Right now, the focus for the Houston Texans should only be on Week 9's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
With a loss on Sunday against a winless roster, it feels as if the writing will be on the wall for the Texans' chance to make a run back into the AFC playoff conversation, at least barring a miraculous turnaround against much more stable teams.
But, where would the Texans rank today among those "in the hunt" for a playoff berth ahead of Sunday's matchup at SoFi Stadium?
Currently sitting at 6-1, including securing a win over Houston in Week 1, the Buffalo Bills are the top seed in the conference. After defeating the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) on Sunday, the Denver Broncos jumped from fifth to second in the AFC playoff picture.
Denver also
holds a tiebreaker edge over the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) with a better conference record, though that will sort itself out in the coming weeks. As for the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2), with their win over the Indianapolis Colts, they are currently in the fourth seed, while the Chiefs dropped to fifth.
New England, with a streaky win late over the Miami Dolphins, moved back into the postseason race, alongside Cincinnati.
Here's a look at the AFC's full playoff picture following Week 8.
NFL playoff picture (AFC)
- Buffalo Bills: 6-1
- Denver Broncos: 6-2
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-2
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-2
- Kansas City Chiefs: 5-2
- Cincinnati Bengals: 5-2
- New England Patriots: 5-3
- Cleveland Browns: 5-3
- Las Vegas Raiders: 4-4
- Baltimore Ravens: 4-4
- Houston Texans: 2-5
For starters, Houston must win on Sunday to remain in the conversation for a playoff bid. After that, there's a bit of luck on their side entering the closing weeks. Houston will travel to Cleveland in Week 10 and face a team its bested during the regular season and postseason since the trade of Deshaun Watson.
The matchup against Baltimore still could be a challenge, but it becomes less daunting knowing the status of MVEP quarterback Lamar Jackson. During the opening series, Jackson suffered a thumb injury that will require surgery, which could be season-ending. That means Baltimore will have an uphill climb to stay in the playoff hunt down the stretch.
Houston also has matchups against the Colts and Titans, two teams that have begun to fire-sale their rosters in hopes of garnishing enough draft capital to build around for the future. The Texans also have a matchup on Christmas Eve against the Philadelphia Eagles, another team that could be rebuilding following a slew of season-ending injuries.
The Texans kick off this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: AFC Playoff picture: Texans remain in the hunt entering Week 9
