The Houston Texans beat the Miami Dolphins 20-12 to clinch the AFC South on Sunday. They will be returning to the playoffs for the second time in CJ Stroud’s career largely because of Joe Mixon. The running back has 100 yards in seven of the 11 games he has played this year but has missed time with injury. And then he left Sunday’s game with another ailment. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said that the injury will not have Joe Mixon missing more time.

“Ryans said Mixon ‘will be fine’ as the team moves toward their Saturday road game against the Chiefs,” Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk wrote.

Mixon missed three games due to an ankle injury suffered on a hip-drop tackle in Week 2. That tackle was not penalized and was criticized by the Texans. He was tackled similarly by Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks on Sunday and again he was not penalized. Thankfully for Mixon and Houston fans, he is not hurt this time.

The Texas clinched the playoffs on Sunday despite a shaky season on offense. It was a miserable Colts loss that secured Houston’s second-straight AFC South title. CJ Stroud has still not reached the level of his rookie year. But they have a chance to pull off a great playoff run to salvage this season.

The Texans need Joe Mixon for a deep playoff run

The biggest problem for last year’s Texans team was their inability to run the ball. Dameon Pierce was not vibing with Bobby Slowick’s offense and the pressure was all on Stroud. Adding Mixon has worked because of his excellent season but has not created the balanced offense they were hoping for.

Part of the problem is the Texans’ offensive line. Stroud has been under pressure a ton and Mixon has had games, like Sunday, where he cannot get anything going. With a game against the tough Chiefs front coming up, it could be tough sledding for the Texans this week. But if Mixon has a superstar-quality game, they can pull off the upset.

Everyone in the Texans organization can take a deep breath after Sunday’s results. Their playoff chances were never in question, but they are now clinched. They are also likely locked into the fourth seed in the AFC unless there is some craziness in the AFC North. But the priority is making sure that Mixon, Stroud, and Nico Collins are healthy for the playoffs.