The Houston Texans already clinched the AFC South title. Now they have the chance to keep a division foe out of the playoffs.
The Tennessee Titans head to Houston for a win-and-in game Sunday afternoon. By the time the game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET, the Texans will know whether they're locked into the No. 4 seed or whether they can leap to the No. 3 seed, if Kansas City loses to the Los Angeles Chargers earlier in the day.
"If you can crush somebody's dreams in the process, play Grinch if you will, there's nothing wrong with that," safety Tashaun Gipson said, via the Houston Chronicle. "Everybody likes a Grinch a little bit."
We're assuming Gipson's Grinch is a pre-heart enlargement Grinch.
"Since I've been here, I understand the importance of beating the Titans," said Gipson, who is in his first year in Houston after three in Jacksonville. "It's going to be a fun game. If we can keep an AFC South foe out of the playoffs, why wouldn't we want to do that?
"I understand that they're fighting for their playoff lives. It's a beautiful thing to be on this side of the spectrum; 11-5 sounds a lot better than 10-6."
Currently 10-5, Bill O'Brien has not revealed the full extent of his plans for Sunday. Leaving his options open whether stars like Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, etc., would play and for how long they might go if they do suit up.
Given Gipson's comments, it's fair to assume that whoever does take the field for the Texans Sunday will be plenty motivated to knock out a division rival.
