Houston Texans · Franchise era 2 of 5
Watt and the first playoff teams: the Houston Texans story
Franchise era
2011—2016
Watt and the first playoff teams
Houston Texans
The story in one sentence
Wade Phillips's defense and Foster's zone running produced consecutive division titles, while Watt became the era's defining defensive player.
Defense brings January football to Houston
J.J. Watt, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for a brilliant rise unravels.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2011
What came before
Houston beat Dallas in its first game, then developed foundational stars while waiting nearly a decade for its first winning season.
2012-01-15
Divisional Round: Houston Texans vs Baltimore Ravens
2013-01-05
Wild Card: Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans
2017-01-07
Wild Card: Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans
After 2016
What came next
Houston found dynamic quarterback play and won two more divisions before injuries, damaging personnel decisions and off-field crisis ended the core.
The core