The Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans were heading in surprisingly different directions to begin the 2026 NFL season. The Browns emerged as unexpected playoff contenders, while the Texans, who were seen as a potential Super Bowl dark horse, were at the bottom of the AFC standings.
Now, entering the second half of the campaign, those roles are shifting again. Cleveland may be starting to fall from the race, while Houston is starting to live up to its preseason expectations.
According to CBS Sports analyst Zachary Pareles, that is why the Browns’ Week 10 matchup against the Texans could have major playoff implications, with both teams fighting for a spot in the AFC picture.
“Only one NFL team has started 0-4 and gone on to make the playoffs: the 1992 Chargers. Houston is trying to join them, but at 3-5, the Texans’ backs are against the wall,” Pereles wrote. “The 5-4 Browns have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the season, but they’ve now lost two straight and sit as the No. 8 seed — one spot outside the current playoff field. There’s lots on the line here for both clubs.”
After getting off to one of the best starts in franchise history by winning five of their first seven games, the Browns have lost two in a row. That includes a 23-22 overtime defeat against the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday.
After scoring a touchdown with 1:00 to go in overtime, Cleveland decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion, but the attempt failed. Interestingly, had the Browns wound up with a tie, they would currently hold the No. 7 seed ahead of the New England Patriots.
The Texans are coming off a 44-22 win against the Los Angeles Chargers that followed their bye week. Houston has won three of its past four games, a stretch that includes a 34-31 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are currently the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
While the Texans are trying to overcome a very long and daunting trend, the Browns are looking to make some history of their own. Cleveland has not won its division since being reinstated into the NFL in 1999, and it cannot afford to fall further behind the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, who are each 6-2 in the AFC North.
In the past five seasons, teams that are 6-4 make the playoffs almost 60 percent of the time, while 5-5 teams qualify at a rate of about 36 percent, so the result of this game is obviously very important to the Browns in their postseason quest.
NEXT: Browns Could Have A Hidden Advantage Against Texans
