Who are the Texans playing in the playoff? Houston's postseason schedule revealed

The Houston Texans qualified for the playoffs by finishing first in the AFC South. They topped a division featuring the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars en route their second postseason berth in the C. J. Stroud era.

The Texans ended the season as the fourth seed in the AFC and will face off against the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Chargers in the wildcard round. The Chargers secured their spot in the playoffs by being one of the best non-division winners in the stacked AFC.

Let's examine the Texans' wildcard round opponent and how both franchises reached this point:

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Who are the Texans playing in the playoff?

The Houston Texans will play against the Jim Harbaugh-coached Los Angeles Chargers in the wildcard round of this year's playoffs. The Texans and Chargers ended the regular season with similar records, with the Texans going 10-7 and the Chargers 11-6.

The Houston Texans entered the season with loads of expectations due to C. J. Stroud's MVP-caliber rookie season, the addition of Stefon Diggs to an already stacked wide receiver room, and the presence of veteran running back Joe Mixon to add some grit to the backfield.

Houston started the season with back-to-back wins over the Indianapolis Colts and the Caleb Williams-led Chicago Bears. Both wins were closely contested, but the Texans showcased their versatility on offense and nous on defense.

DeMeco Ryans' team lost their first game of the season in Week 3, as the Minnesota Vikings blew them away. The Vikings limited them to seven points and scored 34 points on the hapless Texans.

Stroud and Co. recovered from the dubbing by going on a three-game winning streak. They beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots during that stretch. The Patriots' win was particularly impressive, as the Texans recorded a season-high 41 points compared to the Patriots' 21.

Following the streak, the Texans endured a mixed run of form until their bye week. They had wins against the Colts, Dallas Cowboys and the Jaguars. However, they lost games against the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions and the Tennessee Titans to drop to 8-5 ahead of the Week 14 bye.

Following the bye week, the Texans beat the then-postseason-chasing Miami Dolphins in Week 15. Losses against the Kansas City Chiefs and a blowout defeat against the Baltimore Ravens dampened the mood. But Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans will see the Texans enter the playoffs on a positive note.

They will be up against Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers in their first postseason game. A divisional round game is on the line, so expect both teams to leave it all on the gridiron.