J.J. Watt Has Bold Take on Texans' True Playoff Ceiling

The Houston Texans, now in the midst of their third consecutive playoff appearance in the past three years, could be in prime position to make their deepest run in the postseason yet since DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud took the keys in 2023.

But, it's not because of the offensive end that Houston has found their recent success, especially throughout the second half of the regular season; it's been their dominant production on the defensive side of the ball. The Texans are the number-one ranked scoring defense in the NFL, allow the lowest yards per game throughout the league, and heading into their Wild Card matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be riding the high of a nine-game win streak to close out the year.

It's a defense that, for Texans legend J.J. Watt, is good enough to lead this roster to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history––especially when sitting in a "wide open" AFC, it could make the task of continuing their recent hot hand into the postseason that much more feasible.

"A, the defense is good enough to get to the Super Bowl. I think there's no question about that, especially in this year's AFC," Watt said of the Texans, via an interview with NFL on CBS. "It's just a little different than in the past. I do think it's much more wide open, and the defense is that good."

Watt also sees some upside in the Texans' offensive side of the ball that's begun to gradually find its groove once C.J. Stroud returned from his midseason injury, and if he and Houston's scoring attack can hold their own, it might be enough to come out of the AFC.

"B, I do think the offense is starting to figure themselves out," Watt continued. "I don't think they're all the way there yet.I still am not sure that they figured out exactly what they look like at their most successful. But, Nico Collins is an elite playmaker in this league, so [Stroud] has him, he has Dalton Schultz, and Woody Marks coming on."

"So, they're finding their way. Their offensive line starting to figure it out late, so, not the strength of the team, by any means, but good enough with this defense that they have, I do believe they could make the Super Bowl."

"I do believe they could make the Super Bowl."@JJWatt on the Texans. pic.twitter.com/qqCjV0PqRd
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 4, 2026

J.J. Watt Believes in Texans' Super Bowl Chances

It's not hard to believe that the Texans could have a Super Bowl ceiling, which Watt— the best defender in the franchise's history— sees as wildly possible as well.

Their defense has proven to take down some of the toughest tasks around the NFL throughout their recent nine-game win streak: the Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen, the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes under the bright lights of SNF in Arrowhead, and a couple of other playoff teams out of the AFC, including the LA Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

That's proof this Texans team is capable of taking down no matter who's in front of them, and will travel wherever they need to in order to take care of business, most notably on the defensive end.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans on the sidelines with linebacker Azeez al-Shaair (0) during the second half Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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That's why for Houston, their ceiling just might rely on what's in store for Stroud and their offense for a third-straight playoff appearance while he's been at the helm. So far, it's resulted in a 2-0 record for the Texans in the Wild Card Round, which they'll look to add onto further next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But for the run this team has been on, and the talent they've proven to have all season long, their aspirations sit much higher than one playoff win. Time will tell if they can meet the mark to keep on making history.

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