The Houston Texans Playoff Journey: A Look At Their History And Records

In the world of sports, it's all about reaching the playoffs. While some postseason campaigns can end in disaster—paging the 2023 Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles—advancing past the regular season is largely the mark of a job well done. It's those moments that get written into franchise lore; sure, a Week 1 win can be impressive, but nothing looms larger in a fanbase's collective memory than a postseason success. But some teams, through no fault of their own, simply have a shorter history book.

Take the Houston Texans, who only entered the NFL in 2002, as an example of that. That's not to say that the club doesn't have any postseason experience, though. And with that in mind, let's explore the Texans' playoff past.

How Many Times Have the Texans Made the Playoffs?

Let's start with the first hurdle: qualifying for the postseason. As you might expect, being an expansion team largely put the Texans behind the eight ball. The club first took the field in 2002, and playoff football didn't arrive in Houston until 2011. The Texans qualified for the postseason that year and during the 2012 season, but then missed the cut for two additional years.

Houston returned to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016 before slumping to 4-12 the following campaign. After two more postseason forays (2018 and 2019), the franchise's longest drought began. The AFC South squad didn't reach the promised land again until the 2023 season. In total, the Texans have qualified for the playoffs seven times in their 22 years on the professional scene.

What's Houston's Playoff Record?

Reaching the postseason is a good start, but ultimately, you'll want to win games and push toward the top of the metaphorical mountain. In terms of their playoff record, though, the Texans haven't exactly set the league on fire.

During the club's aforementioned seven playoff appearances, Houston has compiled a 5-6 record. All of those wins (2011, 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2023) came in the wild card round. Four trips to the divisional round ended in four defeats, although it remains to be seen if C.J. Stroud can change that against Baltimore. It's also worth noting that the Texans have never won a playoff game on the road, with all five wins coming in Texas.

Have the Texans Ever Won an AFC Championship?

Given that they've never won a divisional round game, the Texans haven't reached an AFC Championship game, let alone won one. The closest (at least in terms of the raw scoreline) Houston ever came was in their first-ever playoff campaign. That year, a team led by Arian Foster and Andre Johnson headed north to Baltimore for a divisional round date. The Texans opened the scoring with a field goal but then surrendered 17 unanswered first-quarter points.

Ultimately, the contest wasn't a blowout—the visitors scored 10 points in the second frame to make things interesting—but Baltimore held on for a 20-13 win.

Has Houston Ever Been to a Super Bowl?

Again, this one speaks for itself; winning a conference title is necessary before reaching the big game. With that being said, though, the Texans' Super Bowl drought isn't as bad those endured by some other teams. Of the three other teams who haven't appeared in the modern championship game, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the league in 1995. The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns have played since the 1930s and 1940s, respectively.

In fairness, those latter two franchises have won championships, but they came before the Super Bowl as we know it entered the frame in early 1967. And when we expand things to teams that have never won the Super Bowl, eight additional clubs (the Cardinals, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Bengals, Chargers, Vikings, and Titans) enter the frame. Misery, as the cliché says, loves company.

But the beauty of sports is that every season represents a new opportunity. Who knows, a Texans trip to the big game could be right around the corner.