We'll get into the guts of this game in a moment. For now, let's reflect.

Never before have the Texans been to the playoffs three years in a row. Yet here we are. The DeMeco Ryans era, already the best era this franchise has ever seen, is off to a thrilling start. And Ryans and C.J. Stroud have become the fourth coach-QB combo to get to the postseason in their first three years together.

The game against the Chargers was yet another thriller against a good team that saw the Texans make clutch fourth quarter plays to keep their winning streak on the tracks.

At eight and counting, this is the second-longest winning binge in franchise history.

It was just last month that the Texans slipped to 3-5 with more questions than answers, or so some thought. But the men in the locker room knew that they had plenty of weaponry and football savvy to craft a run that we will talk about for a long time.

The defense turned up the pressure on Justin Herbert to the tune of five sacks. It looked like the Texans were determined to have an early New Year's Eve party in the L.A. backfield.

The offense set the tone early with two bombs from Stroud – one to Jayden Higgins and the other to Jaylin Noel. The home defense warmed up after that and made life difficult, forcing two Ka'imi Fairbairn field goals that would be pivotal as the game wore on.

The fact that the offense could kill the clock thanks to some beefy runs by Woody Marks and another Stroud dagger to Nico Collins was a great touch – and much needed to help a defense that was getting a big dose of Justin Herbert late.

Now we wait. Can the Colts upset the Jags? Where will the league put the Texans-Colts finale? What will it all mean?

We'll find out. But we already know what the Texans players and coaches have known for a while, even at 0-3 – that this is a good football team with a lot of potential to make big things happen in January.