Week 18 had a whole lot left to figure out for a few select teams, specifically in the AFC. But, one thing was for certain when it came to the Houston Texans. They were locked in as AFC South Champions and the no. 4 seed in the conference.
And, for that reason, there was no reason for DeMeco Ryans to play his top-tier players for the entire game against the Tennessee Titans. C.J. Stroud attempted only six passes before Davis Mills took over and finished the game. It didn't matter who was under center, though. The Texans came away with a victory over Tennessee.
Again, we knew they were locked in as the no. 4 seed.
But, what we didn't know just yet, was who the Texans are going to play come NFL Wild Card Weekend. Would it be the Los Angeles Chargers or the Pittsburgh Steelers?
If the Chargers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, then the matchup would be set between the Bolts and Texans. However, if L.A. happened to fall to Vegas, then the Steelers would jump up to the fifth seed and travel to Houston this coming weekend.
The game between the Chargers and Raiders started out fairly even, but as it went on, Los Angeles pulled away and took the win. So, it would be set. As of Sunday afternoon, we knew the Texans' fate.
When do the Texans play on NFL Wild Card Weekend?
It's going to be the no. 4 seeded Houston Texans hosting the no. 5 seeded Los Angeles Chargers to kick off Wild Card Weekend this coming Saturday.
Date: Saturday Jan. 11
Time: 4:30pm ET
TV: CBS/Paramount+
For fans worried about TV or streaming options, there will be multiple, with a standard broadcast on CBS and another option streaming via Paramount+.
In quarterback C.J. Stroud's two seasons as a pro, he has yet to face the Chargers. So, this will be his first matchup with the likes of Justin Herbert.
And, while on the surface it looks like this could be a fun game between two solid quarterbacks, this contest will actually feature a pair of top-10 defenses with Houston owning the no. 7 overall unit and L.A. checking in at no. 10.
Now, the hotter team is absolutely the Chargers who have put up an average of 36 points per game over their last three. The Texans, meanwhile, are averaging only 14.7 points per game over their last three. This includes an abysmal showing against the Baltimore Ravens, on Christmas, when the team scored just two points.