The 2024 Houston Texans once again are tops of the AFC South.
With the Texans winning, 20-12, against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, plus the Denver Broncos' win over the Indianapolis Colts, Houston has clinched the AFC South title for a second consecutive season.
The Colts' defeat loomed large on Sunday as it also clinched a playoff berth for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This marks the third time in franchise history that the Texans have won back-to-back division titles. They previously did so in 2011-12 and 2018-19. Houston has now captured the AFC South eight times in total.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud have led the organization to new heights since the duo joined the franchise in 2023. In his first head-coaching gig in the NFL, Ryans has orchestrated two straight postseason appearances.
Stroud and Ryans are the first quarterback-head coach duo in NFL history to win their division in their first two seasons, per NFL Research.
Clinching the AFC South comes at the right time for Houston (9-5) , with the Texans' victory on Sunday marking the first of three games to take place in the span of 11 days. In Week 16, the Texans travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on a Saturday. Then, Houston will host the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.
With a division crown and playoff spot wrapped up, Houston can shift its focus over the next couple games to determining seeding -- starting with the aforementioned showdown against the AFC-leading Chiefs.
