The Houston Texans got a huge win on Sunday Night Football. Houston defeated Kansas City 20-10 in a game that has huge playoff implications in the AFC. The Texans are now 8-5 and riding a five-game winning streak, which now has them in the thick of the AFC playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Chiefs dropped to 6-7 and are on the outside looking in.
Houston's ferocious defense has helped them climb back into the playoff conversation. The Texans had a masterclass performance against Patrick Mahomes, forcing the superstar to finish 14-of-30 for only 160 passing yards and three interceptions. He finished the game with a career-low 42.4% completion percentage.
The Texans' ability to scramble opposing quarterbacks has kept them alive this season. And it could be the superpower that helps them make a deep playoff run later this winter.
So how did Sunday's win impact Houston's playoff chances? And do they have a realistic chance to win the AFC South after their big primetime win?
Below we will explore Houston's new playoff odds after defeating Kansas City on Sunday.
Texans playoff odds after defeating Chiefs in Week 14
Houston is now almost guaranteed to make the playoffs after their big win in Week 14.
The Texans now have a 93% chance to make the postseason according to The Athletic's playoff simulator. Their most realistic path to the playoffs is as a wild card team. However, they do still have a 38% chance of winning the AFC South.
The Athletic also has a projected standings feature, which shows how they anticipate the playoff field will look at the end of the regular season.
According to those projected standings, the Texans should finish the regular season 11-6 and make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. In that scenario, they would head to Jacksonville to take on the No. 3 Jaguars (12-5).
That is only based on a projection, but it highlights how important winning the division could be for Houston.
Now the most important thing for the Texans is to continue winning games during the final four weeks of the regular season.
Texans fans can also start rooting for some help in other matchups that could help Houston's playoff odds.
Texans rooting guide ahead of Week 15
There are already a few obvious games on the Week 15 slate that could boost Houston's playoff chances.
Here are the three games that Texans fans should be watching in Week 15, with the preferred team bolded.
- Bengals vs. Ravens
- Chiefs vs. Chargers
- Patriots vs. Bills
Thankfully, all three teams happen to have home-field advantage in Week 15.
The Ravens do not present a big threat to the Texans, but they are still alive in the AFC playoff hunt. But the Bengals are hopelessly far from the playoffs, which makes them the preferred pick here.
But the other two matchups are much more important.
Los Angeles is currently one spot ahead of Houston as the No. 6 seed before the Monday Night Football matchup with the Eagles. If Kansas City could steal a win, it would directly help Houston catch up with LA.
Meanwhile, the Patriots look like the favorite to capture the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Therefore, it doesn't hurt the Texans one bit if they get another win.
That makes them the perfect team to hand the Bills another loss, which could potentially help the Texans get a slightly better seed.
Of course, Houston has to do their part and take care of Arizona in Week 15. But if that happens, and the Texans get some help, their playoff odds could be even better at this time next week.
