Getty IMages Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins.
The Houston Texans handled their business in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, picking up a crucial win to lock up the division title. The next stop for Deshaun Watson and company is the playoffs, and the outlook for what lies ahead became a decent amount more clear after Sunday’s early games.
Due to their win and the New England Patriots picking up a victory, the Texans are now looking at the No. 3 seed in the AFC. Their 11-5 record places them just behind the 11-5 Patriots due to the head-to-head matchup earlier this year. This means Houston is nearly locked into hosting a playoff game on wild-card weekend and it will be against the No. 6 seed.
Texans to Face Colts
The Sunday Night Football matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans wound up deciding who earned the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. Behind a strong night from Andrew Luck, the Colts prevailed in that matchup and locked up the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. In turn, we now have a third matchup between the AFC South rivals which will be played in Houston.
Houston split the season series with the Colts, with the most recent matchup coming against the Colts in a 24-21 home loss back in Week 14. Both games between the two teams were decided by three points, with the Texans winning in overtime in Week 4.
Colts vs. Texans: Wild Card Date & Time
The Colts won’t receive much extra rest after drawing the Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 17 it seems. After the Texans locked up the No. 3 seed early in the day on Sunday, the Colts victory was wrapped up at roughly midnight on the East Coast.
As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Colts and Texans matchup will start off the playoff action on Saturday, January 5. at 4:35 p.m. EST. This game will be followed up by a matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC to cap the first day of the playoffs.
The fun is just getting started …
There should be plenty of fireworks when the Colts and Texans square off Saturday, especially considering how the first two games played out. In the first matchup, Luck tallied 464 passing yards and four touchdowns while Watson threw for 375 yards with two passing touchdowns along with one score on the ground. The encore performance included Luck tallying 399 passing yards and Watson going for 267.
Each team’s top wideout should also be in for a headline-making day. T.Y. Hilton has totaled 314 yards over the two matchups while DeAndre Hopkins went for 169 yards and one score in the first meeting between the two teams.
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Texans Playoff Schedule: Wild Card Opponent, Date & Time Finalized