| 2025 Houston Texans season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Cal McNair |
| General manager | Nick Caserio |
| Head coach | DeMeco Ryans |
| Offensive coordinator | Nick Caley |
| Defensive coordinator | Matt Burke |
| Home stadium | NRG Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–5 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC South |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Steelers) 30–6 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Patriots) 16–28 |
| All-Pros | DE Will Anderson Jr. (1st team) CB Derek Stingley Jr. (1st team) DE Danielle Hunter (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2025 season was the Houston Texans' 24th in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth under general manager Nick Caserio and their third under head coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans improved on their 10–7 record from previous two seasons after a win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, making the playoffs for the third consecutive season for the first time in franchise history. This is the first time in Texans history that they made the playoffs as a Wild Card team as they failed to hold their AFC South title after the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.[1] For the first time since 2009, Jon Weeks was not on the team's roster, as he signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Texans began the season with a 0–3 record for the first time since the 2020 season and stood at 3–5 through Week 9. The team later rebounded with a nine-game winning streak following a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, finishing the regular season with a 12–5 record and surpassing their combined win total from the previous two seasons. Houston reached the playoffs for the second time in franchise history after starting 0–3, having previously done so in 2018, and became the first NFL team to accomplish the feat multiple times.[2] They entered the playoffs the No. 5 seed in the AFC.[3]
The Texans recorded their first road postseason victory with a 30–6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, but the team's season would end when they were defeated by the New England Patriots by a final score of 28–16 in the Divisional Round (highlighted by quarterback CJ Stroud throwing 4 interceptions in the first half), preventing them from making their first AFC Championship Game appearance in franchise history.
The Houston Texans drew an average home attendance of 70,782, the 11th-highest of all NFL teams.[4]
Draft
Draft trades
- The Texans traded the 25th overall pick to the Giants in exchange for a second-round selection (34th overall) and a third-round selection (99th overall).[5]
- The Texans traded a second-round selection (56th overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a fifth-round selection (166th overall), a 2024 sixth-round selection and WR Stefon Diggs.[6]
- The Texans traded 2024 first- and seventh-round selections to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a second-round selection (56th overall), and 2024 second- and sixth-round selections.[7]
- The Texans traded Laremy Tunsil and a fourth-round selection (128th overall) to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2025 third-round selection (79th selection), a seventh-round selection (236th overall), and 2026 second and fourth-round selections.[8]
- The Texans traded a fifth-round selection (161st overall) and a 2024 fourth-round selection (127th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round selection (123rd overall).[9]
- The Texans traded a fifth round selection (166th overall) and a 2027 fifth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for two 2025 sixth-round selections (179th overall and 216th overall) and a 2025 seventh-round selection (255th overall).[10]
- The Texans traded a sixth-round selection (202nd overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for G Kendrick Green.[11]
Staff
Offseason changes
On January 24, the Texans announced that offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and offensive line coach Chris Strausser had been fired.[13][14] On February 3, Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Nick Caley was hired as the Texans' new offensive coordinator.[15] The following day, February 4, Houston's assistant offensive line coach Cole Popovich was promoted to offensive line coach, while also being named the team's run game coordinator.[16]
Final staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
Special teams (ST)
|
Practice squad
Reserve
Rookies in italics 53 active, 13 reserve, 17 practice squad (2 exempt) |
Preseason
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 10–20 | 0–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Carolina Panthers | W 20–3 | 1–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | at Detroit Lions | W 26–7 | 2–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
Game summaries
Preseason Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Vikings | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: August 9
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 66,715
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (KTRK/NFLN): Kevin Kugler, ND Kalu, John Harris and Shelby Coppedge
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Preseason Week 2: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: August 16
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 60,728
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (KTRK): Kevin Kugler, ND Kalu, John Harris and Shelby Coppedge
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Preseason Week 3: at Detroit Lions
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 26 |
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: August 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 49,017
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (KTRK): Kevin Kugler, ND Kalu, John Harris and Shelby Coppedge
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 9–14 | 0–1 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 19–20 | 0–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–17 | 0–3 | EverBank Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | Tennessee Titans | W 26–0 | 1–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 44–10 | 2–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 20 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 19–27 | 2–4 | Lumen Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | San Francisco 49ers | W 26–15 | 3–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | Denver Broncos | L 15–18 | 3–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 36–29 | 4–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Tennessee Titans | W 16–13 | 5–5 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 20 | Buffalo Bills | W 23–19 | 6–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 20–16 | 7–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–10 | 8–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Arizona Cardinals | W 40–20 | 9–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | Las Vegas Raiders | W 23–21 | 10–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 27 | at Los Angeles Chargers | W 20–16 | 11–5 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 4 | Indianapolis Colts | W 38–30 | 12–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Los Angeles Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Date: September 7
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 83 °F (28 °C) (fixed roof)
- Game attendance: 71,346
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss due an underwhelming performance by the Texans offense, Houston fell to 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| Texans | 10 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 19 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 15
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,580
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite taking a 19–14 lead with about two minutes remaining, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay on a game-winning touchdown drive to secure a 20–19 victory.[17] With the loss, the Texans’ five-game winning streak against the Buccaneers was snapped, and they recorded their first home loss to Tampa Bay in franchise history.[18][19]
Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: September 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
- Game attendance: 58,161
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The loss ended the Texans' seven-game road winning streak against the Jaguars, marking their first road loss to Jacksonville since the 2017 season.[20]
Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 26 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 28
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,398
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (CBS): Beth Mowins, Ross Tucker and Amanda Balionis
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This was the first shutout win the Texans had since 2010. Coincidentally, that was also a home game against the Titans.
Week 5: at Baltimore Ravens
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 7 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 44 |
| Ravens | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: October 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 70,077
- Referee: Land Clark
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, J. J. Watt and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Houston delivered a dominant performance with a 44–10 blowout victory over the Baltimore Ravens, thoroughly outperforming them in all phases of the game. Quarterback C.J. Stroud led the Texans on scoring drives in all eight offensive possessions while he was on the field. The game marked the first time Stroud led the Texans to an offensive touchdown against the Ravens, after failing to do so in the team's previous three matchups against Baltimore.[21]
The victory was Houston’s first over Baltimore since the 2014 season, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Ravens, and also marked the franchise’s first-ever road win in Baltimore.[22] The 34-point margin tied a franchise record for the largest road win in team history, equaling their 41–7 victory over the Tennessee Titans in 2011. Additionally, the 44 points scored set a new franchise record for the most points in a road game, surpassing the previous mark of 41, which had been reached three times.[23]
With the win, Houston improved to 2–3 and headed into their bye week.[21]
Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 |
| Seahawks | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 27 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: October 20
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 56 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,632
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, Katie George and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Texans fell to 2–4 and 0–2 against the NFC West.
Week 8: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 15 |
| Texans | 3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 26
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,581
- Referee: Alan Eck
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Allison Williams
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Texans faced off against the 49ers, whose head coach DeMeco Ryans served in a coaching position from 2017 to 2022.[24]
The Texans upset the 49ers, 26–15, for the first win against them since 2009, and improved to 3–4 on the season.
Week 9: vs. Denver Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 18 |
| Texans | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 2
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,471
- Referee: Ron Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Allison Williams
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite building a 15–7 lead, the Texans' offense struggled against the Broncos' defense, resulting in only field goals scored. With the loss, Houston fell to 3–5.
Week 10: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 10 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 29 |
| Texans | 0 | 10 | 0 | 26 | 36 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Jaguars started off strong, jumping out to a 17–0 lead by capitalizing on Texans mistakes and extending their lead to 29–10 at the start of the fourth quarter. However, Davis Mills caught fire, throwing two touchdown passes in the final period and scrambling 14 yards for the go-ahead score with 31 seconds remaining. Meanwhile, the Jaguars went three and out on two consecutive drives. Jacksonville got the ball back with 30 seconds left to try to win the game, but Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked as the Texans completed their comeback victory.[25]
The 19-point comeback was the second-largest in Texans franchise history, behind only their 21-point comeback against the San Diego Chargers during the 2013 season.[26]
Week 11: at Tennessee Titans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| Titans | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: November 16
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,999
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With their fifth win in Nashville since 2021, the Texans extended their win streak against Tennessee to three straight and improved to 5–5.
Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Texans | 3 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 20
- Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,451
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (KRIV/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Texans’ defense swarmed the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen, sacking him eight times as Houston held on for their 6th straight home win against the Bills since 2012.
The eight sacks tied a franchise record for most in a single game.[27]
Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| Colts | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: November 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 65,977
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, J. J. Watt and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With their 4th straight win over the Colts, the Texans improved to 7–5 and handed the Colts their first home loss of the season.[28]
The Texans also move to 3–0 when their former Pro Bowl defensive end J. J. Watt is the color commentator.
Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 7
- Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Fair, 27 °F (−3 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,611
- Referee: Alan Eck
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In a rematch of the Divisional Round from the previous season, the Texans avenged their playoff loss by defeating the Chiefs on the road, forcing three interceptions of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In a pivotal sequence, the Chiefs faced fourth-and-1 at their own 31-yard line and elected to go for it, but Mahomes’ pass fell incomplete with just over ten minutes remaining. Six plays later, Dare Ogunbowale rushed for a five-yard touchdown, giving Houston a lead it did not relinquish. With their first win over Kansas City since 2019, Houston snapped a six game losing streak against the Chiefs and improved to 8–5.
Week 15: vs. Arizona Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Texans | 17 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 40 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 14
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,086
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Texans improved to 9–5 and finished 2–2 against the NFC West as well as 2–3 against the NFC. This marked the second time in franchise history that the Texans had 3 consecutive winning seasons (2014 through 2016).
Week 16: vs. Las Vegas Raiders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Texans | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,160
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis, Jason McCourty and AJ Ross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Texans improved to 2–1 against the AFC West, and matched their win total from the last two seasons at 10–5.
Week 17: at Los Angeles Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Chargers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Date: December 27
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST/1:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 61 °F (16 °C) (fixed roof)
- Game attendance: 73,066
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (KHOU/NFLN): Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Jamie Erdahl and Megan Olivi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Texans clinched their third straight playoff berth after starting the season 0–3.[29] Houston became the fifth team since 1990 to reach the playoffs after an 0–3 start, and the first franchise to accomplish the feat twice, having previously done so in 2018.[30] This also marked the first time in franchise history Houston qualified for the playoffs in three straight years.
Week 18: vs. Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 10 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Texans | 6 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 38 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite winning, the Texans’ win was offset by the Jaguars’ win over the Titans, which clinched Jacksonville the AFC South and secured the Texans a Wild Card berth for the first time in franchise history.[31] Later that day, when the Steelers defeated the Ravens, the Texans were scheduled to face Pittsburgh in the Wild Card Round.[32]
Houston’s defense set franchise records by limiting opponents to 17.3 points and 277.2 yards per game during the season.[33]
This win also marked the third time the Texans swept the Colts in franchise history, and the first time they did so in consecutive years, as they swept them in 2016 and 2024.
The Texans also moved to 4–0 when J.J. Watt was the color commentator.
Standings
Division
| AFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Jacksonville Jaguars | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 474 | 336 | W8 |
| (5) Houston Texans | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 404 | 295 | W9 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 466 | 412 | L7 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 0–6 | 2–10 | 284 | 478 | L2 |
Conference
| Seed | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1[a] | Denver Broncos | West | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .422 | .378 | W2 |
| 2[a] | New England Patriots | East | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .391 | .370 | W3 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .478 | .425 | W8 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .503 | .453 | W1 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5[b] | Houston Texans | South | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .522 | .441 | W9 |
| 6[b] | Buffalo Bills | East | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .471 | .412 | W1 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .469 | .425 | L2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 8[c] | Indianapolis Colts | South | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .540 | .382 | L7 |
| 9[c] | Baltimore Ravens | North | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .507 | .408 | L1 |
| 10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 3–9 | .488 | .378 | L1 |
| 11[d] | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .521 | .451 | L1 |
| 12[d] | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .514 | .363 | L6 |
| 13 | Cleveland Browns | North | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .486 | .418 | W2 |
| 14[e] | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .538 | .451 | W1 |
| 15[e][f] | New York Jets | East | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 0–6 | 2–10 | .552 | .373 | L5 |
| 16[e][f] | Tennessee Titans | South | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 0–6 | 2–10 | .574 | .275 | L2 |
Postseason
Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 12 | at Pittsburgh Steelers (4) | W 30–6 | 1–0 | Acrisure Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 18 | at New England Patriots (2) | L 16–28 | 1–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
Game summaries
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 23 | 30 |
| Steelers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: January 12, 2026
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 33 °F (1 °C)
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, and Laura Rutledge
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Texans vs. Steelers matchup marked three firsts for Houston. This was the first time they played the Steelers in the playoffs, their first Wild Card Game that was not played on Saturday during the 3:30 PM (CT) slot, and their first Wild Card Game played as the away team. Despite both the Texans and Steelers competing in the AFC, this marked the first time the two teams had played each other more than once in a span of less than three NFL seasons, regular and postseason combined.[34]
The game started as a low scoring affair with both offenses struggling. C. J. Stroud lost two fumbles despite not losing one during the entire regular season, and throwing an interception in the red zone in the beginning of the third quarter, but the Steelers only got 3 points from those turnovers. In the 4th quarter, the Texans dominated as their defense scoring two touchdowns, one of those being Calen Bullock intercepting Aaron Rodgers and returning it for a 51-yard touchdown, which was Rodgers' last pass of the game. With this win, the Texans won a playoff game on the road for the first time in franchise history, and beat the Steelers on the road for the first time since 2002 (the first-ever matchup between these teams). Houston was also the first team since the 1991 Giants to defeat the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Monday night, officially ending a 23-game win streak for the Steelers.
AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) New England Patriots
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| Patriots | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Texans' season ended with their seventh Divisional Round loss; they also fell to 0–3 against the Patriots in the playoffs. C.J. Stroud also threw four interceptions, with one of them being returned for a New England touchdown.
Notes
- Denver finished ahead of New England based on common games (Denver 6–0 to New England 5–1 against: Cincinnati, Las Vegas, NY Giants, NY Jets and Tennessee).
- Houston finished ahead of Buffalo based on head-to-head victory.
- Indianapolis finished ahead of Baltimore based on conference record (Indianapolis 6–6 to Baltimore 5–7).
- Cincinnati finished ahead of Kansas City based on conference record (Cincinnati 5–7 to Kansas City 3–9).
- Las Vegas finished ahead of NY Jets and Tennessee based on conference record (Las Vegas 3–9 to NY Jets 2–10 and Tennessee 2–10).
- NY Jets finished ahead of Tennessee based on strength of victory (NY Jets .373 to Tennessee .275).
References
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