Texans Slammed With Brutal Ranking Before NFL Playoffs

The Houston Texans are not getting a whole lot of love as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL playoffs.

Jan 5, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) stands in the pocket against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans came away with a win in their regular-season finale, defeating the Tennessee Titans 23-14 on Sunday to finish the year 10-7.

Now, the Texans will be facing the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs this Saturday.

Can Houston embark on a postseason run?

Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News doesn't seem to think so, as he has ranked the Texans last out of all 14 teams in the NFL playoffs.

"The Texans have been on cruise control for a repeat AFC South title for a while and weren't challenged at all in their division," Iyer wrote. "They got an early key win vs. the Bills, but lost to the Vikings, Packers, Lions, Chiefs, and Ravens, making them 1-5 against playoff teams. They have battled injuries and inconsistency, and drawing the relentless, road-tested Chargers first is rough."

Iyer has a point.

Houston finished the season going just 4-5 over its last nine games and watched as wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell went down with season-ending injuries.

The Texans entered 2024 with significant expectations thanks to a busy offseason in which they added big names like Diggs, Joe Mixon and Danielle Hunter, but things were never really able to materialize for Houston.

While much of that was due to health issues, it was also a direct result of quarterback C.J. Stroud trudging through the dreaded sophomore slump.

The AFC doesn't appear to be as daunting as years past. That much is true, but it's definitely going to be a difficult road for the Texans regardless.