The Josh Innes Show - The Texans May Win The Whole Thing

Episode Date: January 13, 2026

First off, what a 4th quarter ass kicking. The Texans offense has some major issues and we've known this. But, this defense is really, really real. I believe this is the first time in Texans history they will enter the second round of the playoffs with the majority of the fanbase legitimately believing they can and should win the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Corona Serro, the official non-alcoholic beer of Milano Cortina, 2026. All right, so what did I tell you? If the Texans scored touchdowns, they would beat the Steelers. And I know that that's not some sort of bold proclamation, like obviously, Josh, duh. But it happened. Now, it didn't happen in the way you would have thought because the offense still sputtered and still turned the ball over a ton and has major issues. But they came through on the defensive side of the ball,

getting two defensive touchdowns, and they were able to win the game. I don't know that you can live that way forever, probably not, not against a better team, not against a team that can move. the football, but hell of a game last night, especially hell of a, really hell of a fourth quarter, late third, early fourth quarter. It's basically what you got out of that one. Outstanding, let's talk about it.

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Visit avionorewards.com, bar-obliq-fr-r-r-triangle for more of detail. All right, so, let's take a look at the Steelers game from last night. I mean, the fact that they were able to dominate and not give up a touchdown, right? Like, here are the drives for the Steelers. plays 30 yards punt, seven plays 58 yards field goal.

Three plays five yards punt. Three plays zero yards punt. Eight plays four yards field goal. Eight plays 23 yards punt. Four plays, six yards punt. Four plays two yards fumble. Six plays 19 yards punt. Four plays five yards interception.

Six plays end of game. Dominant. What you witnessed last night. And granted, like I don't think the steel. are very good offensively. We know they're not very good offensively. They haven't been for most of the year. They've had a couple of moments. But for the most part, they're a checkdown Charlie team that throws to the running backs and to the tight ends and can't stretch the field vertically. It was not shocking that the Texans defense dominated this shitty offense. I would say it's

pretty shocking that they scored 23 points in the fourth quarter in a game that was seven to six going into the fourth quarter. Those poor sons of bitches in Pittsburgh, they played renegade and almost instantly got demolished right after that. So I'm not shocked the Texans dominate. The Tex are the best team in the NFL defensively. Offensively, it's concerning, right? Like, you have to be. The fact that they fumbled the ball as often as they did.

Like, where was, like, Stroud, look, he made a couple of huge throws that he had to make. You know, late in the third quarter, when things are starting to look a little sketch and you're not moving the ball and it's looking like you're going to have to punt again. My man came through in a major way. Start of the fourth quarter. You're talking about a third and 15. It's actually the late third quarter play in that drive in which they kicked a field goal. They put them up at that point, I believe, 10 to 6.

That was a gigantic play coming off a 10-yard penalty. You hadn't really moved the ball a ton to that point. Third quarter, you had interception punt, and you're about to punt again. And then the 46-yard pass play that you'd nail to Kirk. and that's all you needed to do. Look, this team had a ton of issues offensively, and you're not going to beat a team. Look, you start looking at what they're doing in New England.

New England wasn't fantastic offensively last game against the Chargers, and I think you're going to be able to deal them up pretty good. But they have a weapon at quarterback, and they have dudes who can make plays. So it ain't going to be as easy as this. The Steelers offense is a joke and has been a joke all year. The fact they won 10 games is fucking ridiculous, and they shouldn't have even been in this game.

they should have lost. It was a miracle they were even in the game. They were never going to win that game. We talked about it all week. There was never going to be a time that I thought the Steelers had any chance of winning that game. But turning the ball over as often as the Texans did, throwing interceptions, turning the ball over, fumbling the ball as often as the Texans did, and where they lost the ball. Those are all things that you're not going to win with. We know they're not going to win with those. That's obvious. But it's pretty remarkable to play the game the Texans played offensively and beat a team by 24 points. I mean, we know why that was the case. We know why they did. I don't know that we're ever going to

see anything like that again. But you got two defensive scores in the fourth quarter dominating. Stroud wasn't great, but he did what he had to do in key moments despite turning the ball over as frequently as they did. I still threw for 250. I had a couple of huge plays in there, obviously, and they clearly have issues. And in the third quarter, order that game, you're thinking, hey, they're going to, I never thought they were going to lose. At no point in that game did I think the Texans were going to lose. There were points in the game that I thought we were going to be looking at them winning 13 to 6 or 16 to 6, but I never at any point thought they were going to lose.

And how about Christian freaking Kirk from the dead, 144 yards? Obviously, it gets tougher. You go on the road against New England, very well coached. For everything you want to say about Mike Tomlin and whether or not he's a good coach or Look at what they have in New England. Vrable did it in Tennessee. He's doing it now in New England. He's a good fucking coach.

I love this matchup because I love that you've got two dudes, two former players, two very smart defensive guys. This is elite on elite when it comes to defensive minds in the NFL. This game that's coming up is going to kick ass. Like just the matchup on paper is sexy. Two young quarterbacks, one who might win the MVP. Like, you finally have a chance to exercise. all the New England demons, all the second round of the playoff demons.

Everything about this is cool. I'm here for this. This is a cool matchup. And now you start looking ahead and you start looking at the bracket and look, you got New England, fine. Rest of the league, the rest of the NFL at this point? Like there are some matchups in this playoff that you're like, okay, this is pretty sexy. Obviously, this is one of them.

This is one of these super sexy matchup. I mean, I'm not huge on the Broncos bills. I really hope the bills beat the shit out of the Broncos, and I think they will. Denver's a slight favorite. Sean Payton is going to Sean Payton. It's inevitable. It happens. This is what Sean Payton does.

Get your cock all revved up and ready to go, and then you get to the playoffs and you lose games you shouldn't lose. And by the way, they're only a point and a half favorite. So it's not like they're a huge favorite. But you're at home, you got the buy, you got everybody believing in you. and then you lose a home playoff game. It's going to happen. The bills are going to win that game. Texans have a very good chance of going on the road and winning.

Just focusing on that game, this is not old-school Texans. This is the first time I feel the Texans have gone into a second round game, maybe in the history of the franchise, where you legitimately feel like they can end up in the AFC championship game. maybe the first year of Stroud you kind of felt that second year you didn't but you're like hey you won this game with Stroud who knows what could happen against the Ravens

when they went into the playoffs with Deshawn like you went a first round game great you get up a huge lead on the Chiefs but at no point did you go into the game against the Chiefs feeling like okay we can win this and go to the AFC championship

now when you're up 24 to 3 or whatever it was sure, you feel that way. Then you end up losing the game. But this will be the first time. I think the Texans go into a second round game in the history of the franchise, where you say, I legitimately believe they can win, and I would expect them to give it a hell of a run to win it. If you go back to the first year, they made the playoffs, which was 2011,

they won that first game against, what, Cincinnati. Cincinnati was Cincinnati. That's who they were. Like, you didn't expect, like you expected to win that. You're at home. You think you can win that because Marvin Lewis doesn't win playoff games, right? But then you go to the Ravens and you're like, okay, we're probably not going to beat the Ravens. That's the prime of the Ravens.

You're probably not going to win that. And you go and you're in the damn game. And if Jacoby Jones doesn't drop a punt, who knows what happens? Then the next year you beat the Bengals again because that's what you do. You beat the Bengals. But did you really believe you were going to go on the road and beat the Patriots who had already smoked you at home on Monday night football that year. No, you don't think that. You hope that you want them to win that, but that's Tom Brady at the height of his powers and that's, you know, you've already

gotten beaten by them once. Like, do you really believe you're going to go on the road and win that? Then you go to the divisional round against the Patriots in 2016. Did you really believe after beating the Raiders who, oh, by the way, had, you know, their third string quarterback in the game and you beat them at home? Do you really believe you're going to go on the road and beat the Patriots and Tom Brady? No one believes that. you really believe you were going to go into Kansas City in 2019 and beat the Chiefs in the second round? No. Did you really believe you were going to beat the Ravens

in 2023? No. Did you believe you were going to beat the Chiefs in 2024? No, but you gave it a run. This is the first time, I think, in the history of the franchise, that you go into a second round game believing you could and should win the game, even though you're a three-point underdog. You know what you have an advantage? You have a

a relatively veteran quarterback who's been there, done that. This will be his third go-round in the second round of the playoffs. He's done it every year he's been in there. Got some issues. I get that. But you've got the quarterback that's been there versus the quarterback who hadn't been there. You've got the coach that's been there. And obviously, for April's been there, done that.

You can say it's a wash if you want to say it's a wash, fine. This is not the Patriots of 10 years ago. This is not Belichick and Brady and they'll find a way. Your defense is better than their defense. your defense is the best in the NFL. So you go into that game, Dick's swinging. Did you see what you did against a Hall of Famer Aaron Rogers? I know that this isn't 2015, but that's still Aaron Rogers,

and that's still a professional NFL team, and you mauled them. Now, did the Patriots also mall the Chargers? Sure. Are the Chargers better offensively than the Steelers? Sure. But this is the first time in the here. history of the Houston Texans, that they will enter a second round game where I think the vast majority of the fan base, not just blindly loyal, not just, you know, hey, that's our guys,

and we're going to go there and win and bullshit. This is the first time the Texans have entered the second round of the postseason where I believe the fan base, the vast majority, and the majority being more than 75%, and probably a lot higher. This is the first time they've ever entered a second round game where people, people, people, Look at that and say we can and will and should. I got to go back and look at what the spreads were in those other games, but they were they were underdogs and those games against the Patriots and those teams were not as good. They were not as well coached. They were not as talented.

They weren't that. And the teams they were playing more importantly, those were legendary players they were playing. Are you petrified of Drake May? Are you afraid of Drake May and Hunter Henry and and and, and, uh, Stevenson and these guys. Like, are you afraid of these guys? Are you afraid of their wife? Are you afraid of Kashan booty? No. This isn't looking across the way in, oh shit, there's Tom Brady. Oh shit. There's Belichag. It's who are these people? This is a new era. And you have an opportunity to blaze your path in this era. I think the Texans are going there and winning. I think the Texans

are going to be in their first AFC championship game ever. And no matter which team they play on the other side, they can beat them too. And not only can they beat them, I'd expect them to. Do you think they couldn't beat the shitty bill? What do the bills have offensively other than Josh Allen that would scare you with the defense the Texans have? What scares you about

Shakir? What scares you about Dalton Kincaid or Dawson Knox or insert, whatever, Gabe Davis? What scares you about these guys? I'd argue there's the scariest weapon they're going to face is D.K. Metcalf. Already done it. I already beat him.

The Texans should expect to be in the AFC championship game. And this sounds ridiculous to say, but I legitimately believe they can be in the Super Bowl. And I understand they're in the second round of the playoffs, duh. But it's possible to get to the second round of the playoffs and not have a chance. Whenever the Saints beat the Bears in 2006 in the first year of Sean Peyton and they didn't beat the Bears, they won the first round playoff game against. Who did they beat in the first round? that year at 2006.

How did I draw a blank on who they won who they beat in their first playoff game? But they won their first playoff game in 2006. They end up playing in the next game. Did they go to the, was that the AFC? That wasn't the NFC championship game. Shit, I forgot about that.

But like, you don't expect certain. Actually, let me give you a better example. Here's a better example for the Saints. This is what I meant. 2000. They won their first playoff game against the Rams. It was a miracle. They blew a big lead.

Azakeem dropped the punt. and the Saints fall on it, they go to the next round. They're going on the road to face Minnesota. Nobody really believe the Saints were going to beat Minnesota. And they didn't. They got smoked by Minnesota. It was what it was, right? Like, there's a difference between entering a playoff game,

thinking you have a real shot and just being there. Not every team that makes it to the second round is really that good. Sometimes you just win a game and you get lucky or you get the right matchup. Look at the Texans. The Texans historically have been a great end. example of that. There were years they got to the second round and they weren't legit. Compare that to this team and the way the NFL is set up. Who across from them do you really believe they can't beat? Can they not beat the Broncos? Can they not be Bo Nix? That's the other

important thing. Look at the quarterbacks they're potentially going to face. I get it. One's Josh Allen. One's fucking Bo Nix. Who gives a shit? One's Drake May. Nice player. May win the MVP. Solid dude. Who gives a shit? What are you there to be scared? What are you there to be scared? of. There's no Tom Brady. There's no Rothfusberger. There's no Aaron Roger. You already beat Aaron Rogers. What is there to be afraid of with these guys? It is ridiculous. And I, again, I understand that like, oh, wow, bold take. They could win the Super Bowl. There's only two games left. I get that. But as we said, there are times that a team makes it to the second round of the playoffs, and they're not really viable. Like, there are seasons where some, the playoff matchup is between two

mediocre teams in the first round, they advance, and then they get smoked in the second round. I could make an argument that we're at a point where it would be almost a failure for them and a disappointment. It's certainly a disappointment if they're not in the AFC championship game, because the vast majority of people think they can win that game, and I think they can as well. And I can argue they should. It's a sexy game. This game turns me on very much.

I am erect talking about this. It's Patriots. I know it's not Brady and Belichick, but it's Patriots. It's Texans. You're on the road in their place. They think they're back. They think this is their new iteration of Brady and Belichick. You can bend them over and stick it right up their ass after all those years of sticking it to you.

This is fucking awesome. And let's say Sean Payton wins this week. Do you want me to believe that there's a universe where I think that D'Amico Ryan's defense is going to lose to Bo Nix? And Sean Payton, who is a noted playoff choker. No thanks. And there's a chance. Look, there's a realistic chance. You're playing a home playoff game in the AFC championship.

Maybe people would actually get to the game on time at that point if you're playing the AFC championship at home. I wouldn't even call it an outside shot. It's a realistic shot. Denver's barely a favorite at home against the bills and you're a field goal underdog to the Patriots. They're playing at home. The field goal is just because they're at home. This is fucking fun for these guys, man. This is good.

We haven't even talked about the NFC at this point. But, like, this is the first time in the history of the franchise. you should go into a second round game believing, legitimately believing that you could and should win that second round game. This is fucking amazing. More to come.