Texas is Well-Represented in 2016 NFL Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are set to begin with weekend, and the state of Texas will be well represented this season with both the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys winning their divisions.

The AFC South Champion Texans kick things off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. as they take on the Oakland Raiders at NRG Stadium in the AFC Wildcard Game.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler, who was benched last month after tossing two interceptions in a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, was named the starter on Tuesday after Tom Savage suffered a concussion against the Tennessee Titans in the regular season finale, which they lost finishing 9-7 for the third straight season.

A win for the Texans would mean they’d travel to Foxborough to face the perennial champion New England Patriots next week.

By comparison, the Dallas Cowboys have been among the hottest teams in the NFL this season, primarily because of the play electric of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw for 3,667 yards with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions this season and fellow rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, who lead the league this year with 1,631 rushing yards.

Collectively the rookie dynamic duo helped power the Cowboys to a record of 13-3 to win the NFC East.

As the number one seed in the NFC playoffs, the Cowboys have the luxury of a home field advantage and a week off to prepare for either the winner of the NFC Wildcard match-up this weekend between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, or the Detroit Lions if they pull out a win against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Houston Texans are a slight favorite to win, while the Cowboy will likely draw better odds for the divisional round.

Image: Eric Costa via Flickr