Houston’s 10-7 record was as much a function of playing in a toothless AFC South as anything else. The Texans offense took a step backward after 2023’s emergence. C.J. Stroud backslid, a robust receiving corps was waylaid by injuries and the team had exactly one regular season win over a fellow playoff team (in Week 5 over the Buffalo Bills).

The quarterback scrambled for a yard on third down but had his ankle caught underneath on the tackle. Stroud is one of the only Texans to avoid the injury bug this season, starting all 17 games. If Houston wants to pull off the upset, it rests on the right arm of Stroud.