Texans had muted reaction to earning playoff berth

The Texans had and have bigger goals in mind than merely backing into the playoffs.

They clinched a playoff berth Sunday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New Orleans Saints, hours after the Texans' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Texans learned during their charter flight that they had qualified for a wild-card berth while watching tape of a 32-30 defeat to the defending Super Bowl champions.

The accomplishment didn't set off a celebration as the Texans had squandered an opportunity to maintain control of the second seed in the AFC. They are currently seeded third.

"We were on the plane, but we were all watching the film," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "Just trying to be as…