Texans at a Crossroads: After Another Playoff Exit, Xavier Hutchinson and Houston Eye What’s Next
HOUSTON - The locker room was quiet, the kind of silence that hangs heavy after a season-ending loss. Xavier Hutchinson stood at his locker, reflecting on a year that tested the Texans in every way-and a playoff run that ended in all-too-familiar fashion.
For the third straight season under head coach DeMeco Ryans, Houston reached the AFC Divisional Round. And for the third straight time, they couldn’t get over the hump. This latest loss came at the hands of the New England Patriots, the AFC’s Super Bowl representative, and it dropped the Texans to 0-7 all-time in the divisional round.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that clawed its way back from an 0-3 start to even be in this position. But inside that heartbreak is a clear message: this team has fight, and it has belief. Now it needs answers-especially on offense.
“We had to go through a lot of adversity in the beginning,” Hutchinson said. “You gotta find the positives and the bright lights within the season. Of course, we didn’t end the season the way we wanted to, but that’s all part of the journey.”
Hutchinson’s words echo the mindset of a locker room that isn’t ready to hit the panic button. But they also reflect the urgency of a franchise that knows it’s close-but not quite there.
The Texans turned the ball over five times in the loss to New England, including four interceptions from quarterback C.J. Stroud.
That kind of self-inflicted damage is hard to overcome in the regular season. In the playoffs?
It’s a death sentence.
“You just can’t turn over the ball,” Hutchinson said. “We kind of dug ourselves a hole.
We just got to play better. The next step is not beating ourselves.
You can’t beat yourself in the playoffs.”
Stroud’s playoff numbers-five interceptions and five fumbles-are historically rough. No other quarterback in league history has posted that combination in a single postseason. But even with that weight on his shoulders, the locker room isn’t wavering in its support.
“It’s football,” Hutchinson said. “Of course, when you’re the quarterback, you’re gonna get singled out.
Rightfully or not, that’s just how it goes. They build you up and then break you down.
But it’s not all on him. It’s on us, too.”
One of Stroud’s interceptions came off Hutchinson’s fingertips, a deflection that landed in the arms of Patriots safety Craig Woodson. And Hutchinson owned it. That accountability is part of why he’s earned the respect of teammates and coaches alike.
“We’re gonna have Seven’s back,” Hutchinson added, referring to Stroud by his jersey number. “We’re gonna ride for him.
C.J. is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. It wasn’t the best game for a lot of us, but that’s just how the ball goes sometimes.”
The Texans finished with just 242 yards of total offense and averaged 3.3 yards per play. Rookie running back Woody Marks lost a key fumble in the game, another costly mistake in a game full of them. The offense simply couldn’t find rhythm when it mattered most.
But amid the disappointment, there were bright spots. Hutchinson, a sixth-round pick out of Iowa State, had his best season as a pro.
He caught a career-high 35 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns across 17 games, including six starts. For a player who came into the league with little fanfare, he’s become a steady, reliable option.
“Nobody talks about Hutch,” said general manager Nick Caserio, “but nobody has improved more from the time he was drafted to where he is now. He’s become one of our most dependable players.”
That dependability will be key as the Texans look to take the next step. Hutchinson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and while nothing is set in stone, he made it clear he’d like to stay in Houston.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “That would be cool.”
Cool, yes. But also deserved.
In a year defined by growth, grit, and gut checks, Hutchinson emerged as one of the Texans’ most consistent performers. And if Houston is serious about building on this foundation, players like him-resilient, accountable, and productive-are exactly who you want in the locker room.
The Texans have the talent. They have the coach.
They have the quarterback. Now it’s about putting it all together when it counts.
The road to breaking that divisional-round curse starts now.