we’ve got to go play better,” Ryans said. “And our last outing on the field was not good enough, not representative of who we are defensively, offensively, just – it’s not a good representation of our team entirely. So, we’ve got to go out and we’ve got to play better football.”
There’s a real benefit to resting starters and keeping them healthy for the playoffs, but there’s also motivation to win Sunday’s game against the Titans.
It’s not a completely meaningless game for the Texans despite them already clinching the division title and a home game in the wild-card round.
Since 2002, the Texans have only finished with 10 wins five times. They haven’t secured back-to-back 10-win seasons since 2019, when the team went 12-4 en route to a date with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.
There’s also history on the line for several players. Running back Joe Mixon needs seven yards to become the first Texans player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Carlos Hyde in 2019.
Receiver Nico Collins is 32 yards shy of securing a second 1,000-yard receiving season, a first for Houston since the days of DeAndre Hopkins and third all-time.
And while defensive end Will Anderson Jr. has 11 sacks on the year, he’s two away from becoming the first Texans player to record 20 career sacks in two years since J.J. Watt in 2012.
With a win, Houston would also finish 5-1 in the AFC South division, a first for the franchise since 2016. The Texans could also help Tennessee shore up its quarterback conundrum by helping the franchise last a top-three pick in the NFL draft.
It’s by no means an easy decision for the Texans, but there are options on the table. Having clinched the AFC South gives Houston multiple outlooks entering Week 18, including bragging rights to
Ryans must think about what’s best for the team heading into the playoffs, though no matter what the Texans decide to do, they’re in for a battle in the wild-card round.
Kickoff from Nissan Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.