(SportsRadio 610) - The Titans' 28-20 victory over the Jaguars on Sunday clinched the AFC South title for the Texans and set up a wild-round rematch of their 36-22 loss to the Browns on Christmas Eve – a game they played without quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The Texans, who play the Browns at NRG Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 in a game televised by NBC, finished 10-7 in DeMeco Ryans' first season as their coach.
They secured the playoff berth with the 23-19 victory at Indianapolis on Saturday night. The Colts' loss left Indianapolis with a 9-8 record and eliminated them from the playoffs. The Jaguars were eliminated by the Titans.
Where the Texans play their first playoff game since 2019 is a moot point. It's at NRG Stadium. They finished 10-7 in DeMeco Ryans' first season as their coach and secured the playoff berth with the 23-19 victory at Indianapolis on Saturday night. The Colts' loss left Indianapolis with a 9-8 record and eliminated them from the playoffs. The Jaguars were eliminated by the Titans.
For one afternoon, at least, the Texans didn't hate the Titans. All that love they sent to Nashville paid off because Tennessee jumped on Jacksonville early and stopped the Jaguars two times on fourth down in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset that caused a celebration in Houston.
Running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who may have played their last games for Tennessee, made strong cases for new contracts when free agency begins in March. Henry ran for 153 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Tannehill replaced the injured Will Levis and threw two touchdown passes.
Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions. His quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line was stopped short. The Jaguars, the defending AFC South champions, lost Lawrence's last five starts.
Jacksonville had an amazing collapse. The Jaguars were 8-3 after 11 games and had what appeared to be a comfortable lead in the AFC South. Over the last 10 seasons, the Jaguars became the third team to begin their season with an 8-3 record or better and fail to make the playoffs. Their only victory in their last six games was a shutout at Carolina, where C.J. Berthard replaced the injured Lawrence.
As for the Texans, they bounced back from an 0-2 start against Baltimore and Indianapolis to finish 10-5. Stroud should have clinched the vote for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with his primetime performance against the Colts. He completed 20-of-26 (76.9) percent for 264 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He compiled a 134.1 rating.
Stroud was at his best on the game-winning drive. The Colts had made it 17-17 on a field goal early in the fourth quarter before Stroud took the Texans 73 yards in 12 plays. He completed 7-of-7 for 82 yards – after a 10-yard sack and a 10-yard holding call – and Devin Singletary ran for a 3-yard touchdown before Ka'imi Fairbairn missed his first field goal of the season. The drive consumed 7:13 off the clock.
The outcome was settled when the Texans stopped the Colts on fourth-and-1 at their 15, where running back Tyler Goodson couldn't handle a pass that was behind him but still catchable. After the game, Ryan was seen leaning against a wall in the locker room seemingly lost in deep thought before the celebration began.
"It was a moment of gratitude," he said. "I was just really thankful to be in this position, thankful for our guys and the way they fought, everything we've been through the entire year. Just taking it all in. Been through a lot of ups and downs. For us to grind through the season and find a way to get an opportunity in the playoffs, it's a special moment, one I'll always remember."
Now the Texans turn their attention back to the Browns and quarterback Joe Flacco, who's been incredible since being signed as a free agent to replace the injured Deshaun Watson. Flacco is 4-1 after losing his first start to the Rams. He has 1,616 yards passing – his most since 2017 with the Ravens. He has 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Flacco's most impressive game was against the Texans. He threw for a season-high 374 yards to go with three touchdown passes. He staked the Browns to a 36-7 lead early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Davis Mills replaced Case Keenum and threw two late touchdown passes to make the score respectable in a game that was so embarrassing for the Texans.
The Texans' defense, which allowed 227 yards rushing, including 188 by Jonathan Taylor, in the victory over the Colts, had no trouble stopping Cleveland's running game. The Browns ran 30 times for 54 yards and averaged 1.8 yards a carry. The problems were created by Flacco and Amari Cooper.
The Texans' pass coverage was awesome against the Colts but awful against the Browns. Flacco connected with Cooper for a 52-yard gain on the first play that set up the first touchdown. Cooper's 75-yard reception produced a touchdown that gave Cleveland a 14-0 advantage, and the route was on. The secondary has to find a way to cover Cooper, who finished with 11 catches for 265 yards and a 24.1-yard average.
Flacco and Cooper were among the many starters Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski kept out of Sunday's 31-14 loss at Cincinnati to make sure they'll be well-rested for the wild-card game.
Ryans said after the Indianapolis game it was a time of reflection. He was coaching with the 49ers when the Texans were combining for 11 victories over the last three seasons, so he didn't have to suffer like the McNair family, everyone else in the organization and the fans, of course. But he understands why there's such a celebration in the Houston area.
"It means everything to me to provide this opportunity for our organization, to see the smiles on everyone's faces," he said. "Not just the players, but all of our support staff, the owners -- Cal and Hannah – and them entrusting us. And to see the smiles on Nick's (Caserio) face. I'm happy to see everyone smiling (and) I'm excited about this opportunity we have in front of us."
The Texans were 7-3 over their last 10 games, including winning three of their last four down the stretch. As Ryans and his players expressed after the victory over the Colts, they're not satisfied with just making the playoffs. Now they have another chance to prove it in their second nationally televised game in a row.
"I was happy about this performance," Ryans said about the way the Texans pulled out another victory. "It's a microcosm of our season. No matter what happened, we found a way to win. It doesn't matter how pretty or ugly. It's just win, and that's what we've been doing."
No matter how or where Ryans' first season ends, it's been a marvelous experience for the Texans and their fans as well as predictive of what could be instore as Caserio and Ryans continue to improve the team.
"It's a proud moment for our organization," Ryans said, "and I'm just happy to be along for the ride."
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
