Houston Texans: Two things that need to happen to ensure a first-round bye
The Houston Texans nine-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday. While this is an obvious setback, a first-round bye is still within reach, here’s how.
Well, all good things must come to an end they say. Unfortunately, that’s what happened with the Houston Texans as they saw a nine-game winning streak end. Truth be told, as nice as it would have been to end the season at 13-3, it is not the end of the world.
This should help put the team in the mindset of needs to happen so they can regroup and finish the season strong. The final score of Sunday’s matchup against the Colts was 24-21, but it didn’t feel that way. The Colts masterfully dispatched this team that just didn’t have their A game on Sunday.
The defense got exposed as Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton stole the show. The offensive line did not protect Deshaun Watson well while he seemed to revert back to old habits and got hit a bunch. Then, just when the Texans had a chance to make a stop, a critical mistake by Jadeveon Clowney ended any chances of a comeback. Losing sucks and we know it.
Must Read. Why the Texans winning streak ended against the Colts. light
Of course, it somewhat helps that the Dolphins miraculously beat the Patriots minutes after the loss. On one hand, the Texans are still tied with the Patriots with the loss. On the other hand, the Texans blew an opportunity to jump the Patriots because they own the tiebreaker from that week one matchup.
To make matters worse, the Chiefs pulled off a stunning come-from-behind win and have first place in the AFC all but locked up. All of these things can really be deflating. But if you think about it, the goal of having a first-round bye is still obtainable. Let’s take a look at how this can go down in the Houston Texans favor.