The Los Angeles Chargers have already clinched a playoff spot.
The Houston Texans can join them this weekend, starting when the two teams meet Saturday at SoFi Stadium.
Here is where both the Chargers and the Texans stand in the AFC playoff race.
Houston Texans playoff picture
For the Texans, 2025 has been a tale of two seasons. Houston began the year with three straight losses and went 3-5 over the first half of the season, but a seven-game winning streak has the Texans on the cusp of a playoff berth.
Houston will clinch a playoff spot with a win or a tie in that game against the Chargers.
However, even if the Texans lose to the Chargers, they can still clinch a playoff spot on Sunday. Houston is in the playoffs if the Indianapolis Colts lose or tie against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. And speaking of the Jaguars, Houston remains alive in the race for the AFC South title. With wins in their final two games and one loss from the Jaguars down the stretch, the Texans are AFC South champions.
Los Angeles Chargers playoff picture
As for the Chargers, they locked up a playoff spot when the Indianapolis Colts lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
But Los Angeles remains alive in the AFC West race. The Denver Broncos moved one step closer to claiming the division title on Christmas night with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. But with a win over the Texans, the Chargers can wrap up the division title in Week 18, as they take on the Broncos in the final game of the season. A loss or a tie against Houston would eliminate the Chargers from the AFC West race.
AFC standings entering Week 17
Here are the current AFC standings following Denver’s win on Thursday night:
This game could have an impact on seeding between the two teams, under the NFL’s tiebreaker formula. As you can see above, right now the Chargers are the No. 5 seed with an 11-4 record, but the Texans are 10-5, down in the No. 7 spot.
If Houston wins, the two teams would have matching 11-5 records. The Texans’ win would give them a tiebreaker advantage over the Chargers should they finish tied at the end of the season. However, if Houston, Los Angeles, and Buffalo all finish tied at the end of the year, then their respective conference records will be the determining factor. Entering Week 17, the Chargers have an 8-2 record in AFC games, as do the Texans, while Buffalo is 8-3.
