For the fourth time in five years, the Houston Texans are AFC South division champions, but this time, they are actually looking to make a deep playoff run for the first time in franchise history.
Since entering the NFL in 2002, the Texans have never made it past the Divisional Round, and it's not like their road will be any easier this season.
Houston will open up by hosting a tough Buffalo Bills club in the Wild Card Round on Saturday, and if it emerges victorious, it will then have to face either the Baltimore Ravens or Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
So, here are three burning questions for the Texans entering the playoffs:
3. When will Will Fuller return?
Will Fuller is dealing with a groin injury and did not play during the Texans' season finale against the Tennessee Titans. His status against the Bills is up in the air.
Fuller being injured is nothing new, as the wide receiver has never played a full season since entering the NFL in 2016 and has played in just 28 out of a possible 48 games the last three years.
But there is no doubting how important Fuller is to Houston's offense when he is on the field.
As Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com points out, the Texans average 296.8 passing yards per game with Fuller and 158.3 without him, which is an absurd difference.
Make no mistake: if Houston wants to have any chance of making a run, it needs a healthy Fuller out there, and right now, Fuller's health is a big question mark.
2. What will J.J. Watt bring to the table?
While nothing is definitive just yet, it's looking like J.J. Watt will return against Buffalo after having missed the last couple of months with a torn pectoral muscle.
Watt really shouldn't be returning, but he is pushing to get back on the field for the playoffs, which is admirable.
That begs the question: what will Watt be able to do if he does return?
Chances are, he will not be at 100 percent, but he will surely provide a motivational boost for the Texans, and 75 percent of J.J. Watt is still better than 100 percent of most other defensive linemen in the NFL.
Watt completely changes the complexion of what is a pretty ordinary Houston defense, so if he is able to make an impact, it will be absolutely enormous for the Texans and could ultimately decide a game or two.
1. Is Deshaun Watson ready to take the next step?
Deshaun Watson was a bona fide MVP candidate early on in the season, but he faded down the stretch, particularly over his last three games when he threw three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Going back even further, Watson has tallied 15 touchdowns and 11 picks going back to Week 6.
That isn't very good.
As a matter of fact, Watson was probably a bit better last year than he was this season overall.
But now, Watson gets a chance to redeem himself and take the next step in the playoffs, which is something he really didn't do in his first postseason appearance last year when he completed just 29 of his 49 passes for 235 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a Wild Card Round loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
In order for the Texans to go on a tear, Watson needs to be special.
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