The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Texans are members of the South division in the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). They were founded in 1999 and began play as an expansion team in 2002. The team was owned by Bob McNair until his death in 2018; following McNair's death, the ownership of the team went to his wife, Janice.[2][3] The Texans are the youngest franchise currently competing in the NFL.[4]
While the Texans mainly struggled in the 2000s, the franchise experienced an upturn during the 2010s. They first found success in the 2011 season, winning their first division championship and clinching their first playoff berth.[5][6] The team won their first playoff game that same year, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 31–10.[7] The Texans have gone on to win six more AFC South division championships in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2023. They are the only franchise never to have won a road playoff game and the only one never to have appeared in a conference championship game.[8] They are also one of four franchises never to have appeared in a Super Bowl, alongside the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars.[9] In the Texans' 22-year history, they have an overall regular season record of 142 wins, 195 losses, and 1 tie, plus an overall postseason record of 5 wins and 7 losses. The team currently has eight winning seasons, two 8–8 seasons, and eleven losing seasons.
- ^ "NRG Stadium History". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ Maske, Mark (November 24, 2018). "Robert McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, dies at 81". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Dawson, Peter (November 26, 2019). "Where Texans owner Janice McNair ranks among NFL's richest owners". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ "Houston Texans | NFL Football Operations". NFL. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ McClain, John (December 11, 2011). "AFC South champion Texans reach playoffs for first time in dramatic fashion". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ^ Reiss, Aaron. "The 2010s: Houston Texans' all-decade team showcases how franchise became a contender". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ Ortiz, Jose de Jesus (January 8, 2012). "Game recap: Texans earn historic playoff victory, beat Bengals 31-10 and advance to face Ravens next Sunday-US". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ Astbury, Matt (May 5, 2023). "How many Super Bowls have the Houston Texans won? List of championships, appearances, last Super Bowl win". DAZN. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Janower, Jacob (August 12, 2021). "How many NFL teams have not won a Super Bowl? History of most appearances without a win". Sporting News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.