The Houston Texans came into the playoffs already playing with house money as a young team that exceeded all expectations in rebounding from three straight seasons of four wins or less.
Not only did Houston earn its first postseason berth since 2019 after a strong finish to the regular season, but it also took home its first playoff win since that season after rolling to a 45-14 Wild Card Round win over the Cleveland Browns.
With the assistance of PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor, let’s examine the Texans’ playoff scenarios for their potential AFC Championship Game opponents and how they have fared against them in recent seasons.
Who Are the Potential NFL Playoff Opponents for the Houston Texans?
Houston has a tough Divisional Round matchup ahead after defeating the Browns, as it now has to face another AFC North team in the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, a team it has just a 2-11 record against.
The Texans’ calculus for the game is simple — win, and they will advance to the franchise’s first-ever AFC Championship Game to take on whichever team wins Sunday’s clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. Houston would go on the road to face either team since its No. 4 seed is lower than the third-seeded Chiefs and second-seeded Bills.
The Texans don’t exactly have a strong track record against either squad.
Houston is a combined 5-7 all-time against Kansas City, including 0-2 in playoff games, and has lost each of its last three meetings with the franchise. The Texans began the teams’ head-to-head history strong with three wins in five meetings but have since lost seven of the last nine showdowns.
Houston has particularly struggled at Arrowhead Stadium with a 2-3 road record against the Chiefs.
The Texans won their first game in Kansas City, taking a 24-21 regular-season win as David Carr threw for 233 yards and one touchdown to lead their offense. They took a narrow 17-16 loss to the Chiefs in a 2013 regular-season meeting before again winning on the road during the teams’ 2019 regular-season clash, earning a 31-24 victory behind a big day from Deshaun Watson.
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Kansas City got the last laugh in that year’s playoffs, however, with a 51-31 victory as it rallied from a sizable early deficit on its way to winning the Super Bowl. The Chiefs also won a regular-season rematch the next year, 34-20.
Houston’s history with the Bills bodes a bit better for a potential matchup.
The Texans lead the teams’ all-time series 6-5 and won their lone playoff meeting back in 2020, though the Bills have taken three of the five all-time matchups in Buffalo.
Houston hosted its Wild Card Round contest with Buffalo in 2019, taking a 22-19 victory behind a game-winning field goal in overtime by Ka’imi Fairbairn. The Bills responded with a 40-0 home drubbing of the Texans in the 2020 regular season, dominating the teams’ most recent meeting.
The Texans have won five of the last seven meetings overall but have lost each of the last two games in Buffalo after taking a 31-20 road loss in 2015.
Time will tell whether Houston is even able to defeat the Ravens and reach its first-ever AFC title match, but if it does, history indicates the Bills might provide a bit more favorable matchup compared to Kansas City.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!