Texans win division; AFC playoff picture clears

The Houston Texans are AFC South champions again.

For the fourth time in five seasons, the Texans will add another banner to NRG Stadium. They’ll also be hosting a playoff game in said building come two weeks from now. After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20, largely on the back of four Jameis Winston interceptions, Houston is locked into either the third or fourth seed in the AFC playoff picture, depending on what the Kansas City Chiefs do over the final two weeks.

With the division locked up and no chance of a first-round bye existing, the question becomes obvious for head coach Bill O’Brien. Does he rest his starters in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans, or does he play them and try to build momentum?

Considering the crush of injuries Houston has dealt with this season — including J.J. Watt, Will Fuller and others — the smart move might be to take the No. 4 seed willingly and play the Buffalo Bills in the first round. Buffalo is the only AFC team locked into a seed, after losing the New England Patriots on Saturday evening in Foxborough.

Should the Texans win that game, there’s a good chance they would then travel to Baltimore for a rematch with the Ravens. The two teams saw each other in November, and despite being off a bye, Houston was absolutely pummeled to the tune of 41-7. Still, getting a week off prior to starting a postseason gauntlet might take priority, especially considering Baltimore will likely need to be knocked off at some point regardless.

Houston and New England winning also provides some clarity for the rest of the AFC picture. The four divisions winners are set in the Ravens, Patriots, Chiefs and Texans. Buffalo as aforementioned is the fifth seed regardless of any other results throughout the rest of the season. This realistically leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans in play for the sixth and final seed.

Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff berth with wins over the New York Jets and Ravens. The Titans, even if a game back going into Week 17, would still be in position to win a tiebreaker should they beat Houston and the Steelers lose at Baltimore. However, if Pittsburgh loses this weekend to the Jets, Tennessee moves into the final seed regardless of its own outcome based on strength of victory. If the Steelers lose and the Titans win, they clinch a playoff spot.

In short, the Steelers need to win for good standing.