Texans’ Playoff Journey Ends in Disappointment
For the second year in a row, the Houston Texans’ season ended in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. While reaching this stage is an accomplishment, their 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday was far from what they had hoped for after entering 2024 with Super Bowl aspirations.
Unexpected Playoff Run
At the start of their playoff journey, few expected the Texans to make it past the Wild Card Weekend. However, their impressive 38-10 victory over the Chargers gave fans and players alike hope that they could live up to their expectations. The Texans had a strong showing in their Divisional Round matchup with the Chiefs, even bringing the game within a single point late in the third quarter. Despite falling short, the team found motivation in the loss.
Staying Positive for 2025
Instead of feeling discouraged, the Texans are energized for the future. Edge rusher Will Anderson expressed confidence in the team’s potential, saying, “We’re right there. I don’t care what nobody says. This is a fantastic team. We’ve got our quarterback. We’ve got everything we need. We’ve got to keep stacking and keep persevering. We have a squad. We have a great team. We just gotta keep finding ways.” He emphasized that winning requires finding ways to overcome challenges, just like the top teams in the AFC do.
A Strong Defense
The Texans’ defense became a key factor in their success toward the end of the 2024 season. Their four takeaways against the Chargers were critical in securing the victory. Anderson played a major role in the defense’s success and knows the team’s focus should now be on improving in other areas to achieve their ultimate goal in 2025.
Focus on Regular-Season Wins
Anderson believes that one key to the Texans’ future success is winning regular-season games, especially those against teams like the Titans and Jets, which could cost them valuable home-field advantage.
“We can’t lose to these teams like the Titans and Jets. We’ve got to beat Detroit. We can’t suffer losses. We’ve got to get homefield advantage,” Anderson stated. For the Texans to achieve their top goal of securing a Super Bowl spot, securing home-field advantage during the regular season will be crucial.
Struggles in the Divisional Round
In the past two years, the Texans have finished the regular season with a 10-7 record, winning the AFC South and earning the right to host a Wild Card game. While they have performed well in those games, their success has not carried over into the Divisional Round. Last year, they lost to Baltimore, and this year, they were defeated by the Chiefs.
Despite the disappointing end, the Texans are focused on fixing key issues and improving in 2025. Injuries played a big role in their struggles this season, as the team dealt with significant losses on both offense and defense.
They lost key players such as Stefon Diggs to an ACL tear, Nico Collins to injury (though he returned later), and Tank Dell, who suffered a season-ending injury for the second year in a row. Joe Mixon also missed time with ankle injuries. Additionally, their offensive line was inconsistent throughout the season, which hindered quarterback C.J. Stroud’s ability to lead the team effectively.
The Importance of Health and Depth
While injuries are a part of the game, they are always challenging to overcome. The best teams, however, are those that are able to manage these setbacks by adding quality depth to their roster. This is something the Texans will focus on heading into the 2025 season. Ensuring they have sufficient depth and are able to stay healthier will be a major part of their offseason strategy.
Offensive Line Concerns
One of the most pressing areas for improvement is the offensive line. Stroud was sacked 52 times during the 2024 regular season, and he took eight sacks during the postseason loss to the Chiefs. This performance ties his career high for sacks in a single game, which occurred earlier in the season against the Jets. Improving the offensive line should be a top priority for the Texans as they look to better protect Stroud and give their offense more opportunities to succeed.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The Texans are confident that they are close to reaching their goals, but they understand that the final step can often be the hardest. As they enter the 2025 offseason, Anderson and the rest of the organization are focused on finding a way to clear the final hurdle and push further into the playoffs. With the right improvements, they believe they have the team capable of making a deeper run in the postseason and possibly reaching the Super Bowl in the near future.
