How the next month is crucial for a Houston Texans playoff run

Week 10 saw some incredibly close games that came down to the wire, including a Houston Texans victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud went over 350 yards in this one and continued his climb up the MVP ladder this season. The rookie has been downright impressive, week-in and week-out. Now at 5-4, Stroud and the Texans are just one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the race for an AFC South crown and control their own destiny.

Let's take a look at the next month's worth of schedule for the Texans, which could play a significant part in their potential playoff run.

The Houston Texans can surprisingly win the AFC South after their win over the Cincinnati Bengals

Next week, the Texans take on the Arizona Cardinals at home. Prior to this past week, that would look like one of the easiest wins on the schedule. Now, it's still fairly winnable, but the Texas now have to deal with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who made his return from a torn ACL this past week.

The Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Falcons for just their second win of the season, and Murray played an excellent game. He looked great all-around, although there was a bit of rust. Houston has not run the ball particularly well this season, but Arizona ranks fifth-worst against the run, so there's a weakness to exploit there, for sure.

After taking care of business against Arizona, the Texans will be 6-4 and play their most pivotal game to date in Week 12.