# 2023 Houston Texans season

The 2023 season was the Houston Texans' 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach DeMeco Ryans. While the team went into the season with low expectations as a rebuilding period and started 0–2, they not only improved on their 3–13–1 record from last year with a Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Texans qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2019 with a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, ending with a 10–7 record. After the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans the day after, the Texans also clinched the AFC South for the first time since 2019. The Texans became the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with both a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach, as well as making history as the first team in NFL history to win a division entirely with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback.
In the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Texans blew out the Cleveland Browns with a 45–14 win. The team's season would officially come to an end when they would lose to the one-seed Baltimore Ravens 34–10 in the Divisional round, preventing them from making their first AFC Championship appearance in franchise history.
In the NFL draft, the Texans selected quarterback C. J. Stroud from Ohio State second overall. Stroud would break several NFL and franchise rookie records on his way to being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the award. After trading with the Arizona Cardinals, the Texans would select Alabama defensive end Will Anderson Jr. third overall. Anderson was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, marking the fourth time in NFL history that teammates won the offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards.
The Houston Texans drew an average home attendance of 71,193 in 9 home games in the 2023 NFL season.

## Offseason

On January 8, the Texans fired Lovie Smith after just one rebuilding season as the head coach with a record of 3–13–1. On January 31, the Texans hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator and former player DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach.

### Draft

2023 Houston Texans draft selections :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | C. J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 3 | Will Anderson Jr. | LB | Alabama | From Cardinals |
| 1 | 12 | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | From Browns |
| 2 | 33 | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | |
| 2 | 62 | Juice Scruggs | C | Penn State | From Eagles |
| 3 | 65 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| 3 | 69 | Tank Dell | WR | Houston | From Rams |
| 3 | 73 | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | From Browns |
| 4 | 104 | Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders | Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders | Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders | |
| 4 | 105 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | From Cardinals |
| 4 | 109 | Dylan Horton | DE | TCU | From Raiders |
| 5 | — | Selection forfeited | Selection forfeited | Selection forfeited | |
| 5 | 161 | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | From Cowboys |
| 5 | 167 | Henry To'oTo'o | LB | Alabama | Compensatory selection; from Rams |
| 5 | 174 | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Compensatory selection; from Raiders |
| 6 | 179 | Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| 6 | 188 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | From Saints |
| 6 | 191 | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles | From Packers via Rams |
| 6 | 201 | Jarrett Patterson | C | Notre Dame | From Vikings |
| 6 | 203 | Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders | Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders | Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders | From Giants |
| 6 | 205 | Xavier Hutchinson | WR | Iowa State | From Bills |
| 6 | 207 | Traded to the New York Jets | Traded to the New York Jets | Traded to the New York Jets | From 49ers |
| 7 | 219 | Traded to the Minnesota Vikings | Traded to the Minnesota Vikings | Traded to the Minnesota Vikings | |
| 7 | 230 | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | From Jets via Buccaneers, Texans and Eagles |
| 7 | 248 | Brandon Hill | S | Pittsburgh | From Eagles |
| 7 | 259 | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams | Supplemental compensatory selection |
2023 Houston Texans undrafted free agents :
| Name | Position | College |
| Jake Bates | K | Arkansas |
| Tyler Beach | G/T | Wisconsin |
| Joe Doyle | P | Memphis |
| Dylan Deatherage | T | Western Michigan |
| Ali Gaye | DE | LSU |
| Darius Joyner | S | Duke |
| Jesse Matthews | WR | San Diego State |
| Jordan Murray | TE | Hawaii |
| Xazavian Valladay | RB | Arizona State |
| Jared Wayne | WR | Pittsburgh |
| Kilian Zierer | T | Auburn |
Draft trades
* 1 2 3 4 The Texans traded first- and second-round selections (12th and 33rd overall), and 2024 first- and third-round selections to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for first- and fourth-round selections (3rd and 105th overall).
* 1 2 The Texans traded a 2024 sixth-round selection and QB Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for first- and third-round selections (12th and 73rd overall), 2022 first- and fourth-round selections, and 2024 first- and fourth-round selections.
* 1 2 3 4 The Texans traded third-, sixth- and seventh-round selections (65th, 188th and 230th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a second-round selection (62nd overall).
* 1 2 3 4 The Texans traded third- and fifth-round selections (73rd and 161st overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for third- and sixth-round selections (69th and 191st overall).
* 1 2 3 4 The Texans traded fourth- and sixth-round selections (104th and 203rd overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round selections (109th and 174th overall).
* ↑ The Texans traded a fourth-round selection (105th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2024 third-round selection.
* ↑ The Texans forfeited their fifth-round selection as punishment for a salary cap reporting violation.
* ↑ The Texans traded WR Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round selection (161st overall) and a 2024 sixth-round selection.
* 1 2 3 The Texans traded fifth- and seventh-round selections (174th and 259th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fifth-round selection (167th overall).
* 1 2 The Texans traded a sixth-round selection (179th overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a seventh-round selection (230th overall) and G Shaq Mason.
* ↑ The Texans traded CB Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a sixth-round selection (188th overall) and a 2022 third-round selection.
* 1 2 3 The Texans traded a sixth-round selection (191st overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for two seventh-round selections (230th and 248th overall).
* 1 2 The Texans traded a seventh-round selection (219th overall) and DE Ross Blacklock to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a sixth-round selection (201st overall).
* ↑ The Texans traded CB Keion Crossen to the New York Giants in exchange for a sixth-round selection (203rd overall).
* 1 2 The Texans traded a seventh-round selection (230th overall) and a 2024 sixth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a sixth-round selection (205th overall).
* ↑ The Texans traded a sixth-round selection (207th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for LB Blake Cashman.
* ↑ The Texans traded DE Charles Omenihu to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round selection (207th overall).

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 10 | at New England Patriots | W 20–9 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | Miami Dolphins | L 3–28 | 1–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | at New Orleans Saints | W 17–13 | 2–1 | Caesars Superdome | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 10 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 9–25 | 0–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | Indianapolis Colts | L 20–31 | 0–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 37–17 | 1–2 | EverBank Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 30–6 | 2–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 8 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 19–21 | 2–3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 15 | New Orleans Saints | W 20–13 | 3–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 8 | October 29 | at Carolina Panthers | L 13–15 | 3–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 39–37 | 4–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–27 | 5–4 | Paycor Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | Arizona Cardinals | W 21–16 | 6–4 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 21–24 | 6–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | Denver Broncos | W 22–17 | 7–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | at New York Jets | L 6–30 | 7–6 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | at Tennessee Titans | W 19–16 (OT) | 8–6 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Cleveland Browns | L 22–36 | 8–7 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | Tennessee Titans | W 26–3 | 9–7 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 6 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 23–19 | 10–7 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Ravens | 7 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 25 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,136
* Referee: Tra Blake
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – J. K. Dobbins 4-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 1:00. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:28.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 35-yard field goal, 3:56. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 8:54.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 1:54.
Third quarter
BAL – Justice Hill 2-yard run (Gus Edwards run), 9:55. Ravens 15–6. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:47.
BAL – Justice Hill 2-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 5:21. Ravens 22–6. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 2:14.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 13:47. Ravens 22–9. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:39.
BAL – Justin Tucker 39-yard field goal, 4:10. Ravens 25–9. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 4:50.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 28/44, 242 yards
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 17/22, 169 yards, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 11 rushes, 38 yards
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 6 rushes, 38 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Nico Collins – 6 receptions, 80 yards
BAL – Zay Flowers – 9 receptions, 78 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 14 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,159
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Anthony Richardson 18-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 10:44. Colts 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:16.
IND – Anthony Richardson 15-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 9:13. Colts 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:05.
HOU – Nico Collins 8-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:14. Colts 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:59.
Second quarter
IND – Zack Moss 11-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 9:43. Colts 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 3:02.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 29-yard field goal, 4:25. Colts 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:18.
IND – Kylen Granson 4-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Matt Gay kick), 0:10. Colts 28–10. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 4:15.
Third quarter
IND – Matt Gay 42-yard field goal, 5:50. Colts 31–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:18.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 13:24. Colts 31–13. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 7:26.
HOU – Tank Dell 23-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:48. Colts 31–20. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:41.
Top passers
IND – Gardner Minshew – 19/23, 171 yards, TD
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 30/47, 384 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
IND – Zack Moss – 18 rushes, 88 yards, TD
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 15 rushes, 31 yards
Top receivers
IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 8 receptions, 56 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 7 receptions, 146 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 7 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 37 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
at EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,466
* Referee: Scott Novak
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Dameon Pierce 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:35. Texans 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:57.
Second quarter
HOU – Brevin Jordan 4-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:27. Texans 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 4:24.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
JAX – Tank Bigsby 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 11:17. Texans 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:43.
JAX – Brandon McManus 33-yard field goal, 4:35. Texans 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:44.
HOU – Andrew Beck 85-yard kickoff return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:19. Texans 24–10.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 26-yard field goal, 12:36. Texans 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:44.
JAX – Christian Kirk 26-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (Brandon McManus kick), 10:40. Texans 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:56.
HOU – Tank Dell 68-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:59. Texans 34–17. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:41.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 2:10. Texans 37–17. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:35.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 20/30, 280 yards, 2 TD
JAX – Trevor Lawrence – 27/40, 279 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Devin Singletary – 9 rushes, 41 yards
JAX – Travis Etienne – 19 rushes, 88 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Tank Dell – 5 receptions, 145 yards, TD
JAX – Evan Engram – 7 receptions, 67 yards :

#### Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Texans | 10 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,399
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Amanda Renner
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Nico Collins 2-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:55. Texans 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:05.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 1:20. Texans 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 3:26.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 12:09. Texans 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:43.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 16–0. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 35-yard field goal, 9:31. Texans 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:29.
PIT – Chris Boswell 23-yard field goal, 5:47. Texans 16–6. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:53.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Dalton Schultz 6-yard pass from Devin Singletary (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:50. Texans 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:20.
HOU – Nico Collins 52-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:39. Texans 30–6. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 6:24.
Top passers
PIT – Kenny Pickett – 15/23, 114 yards, INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 16/30, 306 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
PIT – Najee Harris – 14 rushes, 71 yards
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 24 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Najee Harris – 1 reception, 32 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 7 receptions, 168 yards, 2 TD :
For the second straight week, the Texans had back-to-back upset victories, and improved to 2–2. Former defensive end J.J. Watt was inducted to the Houston Texans Ring of Honor during halftime. Coincidentally, his brother T.J was playing in this game, though for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

#### Week 5: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 19 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 8
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 69,461
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Brandon Gaudin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU — Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 10:38. Texans 3–0. Drive: 6 plays. 28 yards, 2:56.
ATL — Desmond Ridder 7-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 6:48. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 43-yard field goal, 14:10. Falcons 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:59.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 0:03. Texans 9–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 1:42.
Third quarter
HOU — Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 9:35. Texans 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:19.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Bijan Robinson 6-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Desmond Ridder–Tyler Allgeier pass), 12:12. Falcons 15–12. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:41.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 33-yard field goal, 6:57. Falcons 18–12. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:15.
HOU – Dalton Schultz 18-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:49. Texans 19–18. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 21–19. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 1:49.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 20/35, 249 yards, TD
ATL – Desmond Ridder – 28/37, 329 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 20 rushes, 66 yards
ATL – Bijan Robinson – 14 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Dalton Schultz – 7 receptions, 65 yards, TD
ATL – Kyle Pitts – 7 receptions, 87 yards :

#### Week 6: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Texans | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 15
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,810
* Referee: Alan Eck
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Dalton Schultz 1-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:41. Texans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:15.
NO – Rashid Shaheed 34-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 0:13. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 24-yard field goal, 10:28. Texans 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:45.
HOU – Robert Woods 6-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:56. Texans 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 6:11.
NO – Blake Grupe 48-yard field goal, 0:18. Texans 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 2:38.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 22-yard field goal, 7:01. Texans 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:09.
NO – Blake Grupe 45-yard field goal, 2:17. Texans 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
NO – Derek Carr – 32/50, 353 yards, TD, INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 13/27, 199 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Alvin Kamara – 19 rushes, 68 yards
HOU – Devin Singletary – 12 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
NO – Chris Olave – 7 receptions, 96 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 4 receptions, 80 yards :
With the win, the Texans improved to 3–3 and matched their win total from the previous season.

#### Week 8: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Panthers | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,505
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
HOU – Andrew Beck 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:13. Texans 7–0. Drive: 17 plays, 92 yards, 9:20.
CAR – Tommy Tremble 1-yard pass from Bryce Young (kick failed), 1:35. Texans 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 46-yard field goal, 10:46. Panthers 9–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:14.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 37-yard field goal, 7:58. Panthers 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:57.
HOU – C. J. Stroud 1-yard run (pass failed), 0:35. Texans 13–12. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:23.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 15–13. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 6:17.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 16/24, 140 yards
CAR – Bryce Young – 22/31, 235 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 12 rushes, 46 yards
CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 15 rushes, 28 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Nico Collins – 4 receptions, 30 yards
CAR – Adam Thielen – 8 receptions, 72 yards :

#### Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 37 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 39 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 5
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,785
* Referee: Land Clark
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Chase McLaughlin 35-yard field goal, 12:56. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:42.
HOU – Nico Collins 14-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:10. Texans 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:46.
TB – Cade Otton 3-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 2:13. Buccaneers 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:57.
Second quarter
TB – Rachaad White 1-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 9:05. Buccaneers 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:58.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 50-yard field goal, 5:17. Buccaneers 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 3:48.
Third quarter
TB – Chase McLaughlin 49-yard field goal, 12:38. Buccaneers 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 2:22.
HOU – Noah Brown 75-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (pass failed), 12:20. Buccaneers 20–16. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:18.
TB – Chase McLaughlin 55-yard field goal, 9:23. Buccaneers 23–16. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:57.
HOU – Tank Dell 29-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (pass failed), 5:59. Buccaneers 23–22. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 3:24.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Dalton Schultz 9-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (C. J. Stroud run), 14:11. Texans 30–23. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:26.
TB – Rachaad White 1-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 11:43. Tied 30–30. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:28.
HOU – Dare Ogunbowale 29-yard field goal, 8:45. Texans 33–30. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 2:58.
TB – Cade Otton 14-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:46. Buccaneers 37–33. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 3:41.
HOU – Tank Dell 15-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (run failed), 0:06. Texans 39–37. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 0:40.
Top passers
TB – Baker Mayfield – 20/29, 250 yards, 2 TD
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 30/42, 470 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
TB – Rachaad White – 20 rushes, 73 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Devin Singletary – 13 rushes, 26 yards
Top receivers
TB – Mike Evans – 4 receptions, 87 yards
HOU – Noah Brown – 6 receptions, 157 yards, TD :
Placekicker Kaʻimi Fairbairn exited the game at halftime with a quad injury. Running back Dare Ogunbowale handled kickoffs for the Texans during the second half.
Quarterback C. J. Stroud sets the NFL single-game record for passing yards by a rookie with 470 passing yards, surpassing the record set by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Despite the Buccaneers taking a 4-point lead with just 46 seconds left, CJ Stroud marched 75 yards down the field to score the game-winning touchdown.

#### Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,526
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Trenton Irwin 32-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick), 9:43. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:17.
Second quarter
HOU – Tank Dell 6-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Matt Ammendola kick), 10:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:03.
HOU – Matt Ammendola 45-yard field goal, 0:10. Texans 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:30.
Third quarter
HOU – Matt Ammendola 22-yard field goal, 9:27. Texans 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:33.
HOU – Devin Singletary 6-yard run (Matt Ammendola kick), 7:08. Texans 20–7. Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:51.
CIN – Evan McPherson 50-yard field goal, 3:00. Texans 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 4:08.
CIN – Ja'Marr Chase 64-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick), 0:10. Texans 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:23.
Fourth quarter
HOU – C. J. Stroud 8-yard run (Matt Ammendola kick), 12:47. Texans 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:23.
CIN – Joe Mixon 1-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 3:18. Texans 27–24. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:15.
CIN – Evan McPherson 31-yard field goal, 1:33. Tied 27–27. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 0:37.
HOU – Matt Ammendola 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 30–27. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 1:33.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 23/39, 356 yards, TD, INT
CIN – Joe Burrow – 27/40, 347 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
HOU – Devin Singletary – 30 rushes, 150 yards, TD
CIN – Joe Mixon – 11 rushes, 46 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Noah Brown – 7 receptions, 172 yards
CIN – Ja'Marr Chase – 5 receptions, 124 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| Texans | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 19
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,247
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely and Tiffany Blackmon
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Rondale Moore 48-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 13:28. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:32.
HOU – Dalton Schultz 20-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Matt Ammendola kick), 5:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 1:57.
ARI – Matt Prater 57-yard field goal, 1:21. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 4:27.
Second quarter
HOU – Devin Singletary 11-yard run (Matt Ammendola kick), 11:20. Texans 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:01.
HOU – Tank Dell 40-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Matt Ammendola kick), 0:26. Texans 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:49.
Third quarter
ARI – Kyler Murray 1-yard run (run failed), 2:52. Texans 21–16. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:23.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 20/30, 214 yards, TD, INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 27/37, 336 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 14 rushes, 62 yards
HOU – Devin Singletary – 22 rushes, 112 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Greg Dortch – 6 receptions, 76 yards
HOU – Tank Dell – 8 receptions, 149 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 3 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 24 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,324
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan and AJ Ross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Brandon McManus 40-yard field goal, 5:54. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:54.
Second quarter
JAX – Trevor Lawrence 1-yard run (Brand McManus kick), 9:43. Jaguars 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:39.
HOU – Tank Dell 7-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Matt Ammendola kick), 6:37. Jaguars 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:06.
JAX – Brandon McManus 48-yard field goal, 2:24. Jaguars 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:13.
Third quarter
HOU – C. J. Stroud 1-yard run (Matt Ammendola kick), 8:10. Texans 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:39.
JAX – Calvin Ridley 1-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (Trevor Lawrence–Calvin Ridley pass), 4:29. Jaguars 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
JAX – Brandon McManus 53-yard field goal, 11:20. Jaguars 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 6:13.
HOU – Nico Collins 17-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Matt Ammendola kick), 5:15. Jaguars 24–21. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 1:50.
Top passers
JAX – Trevor Lawrence – 23/38, 364 yards, TD, INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 26/36, 304 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
JAX – Travis Etienne – 20 rushes, 56 yards
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 6 rushes, 47 yards, TD
Top receivers
JAX – Calvin Ridley – 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD
HOU – Nico Collins – 7 receptions, 104 yards, TD :

#### Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Texans | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 22 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,670
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Matt Ammendola 29-yard field goal, 10:11. Texans 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:03.
HOU – Dameon Pierce 3-yard run (Matt Ammendola kick), 3:49. Texans 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:22.
Second quarter
HOU – Matt Ammendola 38-yard field goal, 12:54. Texans 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:12.
DEN – Wil Lutz 34-yard field goal, 1:24. Texans 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 5:09.
Third quarter
HOU – Matt Ammendola 38-yard field goal, 8:51. Texans 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 4:02.
DEN – Courtland Sutton 45-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Wil Lutz kick), 4:47. Texans 16–10. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:20.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Nico Collins 3-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (pass failed), 14:16. Texans 22–10. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:43.
DEN – Russell Wilson 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 12:04. Texans 22–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:12.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 15/26, 186 yards, TD, 3 INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 16/27, 274 yards, TD
Top rushers
DEN – Javonte Williams – 13 rushes, 46 yards
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 15 rushes, 41 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 3 receptions, 51 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 9 receptions, 191 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Jets | 0 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 30 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Rain, 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,956
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
NYJ – Randall Cobb 15-yard pass from Zach Wilson (Greg Zuerlein kick), 11:05. Jets 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:55.
NYJ – Xavier Gipson 9-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:31. Jets 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:02.
HOU – Devin Singletary 1-yard run (kick failed), 0:00. Jets 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:20.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Breece Hall 3-yard pass from Zach Wilson (Greg Zuerlein kick), 9:27. Jets 21–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:33.
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 51-yard field goal, 6:51. Jets 24–6. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:20.
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 55-yard field goal, 4:30. Jets 27–6. Drive: 5 plays, 6 yards, 1:43.
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 44-yard field goal, 1:08. Jets 30–6. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yards, 2:10.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 10/23, 91 yards
NYJ – Zach Wilson – 27/36, 301 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Devin Singletary – 13 rushes, 65 yards, TD
NYJ – Breece Hall – 10 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Brevin Jordan – 3 receptions, 35 yards
NYJ – Garrett Wilson – 9 receptions, 108 yards :

#### Week 15: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Titans | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 48 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,219
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Will Levis 1-yard run (kick failed), 7:09. Titans 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 5:46.
Second quarter
TEN – Elijah Molden 44-yard interception return (Nick Folk kick), 13:56. Titans 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:55.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 52 yards, 5:38.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 27-yard field goal, 6:27. Titans 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:50.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 2:42. Titans 13–9. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 1:55.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Nick Folk 45-yard field goal, 7:28. Titans 16–9. Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, 4:45.
HOU – Noah Brown 3-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:03. Tied 16–16. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:25.
Overtime
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 19–16. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 1:43.
Top passers
HOU – Case Keenum – 23/36, 229 yards, TD, INT
TEN – Will Levis – 17/26, 199 yards, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Devin Singletary – 26 rushes, 121 yards
TEN – Tyjae Spears – 9 rushes, 30 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Noah Brown – 8 receptions, 82 yards, TD
TEN – Treylon Burks – 3 receptions, 62 yards :

#### Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 36 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,831
* Referee: Tra Blake
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 4-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 13:18. Browns 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 1:52.
Second quarter
CLE – Amari Cooper 75-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 12:04. Browns 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 90 yards, 1:32.
HOU – Dameon Pierce 98-yard kickoff return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 11:51. Browns 14–7.
CLE – David Njoku 21-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dorian Thompson-Robinson run), 4:16. Browns 22–7. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:51.
Third quarter
CLE – Amari Cooper 7-yard pass from Joe Flacco (run failed), 2:35. Browns 28–7. Drive: 18 plays, 94 yards, 9:39.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (Joe Flacco-Amari Cooper pass), 12:31. Browns 36–7. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:06.
HOU – Nico Collins 5-yard pass from Davis Mills (Davis Mills-Nico Collins pass), 6:08. Browns 36–15. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 1:58.
HOU – Andrew Beck 1-yard pass from Davis Mills (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:12. Browns 36–22. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 1:56.
Top passers
CLE – Joe Flacco – 27/42, 368 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
HOU – Davis Mills – 15/32, 149 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CLE – Jerome Ford – 15 rushes, 25 yards, TD
HOU – Devin Singletary – 9 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Amari Cooper – 11 receptions, 265 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Dalton Schultz – 8 receptions, 61 yards :

#### Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Texans | 3 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 31
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,517
* Referee: Scott Novak
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 7:17. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:47.
Second quarter
HOU – Brevin Jordan 12-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:10. Texans 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 94 yards, 7:30.
HOU – Sheldon Rankins 13-yard fumble return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:02. Texans 17–0.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 4:17. Texans 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:58.
TEN – Nick Folk 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 20–3. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 1:11.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 27-yard field goal, 9:35. Texans 23–3. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:25.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 51-yard field goal, 5:33. Texans 26–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:03.
Top passers
TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 16/20, 168 yards
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 24/32, 213 yards, TD
Top rushers
TEN – Derrick Henry – 12 rushes, 42 yards
HOU – Devin Singletary – 16 rushes, 80 yards
Top receivers
TEN – DeAndre Hopkins – 7 receptions, 72 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 7 receptions, 80 yards :

#### Week 18: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| Colts | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 19 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: January 6
* Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 65,925
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Matt Gay 38-yard field goal, 9:15. Colts 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:45.
HOU – Nico Collins 75-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:06. Texans 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:09.
Second quarter
HOU – Andrew Beck 1-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:57. Texans 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:26.
IND – Matt Gay 52-yard field goal, 0:35. Texans 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 1:22.
Third quarter
IND – Jonathan Taylor 49-yard run (Gardner Minshew–Mo Alie-Cox pass), 9:56. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 1:50.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 51-yard field goal, 3:39. Texans 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 1:58.
Fourth quarter
IND – Matt Gay 35-yard field goal, 13:33. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:06.
HOU – Devin Singletary 3-yard run (kick failed), 6:20. Texans 23–17. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 7:13.
IND – Cameron Johnston run out of end zone for a safety, 0:01. Texans 23–19.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 20/26, 264 yards, 2 TD
IND – Gardner Minshew – 13/24, 141 yards
Top rushers
HOU – Devin Singletary – 24 rushes, 63 yards, TD
IND – Jonathan Taylor – 30 rushes, 188 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Nico Collins – 9 receptions, 195 yards, TD
IND – Josh Downs – 3 receptions, 48 yards :
Down 6, the Colts drove the ball to the Houston 15 yard line before failing to convert on 4th and 1 with 1:06 remaining thus sealing the game for the Texans. With the win, the Texans clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2019 and finished the regular season with a record of 10–7. The 10 wins also broke the franchise record for most wins in a season by a first-year head coach. The following day, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans; as a result of the Jaguars' loss, the Texans won the AFC South.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Houston Texans | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 377 | 353 | W2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 377 | 371 | L1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 396 | 415 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 305 | 367 | W1 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .543 | .529 | L1 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .471 | .471 | W5 |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .481 | .428 | W2 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | South | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .474 | .465 | W2 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Cleveland Browns | North | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .536 | .513 | L1 |
| 6 | Miami Dolphins | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .450 | .358 | L2 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .540 | .571 | W3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 8 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .574 | .536 | W1 |
| 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .533 | .477 | L1 |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .491 | .444 | L1 |
| 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .488 | .426 | W1 |
| 12 | Denver Broncos | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .485 | L1 |
| 13 | New York Jets | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .502 | .454 | W1 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans | South | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .522 | .422 | W1 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .529 | .388 | L5 |
| 16 | New England Patriots | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .522 | .529 | L2 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Buffalo claimed the No. 2 seed over Kansas City based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Buffalo finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Cleveland claimed the No. 5 seed over Miami based on conference record. 1 2 Cincinnati finished ahead of Jacksonville based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Indianapolis (see below). 1 2 Jacksonville finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Las Vegas finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head sweep. ↑ 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 13 | Cleveland Browns (5) | W 45–14 | 1–0 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 20 | at Baltimore Ravens (1) | L 10–34 | 1–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Texans | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: January 13, 2024
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,946
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 21-yard field goal, 5:29. Texans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:54.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 2:09. Browns 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:20.
HOU – Nico Collins 15-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:11. Texans 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:58.
Second quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 11-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Riley Patterson kick), 12:18. Browns 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:53.
HOU – Brevin Jordan 76-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), noon. Texans 17–14. Drive: 1 play, 76 yards, 0:18.
HOU – Dalton Schultz 37-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:11. Texans 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:33.
Third quarter
HOU – Steven Nelson 82-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:05. Texans 31–14.
HOU – Christian Harris 36-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:06. Texans 38–14.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Devin Singletary 19-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:06. Texans 45–14. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:00.
Top passers
CLE – Joe Flacco – 34/46, 307 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 16/21, 274 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
CLE – Kareem Hunt – 8 rushes, 26 yards, TD
HOU – Devin Singletary – 13 rushes, 66 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – David Njoku – 7 receptions, 93 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 6 receptions, 96 yards, TD :
This was the first postseason meeting between the Browns and Texans. During the regular season, the Browns defeated the Texans 36–22 in Houston in Week 16. Deshaun Watson, who was the starting quarterback for Cleveland since 2022, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 10. He was the starting quarterback for Houston from 2017 to 2020.
After a competitive first half that was led by the Texans, they took a commanding lead after the turn of the half, in which Joe Flacco threw back-to-back interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.[24] This was the Texans' first playoff win since the 2019 season.

#### AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Ravens | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 34 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: January 20, 2024
* Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST/3:35 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 27 °F (−3 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,018
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (ABC/ESPN/ESPN+): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 53-yard field goal, 8:36. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 5:55.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 50-yard field goal, 0:28. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 23 yards, 2:54.
Second quarter
BAL – Nelson Agholor 3-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 9:14. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 6:14.
HOU – Steven Sims 67-yard punt return, 4:17. Tied 10–10.
Third quarter
BAL – Lamar Jackson 15-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 12:04. Ravens 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:56.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Isaiah Likely 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 14:23. Ravens 24–10. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 7:03.
BAL – Lamar Jackson 8-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 6:20. Ravens 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 7:10.
BAL – Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal, 1:56. Ravens 34–10. Drive: 8 plays, 8 yards, 3:08.
Top passers
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 18/32, 165 yards
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 16/22, 152 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Devin Singletary – 9 rushes, 22 yards
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 11 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
HOU – Nico Collins – 4 receptions, 58 yards
BAL – Zay Flowers – 4 receptions, 41 yards :
Despite keeping up with Baltimore in the first half, the Texans failed to score any points in the second half in the blowout loss. With this loss, the Texans remain winless in the Divisional Round and road playoff games, being 0–5, along with remaining winless at M&T Bank Stadium, being 0–8. This was the second postseason meeting between the Ravens and Texans. The Ravens won the first matchup, the 2011 AFC Divisional Game, by a score of 20–13 in Baltimore. In the regular season, the Ravens defeated the Texans by a score of 25–9 in Baltimore in Week 1. Despite a ragged offensive start in the first half, the Ravens outscored the Texans 24–0 in the second half and advanced to their first AFC Championship game since 2012 with a 34–10 rout.
Though not getting a takeaway nor recording a sack on rookie quarterback C. J. Stroud, the Ravens defense dominated Houston. They did not allow any offensive plays by Houston inside the Ravens' 25-yard line nor gave up an offensive touchdown. Houston's only points came by a field goal and a punt return touchdown in the first half. The Baltimore crowd noise also caused a litany of Houston pre-snap penalties.[44]
Lamar Jackson had two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns as he improved to 2–3 in playoff games and 1–2 in home playoff games. This was also the Ravens' first home playoff win since the 2012 AFC Wild Card round.