Cardinals Again Losers as Texans Continue Postseason Push

ARIZONA -- Absolutely nobody saw this coming.

The Houston Texans emerged victorious over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday to push themselves into the AFC Divisional round of postseason play.

Though their opponent is not yet known, it's fair to say the Texans are firing on all cylinders and are a tough out for anybody.

The duo of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans shocked the entire football world with their success in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Houston.

Now, they've won their first playoff game since 2019, and the Arizona Cardinals can only sit and laugh.

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort wheeled-and-dealed a fantastic trade during the 2023 NFL Draft that netted them Houston's first-round pick in 2024.

Upon first review, the Cardinals were thought to be high winners with two expected top-five picks.

Arizona did their part in securing the No. 4 pick in April - though Houston's pick seems to devalue by the day.

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Texans' pick sat at No. 17 in the first round. After securing the division, Houston's picked jumped to No. 21 and now will pick no higher than No. 25 after the dust settles - assuming they lose next week.

Entering Week 18, Houston's pick sat at No. 17

Entering this week, it bumped to No. 21

After the Texans' win, the highest they'll pick is No. 25, and that's if they lose.

Talk about a slide for the #AZCardinals ' other pick 😅 pic.twitter.com/uO1rHALIK2
— Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin) January 14, 2024

Also notable: Arizona holds picks from the Texans in the third and fifth rounds. They have a total of 13 picks coming in the 2024 NFL Draft, six of which are in the first three rounds.

Simply put: The Cardinals can make moves if they feel necessary, though obviously the higher Houston's pick was, the wider range Arizona had in terms of talent or trade value.

Regardless, Ossenfort and his team will have a second first-round pick to build around heading into April. If the team can replicate their success from last season, Arizona has to like where they're heading.