Many might be hesitant to believe it, but the Houston Texans are legit, and a large part of that is due to their elite defense.
The Texans' offense has struggled immensely at times this season. To be fair to them, they've had multiple games with starting players missing due to injuries.
However, one side of the ball can go through lulls if the other side is one of the best in the league. Heading into their Week 14 matchup against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, the Texans' defense allows the league-low 265.7 total yards per game.
This is not against poor offenses either; they've held teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Rams to under 20 points this season.
Up next, they'll be tasked with slowing down one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Patrick Mahomes.
Here is more on the Texans' chance to make the 2025 postseason after a loss in Week 14.
Texans playoff picture
Following the Texans' Week 13 win over the Colts, Houston sits at the No. 8 spot in the AFC standings. This makes them the first team on the bubble, with a 63% chance of making the playoffs.
There's no doubt that the showdown on SNF with the Chiefs is a must-win for both sides. While a loss does not statistically eliminate one team, it would cause them to lose control of their own destiny.
Houston can genuinely afford to lose only one more game if it wants its playoff hopes to rest solely on its own back. If they lose one, they will need help from other NFL teams.
A matchup to watch out for if you are a Texans fan is the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Colts. This is huge for Houston because one of the teams in their division will drop a game.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | New England Patriots | 11-2 |
| 2 | Denver Broncos | 10-2 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 8-4 |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | 6-6 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | 8-4 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts | 8-4 |
| 7 | Buffalo Bills | 8-4 |
| 8 | Houston Texans | 7-5 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-6 |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-6 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | 5-7 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-8 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 3-9 |
| 14 | Cleveland Browns | 3-9 |
| 15 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-10 |
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | 1-11 |
Texans remaining schedule
After the game against Kansas City on SNF, the Texans have two games where their defense should dominate.
Neither the Las Vegas Raiders nor the Arizona Cardinals has enough firepower to match the suffocating force of the Houston defense.
However, the Texans then end the year with two massive games against quality opponents. Depending on how things shake out the rest of the way, Houston could be taking on Indianapolis in Week 18 for the chance at winning the division.
| Week | Opponent |
| 15 | vs. Cardinals |
| 16 | vs. Raiders |
| 17 | at Chargers |
| 18 | vs. Colts |