# 2018 Houston Texans season

The 2018 season was the Houston Texans' 17th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Bill O'Brien. This marked the first season since 2005 that Rick Smith would not be the general manager as he took a leave of absence for family reasons. Despite an 0–3 start, their first in a decade, the Texans surpassed their win total from the previous season with a Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins. They had a franchise record 9 consecutive wins that also broke the NFL record for most consecutive wins after starting 0–3. The streak ended with a Week 14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. With a Week 15 win over the New York Jets, the Texans clinched their first 10-win season under head coach Bill O’Brien, their first 10-win season since 2012 and their third 10-win season in franchise history.
On November 23, 2018, Bob McNair, the founding owner of the Texans, died aged 81.
Despite losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, the Texans clinched a playoff berth after the New Orleans Saints defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers later that day.
With a Week 17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans clinched the AFC South division, winning their fifth division title.
The Texans lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, 21–7 to their AFC South rival, the Indianapolis Colts.

## Draft

2018 Houston Texans draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 3 | 68 | Justin Reid | S | Stanford | |
| 3 | 80 | Martinas Rankin | OT | Mississippi State | from Seattle |
| 3 | 98 | Jordan Akins | TE | UCF | Compensatory pick |
| 4 | 103 | Keke Coutee | WR | Texas Tech | |
| 6 | 177 | Duke Ejiofor | DE | Wake Forest | |
| 6 | 211 | Jordan Thomas | TE | Mississippi State | Compensatory pick |
| 6 | 214 | Peter Kalambayi | LB | Stanford | Compensatory pick |
| 7 | 222 | Jermaine Kelly | CB | San Jose State | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Draft trades
* The Texans traded their first-round selection (4th overall), as well as their 2017 first-round selection (25th overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Cleveland's first-round selection in 2017 (12th overall).
* The Texans traded their second-round selection (35th overall), their sixth-round selection in 2017 (188th overall) and quarterback Brock Osweiler to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth-round selection in 2017 (142nd overall).
* The Texans traded their fifth-round selection (141st overall) and offensive tackle Duane Brown in exchange for Seattle's third-round selection (80th overall) and a second-round selection in 2019.
* The Texans were awarded one third-round and two sixth-round compensatory picks (98th, 211th and 214th overall).

## NFL Top 100

| Rank | Player | Position | Change |
| 13 | DeAndre Hopkins | WR | NR |
| 32 | Jadeveon Clowney | OLB | 17 |
| 50 | Deshaun Watson | QB | NR |
| 84 | J. J. Watt | DE | 49 |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 17–10 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 18 | San Francisco 49ers | W 16–13 | 2–0 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 20–21 | 2–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | Dallas Cowboys | W 14–6 | 3–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 9 | at New England Patriots | L 20–27 | 0–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | at Tennessee Titans | L 17–20 | 0–2 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | New York Giants | L 22–27 | 0–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 37–34 (OT) | 1–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | Dallas Cowboys | W 19–16 (OT) | 2–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | Buffalo Bills | W 20–13 | 3–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 20–7 | 4–3 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 25 | Miami Dolphins | W 42–23 | 5–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | at Denver Broncos | W 19–17 | 6–3 | Broncos Stadium at Mile High | Recap |
| 10 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 11 | November 18 | at Washington Redskins | W 23–21 | 7–3 | FedEx Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | Tennessee Titans | W 34–17 | 8–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | Cleveland Browns | W 29–13 | 9–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Indianapolis Colts | L 21–24 | 9–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | at New York Jets | W 29–22 | 10–4 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 30–32 | 10–5 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 20–3 | 11–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Patriots | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), cloudy and cool
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Rob Gronkowski 21-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:50. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:08.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 2:33. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, -7 yards, 1:33.
Second quarter
NE – James White 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:38. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:55.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 9:01. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:37.
NE – Phillip Dorsett 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:14. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 1:14.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 6:02. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 3:50.
HOU – Alfred Blue 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:52. Patriots 24–13. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:10.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 9:48. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:04.
HOU – Bruce Ellington 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:08. Patriots 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 17/34, 176 yards, TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 26/39, 277 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Lamar Miller – 20 carries, 98 yards
NE – Rex Burkhead – 18 carries, 64 yards
Top receivers
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 8 receptions, 78 yards
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 7 receptions, 123 yards, TD :
Safety Tyrann Mathieu, who signed with the Texans in the offseason, intercepted a Tom Brady pass that was tipped by Angelo Blackson in the 1st quarter.

#### Week 2: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Titans | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 62,372
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Dane Cruikshank 66-yard pass from Kevin Byard (Ryan Succop kick), 9:51. Titans 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:14.
TEN – Taywan Taylor 18-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Ryan Succop kick), 0:35. Titans 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:35.
Second quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 28-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:58. Titans 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:30.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 34-yard field goal, 2:44. Titans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 4:00.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Will Fuller 39-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:25. Texans 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:43.
TEN – Ryan Succop 42-yard field goal, 9:48. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:37.
TEN – Ryan Succop 31-yard field goal, 1:05. Titans 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:41.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 22/32, 310 yards, 2 TD, INT
TEN – Blaine Gabbert – 13/20, 117 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Lamar Miller – 14 carries, 68 yards
TEN – Derrick Henry – 18 carries, 56 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Will Fuller – 8 receptions, 113 yards, TD
TEN – Dane Cruikshank – 1 reception, 66 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 22 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,838
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Megan Olivi
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 10:12. Texans 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 4:50.
NYG – Saquon Barkley 15-yard run (Aldrick Rosas kick), 4:10. Giants 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:00.
Second quarter
NYG – Aldrick Rosas 44-yard field goal, 11:53. Giants 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:14.
NYG – Aldrick Rosas 30-yard field goal, 4:38. Giants 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:59.
NYG – Rhett Ellison 16-yard pass from Eli Manning (Aldrick Rosas kick), 1:20. Giants 20–3. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 1:56.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 0:04. Giants 20–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 1:20.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 54-yard field goal, 8:46. Giants 20–9. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Will Fuller 6-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (two-point conversion failed), 7:43. Giants 20–15. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:32.
NYG – Sterling Shepard 7-yard pass from Eli Manning (Aldrick Rosas kick), 2:08. Giants 27–15. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 5:29.
HOU – Lamar Miller 4-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:01. Giants 27–22. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:07.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 25/29, 297 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 24/40, 385 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Saquon Barkley – 17 carries, 82 yards, TD
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 5 carries, 36 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. – 9 receptions, 109 yards
HOU – Will Fuller – 5 receptions, 101 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Texans fell to 0–3 for the first time since 2008, and suffered their ninth consecutive loss dating back to Week 12 of last season. They then went on to win their next nine games.

#### Week 4: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Texans | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 37 |
| Colts | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), mostly sunny — retractable roof open
* Game attendance: 57,716
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Zach Pascal 4-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:17. Colts 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:43.
HOU – Jadeveon Clowney 0-yard fumble return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 5:19. Tied 7–7.
HOU – Will Fuller 3-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:45. Texans 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:27.
Second quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:08. Texans 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:39.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 42-yard field goal, 0:02. Texans 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:06.
Third quarter
HOU – Deshaun Watson 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:39. Texans 28–10. Drive: 15 plays, 79 yards, 8:21.
IND – Nyheim Hines 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:21. Texans 28–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:25.
Fourth quarter
IND – Eric Ebron 5-yard pass from Andrew Luck (two-point conversion failed), 7:41. Texans 28–23. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:22.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 40-yard field goal, 3:02. Texans 31–23. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:39.
IND – Nyheim Hines 9-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Luck pass to Rogers), 0:45. Tied 31–31. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 2:13.
Overtime
IND – Adam Vinatieri 44-yard field goal, 6:00. Colts 34–31. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 4:00.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 29-yard field goal, 1:50. Tied 34–34. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 4:10.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 37–34. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:21.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 29/42, 375 yards, 2 TD, INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 40/62, 464 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Lamar Miller – 15 carries, 49 yards
IND – Jordan Wilkins – 8 carries, 16 yards
Top receivers
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 10 receptions, 169 yards, TD
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 4 receptions, 115 yards :
Win the win, the Texans improved to 1–3 and snapped a 9–game losing streak. Rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee made his NFL debut, finishing with 11 receptions for 109 yards. Coutee's 11 receptions are the most by a rookie receiver since the AFL–NFL merger.

#### Week 5: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cowboys | 6 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Texans | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 72,008
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Brett Maher 27-yard field goal, 10:06. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:54.
DAL – Brett Maher 43-yard field goal, 3:13. Cowboys 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:35.
Second quarter
HOU – Keke Coutee 1-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:40. Texans 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:30.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 20-yard field goal, 6:03. Texans 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 5:54.
Third quarter
DAL – Allen Hurns 3-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brett Maher kick), 11:57. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:59.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 21-yard field goal, 5:05. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 2:50.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 19-yard field goal, 8:34. Texans 16–13. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:55.
DAL – Bret Maher 48-yard field goal, 5:43. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:48.
Overtime
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 1:55. Texans 19–16. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:38.
Top passers
DAL – Dak Prescott – 18/29, 208 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 33/44, 375 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 20 carries, 54 yards
HOU – Alfred Blue – 20 carries, 46 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Geoff Swaim – 3 receptions, 55 yards
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 9 receptions, 151 yards :

#### Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills

Battle Red Day
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,638
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 13-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:43. Texans 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:52.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 8:37. Texans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 22-yard field goal, 10:15. Texans 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:08.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 52-yard field goal, 2:18. Texans 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 1:13.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Zay Jones 16-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Stephen Hauschka kick), 13:00. Bills 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:44.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 27-yard field goal, 1:37. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 2:18.
HOU – Johnathan Joseph 28-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:30. Texans 20–13.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 10/17, 84 yards
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 15/25, 177 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 16 carries, 73 yards
HOU – Lamar Miller – 15 carries, 46 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 2 receptions, 43 yards
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 63 yards, TD :
In a low-scoring defensive battle, the Texans claimed the victory in final minutes when cornerback Johnathan Joseph intercepted a pass from Bills backup quarterback Nathan Peterman and returned it for the game-winning touchdown.

#### Week 7: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,534
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 44-yard field goal, 10:22. Texans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:15.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 48-yard field goal, 2:39. Texans 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:46.
Second quarter
HOU – Lamar Miller 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 5:31. Texans 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:55.
Third quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 10-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:50. Texans 20–0. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:37.
JAX – T. J. Yeldon 5-yard pass from Cody Kessler (Josh Lambo kick), 2:18. Texans 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:37.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 12/24, 139 yards, TD
JAX – Cody Kessler – 21/30, 156 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Lamar Miller – 22 carries, 100 yards, TD
JAX – Blake Bortles – 6 carries, 30 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Will Fuller – 6 receptions, 68 yards
JAX – Donte Moncrief – 7 receptions, 76 yards :
Lamar Miller had his first 100-yard rushing game since December 11, 2016 and also had his first rushing touchdown of the season on a 5-yard run during the third quarter. Safety Tyrann Mathieu sacked Jacksonville quarterback Cody Kessler in the fourth quarter for his first sack as a Texan and also had an interception. With the win, Houston improved to 4–3, took sole possession of 1st place in the AFC South, and had their first four-game winning streak since the 2015 season.

#### Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
| Texans | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,726
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (Fox/NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Kenyan Drake 12-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 4:58. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:32.
HOU – Lamar Miller 2-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:31. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:27.
Second quarter
HOU – Jordan Thomas 13-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:14. Texans 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:36.
MIA – Jason Sanders 37-yard field goal, 3:01. Texans 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:32.
Third quarter
HOU – Jordan Thomas 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 11:34. Texans 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:26.
MIA – Kenyan Drake 28-yard pass from Danny Amendola (Jason Sanders kick), 4:55. Texans 21–17. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:46.
HOU – Will Fuller 73-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:21. Texans 28–17. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:34.
MIA – Jason Sanders 41-yard field goal, 0:39. Texans 28–20. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:42.
Fourth quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 49-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:49. Texans 35–20. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:47.
MIA – Jason Sanders 46-yard field goal, 11:30. Texans 35–23. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:19.
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:34. Texans 42–23. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 3:52.
Top passers
MIA – Brock Osweiler – 21/37, 241 yards, INT
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 16/20, 239 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 12 carries, 58 yards, TD
HOU – Lamar Miller – 18 carries, 133 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – DeVante Parker – 6 receptions, 134 yards
HOU – Will Fuller – 5 receptions, 124 yards, TD :
Quarterback Deshaun Watson threw five touchdowns (tying a career high) while only having four incompletions with no interceptions. Lamar Miller had another 100-yard rushing game for the second week in a row, running for 133 yards with a touchdown. With the win, the Texans improved to 5–3 and surpassed their win total from the previous season. Receiver Will Fuller tore his right ACL during the game and is expected to be out for 6 to 9 months.

#### Week 9: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 7 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Broncos | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 76,270
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Steve Beuerlein
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Jordan Thomas 7-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:53. Texans 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:07.
DEN – Brandon McManus 44-yard field goal, 4:47. Texans 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 3:07.
Second quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (PAT failed), 11:05. Texans 13–3. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:19.
DEN – Devontae Booker 14-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 5:33. Texans 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 2:30.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 16–10. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:18.
Third quarter
DEN – Jeff Heuerman 12-yard pass from Case Keenum (Brandon McManus kick), 5:57. Broncos 17–16. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:56.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 37-yard field goal, 14:06. Texans 19–17. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:51.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 17/24, 213 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Case Keenum – 26/42, 290 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Alfred Blue – 15 carries, 39 yards
DEN – Phillip Lindsay – 17 carries, 60 yards
Top receivers
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 10 receptions, 105 yards, TD
DEN – Jeff Heuerman – 10 receptions, 83 yards, TD :
With the close win, the Texans improved to 6–3. They are the first team since the 1970 Giants to win 6 in a row after starting 0–3.

#### Week 11: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 61,593
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 9:34. Texans 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:36.
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:15. Texans 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:13.
Second quarter
WAS – Adrian Peterson 3-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 14:14. Texans 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:01.
Third quarter
HOU – Justin Reid 101-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:23. Texans 17–7.
WAS – Jordan Reed 9-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:52. Texans 17–14. Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 0:46.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 1:22. Texans 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:28.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Adrian Peterson 7-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 11:57. Redskins 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:22.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 54-yard field goal, 7:30. Texans 23–21. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:27.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 16/24, 208 yards, TD, 2 INT
WAS – Alex Smith – 12/27, 135 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
HOU – Lamar Miller – 20 carries, 86 yards
WAS – Adrian Peterson – 16 carries, 51 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
HOU – Keke Coutee – 5 receptions, 77 yards
WAS – Jordan Reed – 7 receptions, 71 yards, TD :
With another close win, the Texans improved to 7–3, their best start since 2012. They also tied their longest win streak in franchise history at 7 straight, which they previously accomplished in 2011. This is the second straight game that the Texans have won thanks to a missed last second field goal.

#### Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Texans | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,826
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 31-yard field goal, 11:50. Titans 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:13.
TEN – Jonnu Smith 61-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 9:21. Titans 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 69 yards, 0:47.
HOU – Demaryius Thomas 12-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 5:21. Titans 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 4:00.
Second quarter
HOU – Deshaun Watson 15-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbarin kick), 14:53. Texans 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:58.
HOU – Lamar Miller 97-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:22. Texans 21–10. Drive: 1 play, 97 yards, 0:14.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 0:01. Texans 24–10. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:45.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 47-yard field goal, 8:53. Texans 27–10. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 6:07.
TEN – Corey Davis 48-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 0:13. Texans 27–17. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:47.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Demaryius Thomas 10-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:15. Texans 34–17. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:24.
Top passers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 22/23, 303 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 19/24, 210 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Corey Davis – 1 carry, 39 yards
HOU – Lamar Miller – 12 carries, 162 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Corey Davis – 4 receptions, 96 yards, TD
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 5 receptions, 74 yards :
The Texans successfully avenged their Week 2 loss to their division rival Titans. With their 8th straight win, they improved to 8–3 and eclipsed their previous franchise record for most consecutive wins. Coupled with a Steelers loss to the Denver Broncos the day before, the Texans' victory allowed them to leapfrog the Steelers for the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
This game was the first game following the death of the owner and founder Bob McNair and the team has dedicated the victory to him.

#### Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Texans | 10 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,741
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 35-yard field goal, 8:12. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:48.
HOU – Jordan Thomas 11-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:38. Texans 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:38.
Second quarter
HOU – Zach Cunningham 38-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:36. Texans 17–0.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 3:24. Texans 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:13.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 48-yard field goal, 0:05. Texans 23–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 1:39.
Third quarter
CLE – Nick Chubb 2-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 9:42. Texans 23–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:21.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 5:31. Texans 26–7. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:13.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 5:50. Texans 29–7. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:59.
CLE – Rashard Higgins 17-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (pass failed), 2:58. Texans 29–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:48.
Top passers
CLE – Baker Mayfield – 29/43, 397 yards, TD, 3 INT
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 22/31, 224 yards, TD
Top rushers
CLE – Nick Chubb – 9 carries, 31 yards, TD
HOU – Lamar Miller – 19 carries, 103 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Jarvis Landry – 6 receptions, 103 yards
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 7 receptions, 91 yards :
The Houston Texans were going for their ninth win in a row against Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns who the week before defeated the Bengals. The Texans were able to outplay the Browns en route to their ninth straight win and forced the Browns to turn the ball over four times including three interceptions by Baker Mayfield.

#### Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Texans | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,814
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Alfred Blue 3-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:26. Texans 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 4:09.
Second quarter
IND – Marlon Mack 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 64 yards, 0:46.
IND – Eric Ebron 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:57. Colts 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:16.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 54-yard field goal, 0:04. Colts 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 1:14.
Third quarter
HOU – Lamar Miller 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:38. Colts 17–14. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:22.
IND – Zach Pascal 12-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:51. Colts 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:47.
Fourth quarter
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 7-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:37. Colts 24–21. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 1:53.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 27/41, 399 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 27/38, 267 yards, 1 TD
Top rushers
IND – Marlon Mack – 14 carries, 33 yards, 1 TD
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 5 carries, 35 yards
Top receivers
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 9 receptions, 199 yards
HOU – Ryan Griffin – 5 receptions, 80 yards :
With the loss, the Texans 9-game winning streak was snapped. They also squandered an opportunity to move ahead of the Patriots for the No. 2 seed as the Patriots suffered a loss of their own to the Miami Dolphins.

#### Week 15: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 29 |
| Jets | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 22 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 15
* Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 77,982
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (NFLN): Curt Menefee, Steve Mariucci, Nate Burleson and Melissa Stark
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 41-yard field goal, 9:23. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:31.
NYJ – Jason Myers 26-yard field goal, 2:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:22.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 32-yard field goal, 12:51. Texans 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:10.
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 45-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:14. Texans 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:40.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 4:35. Texans 16–3. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:05.
NYJ – Robby Anderson 5-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers PAT failed), 0:30. Texans 16–9. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:05.
Third quarter
NYJ – Andre Roberts 13-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers PAT failed), 8:39. Texans 16–15. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:10.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 49-yard field goal, 12:33. Texans 19–15. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:55.
NYJ – Elijah McGuire 2-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 5:00. Jets 22–19. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 7:33.
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 14-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:15. Texans 26–22. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:45.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 40-yard field goal, 0:54. Texans 29–22. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 0:58.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 22/28, 294 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Sam Darnold – 24/38, 253 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 4 carries, 26 yards
NYJ – Elijah McGuire – 18 carries, 42 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 10 receptions, 170 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Robby Anderson – 7 receptions, 96 yards, TD :
With the win, the Texans improved to 10–4 and reached 10 wins for the first time since 2012, and for the first time in the Bill O'Brien era. With the Patriots loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers the next day, the Texans obtained sole possession of the No. 2 seed and now control their destiny for a first-round bye if they win their last 2 games.

#### Week 16: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
| Eagles | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 32 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 69,696
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Darren Sproles 37-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 6:42. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:04.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 30-yard field goal, 14:55. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:40.
HOU – Deshaun Watson 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn PAT failed), 10:23. Texans 9–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:04.
PHI – Zach Ertz 1-yard pass from Nick Foles (two-point conversion failed), 3:11. Eagles 13–9. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:15.
HOU – Deshaun Watson 6-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:17. Texans 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:51.
Third quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 47-yard field goal, 5:35. Tied 16–16. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:55.
PHI – Nelson Agholor 83-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 2:31. Eagles 23–16. Drive: 1 play, 83 yards, 0:14.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Zach Ertz 23-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 10:30. Eagles 29–16. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 3:22.
HOU – D'Onta Foreman 20-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:41. Eagles 29–23. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 0:39.
HOU – Vyncint Smith 35-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:04. Texans 30–29. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:02.
PHI – Jake Elliott 35-yard field goal, 0:03. Eagles 32–30. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 2:01.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 29/40, 339 yards, 2 TD
PHI – Nick Foles – 35/49, 471 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 8 carries, 49 yards, 2 TD
PHI – Darren Sproles – 9 carries, 32 yards
Top receivers
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 9 receptions, 104 yards
PHI – Nelson Agholor – 5 receptions, 116 yards, TD :
The Texans traveled to Philadelphia seeking to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in franchise history. Houston rallied from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to take a one-point lead on a 35-yard touchdown reception by Vyncint Smith with 2:04 remaining in the game. However, the defense could not stop Philadelphia on the ensuing drive, and the Eagles prevailed 32-30 on a 35-yard field goal by Jake Elliott as time expired. With the loss, the Texans fell to 10-5 on the season and 0-5 all-time against the Eagles. Houston also failed to clinch the AFC South due to victories by the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts and slipped back to No. 3 with the New England Patriots victory over the Buffalo Bills. However, the Texans would clinch a playoff berth when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New Orleans Saints later that day.

#### Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Texans | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,848
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Kai Forbath 25-yard field goal, 10:08. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:00.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 5:20. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:48.
Second quarter
HOU – Deshaun Watson 5-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:56. Texans 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:37.
HOU – Lamar Miller 7-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:01. Texans 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:27.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 24-yard field goal, 10:52. Texans 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:29.
Top passers
JAX – Blake Bortles – 15/28, 107 yards, INT
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 25/35, 234 yards
Top rushers
JAX – Blake Bortles – 4 carries, 15 yards
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 13 carries, 66 yards, TD
Top receivers
JAX – Keelan Cole – 4 receptions, 45 yards
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 12 receptions, 147 yards :

### Standings
#### Division

AFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Houston Texans | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 402 | 316 | W1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Indianapolis Colts | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 433 | 344 | W4 |
| Tennessee Titans | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 310 | 303 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 245 | 316 | L1 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .480 | .401 | W1 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .494 | W2 |
| 3 | Houston Texans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .471 | .435 | W1 |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .496 | .450 | W3 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .477 | .422 | W1 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .465 | .456 | W4 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .448 | W1 |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .520 | .465 | L1 |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | North | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3–2–1 | 5–6–1 | .516 | .411 | L1 |
| 10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .469 | .446 | L3 |
| 11 | Denver Broncos | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .464 | L4 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .535 | .448 | L2 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .411 | W1 |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .549 | .463 | L1 |
| 15 | New York Jets | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .506 | .438 | L3 |
| 16 | Oakland Raiders | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .406 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Kansas City finished ahead of LA Chargers in the AFC West based on division record, claiming the No. 1 seed. 1 2 New England claimed the No. 2 seed over Houston based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of Cincinnati and Buffalo based on strength of victory. Cincinnati finished ahead of Buffalo based on record vs. common opponents. Cincinnati's cumulative record against Baltimore, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami was 3–2, compared to Buffalo's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 NY Jets finished ahead of Oakland based on strength of victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 5, 2019 | Indianapolis Colts (6) | L 7–21 | 0–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: January 5, 2019
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,798
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Eric Ebron 6-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:37. Colts 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:28.
IND – Marlon Mack 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:08. Colts 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 5:25.
Second quarter
IND – Dontrelle Inman 18-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:29. Colts 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:23.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Keke Coutee 6-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 11:03. Colts 21–7. Drive: 16 plays, 89 yards, 6:13.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 19/32, 222 yards, 2 TD, INT
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 29/49, 235 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
IND – Marlon Mack – 24 rushes, 148 yards, TD
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 8 rushes, 76 yards
Top receivers
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 5 receptions, 85 yards
HOU – Keke Coutee – 11 receptions, 110 yards, TD :
This was the first time in Houston Texans history where they played against a division opponent in the postseason. With the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys hosting the Seattle Seahawks Saturday evening, it was also the first time in league history that two NFL playoff games were played in Texas on the same day.

## Statistics
### Team

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 3,781 | 236.3 | 17th |
| Rushing offense | 2,021 | 126.3 | 8th |
| Total offense | 5,802 | 362.6 | 15th |
| Passing defense | 4,167 | 260.4 | 27th |
| Rushing defense | 1,323 | 82.7 | 3rd |
| Total defense | 5,490 | 343.1 | 12th |

### Individual

| Category | Player | Total |
| Offense |||
| Passing yards | Deshaun Watson | 4,165 |
| Passing touchdowns | Deshaun Watson | 26 |
| Rushing yards | Lamar Miller | 973 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Lamar Miller Deshaun Watson | 5 |
| Receiving yards | DeAndre Hopkins | 1,572 |
| Receiving touchdowns | DeAndre Hopkins | 11 |
| Defense |||
| Tackles (Solo) | Zach Cunningham | 73 |
| Sacks | J. J. Watt | 16 |
| Interceptions | Andre Hal | 3 |
Source: