Best Record in AFC? Why Houston Texans Will Earn Bye for Playoffs

The Houston Texans have a high ceiling going into the season.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 17, 2024

Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Kurt Hinish (93) reacts to the crowd after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Houston won 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have never earned a bye for the NFL playoffs, but they might have as good of a chance as they have ever had this season.

Bleacher Report writer Maurice Moton believes the Texans will go 12-5 and earn the No. 1 seed for the AFC postseason.

"The Texans won't sneak up on anyone this year. Yet they're still primed to become a juggernaut in the AFC with 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. He has a new playmaker in Stefon Diggs who will join Nico Collins and Tank Dell to form a high-level receiver trio. Joe Mixon can balance the offense on the ground. Houston could field a top-10 defense with the addition of four-time Pro Bowl edge-rusher Danielle Hunter. The Texans have no glaring weaknesses. They will be the AFC's No. 1 seed," Moton writes.

The Texans will have some stiff competition if they want to be the best in the AFC. They will have to get past the Baltimore Ravens, who beat them in the Divisional Round last season and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won each of the past two Super Bowls.

It may be a tall task, but the Texans have made the upgrades necessary to compete with the best of the best. Now, it's time for them to execute.

Stick with TexansGameday for more FREE coverage of the Houston Texans throughout the offseason.

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Published Aug 17, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.