Where: Reliant Stadium, Houston (turf, roof could be closed)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Spread: Texans by 7.5
Forecast: Cloudy with temperatures in the 70s
Records: Texans (12-2; AFC South 5-0); Vikings (8-6; NFC North 3-2)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Nov. 2, 2008: Vikings 28, Texans 21; Oct. 10, 2004: Vikings 34, Texans 28. Series record: Vikings lead 2-0.
What matters: The Texans clinched the AFC South with a win over the Colts last week, and now, Houston just needs to win one of its final two games to clinch the top seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Minnesota is fighting for a playoff spot and sits in the No. 6 spot in the NFC. The Vikings have won two in a row, including a 14-point win at St. Louis last week. Houston will do its best to slow down Vikings RB Adrian Peterson. Peterson leads the NFL with 1,812 rushing yards and is just 293 yards shy of tying Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.
Who matters: This is a battle of MVP candidates in Texans DE J.J. Watt and Peterson. While Watt has an outside shot at the award as a defensive player, he has been dominant this season. Watt is tied for the league lead with 19.5 sacks and has 33 tackles for loss. Last week against the Colts, Watt had his best game of the season with 10 tackles, three sacks, six tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Texans RB Arian Foster leads the league with 14 rushing touchdowns and is fourth in rushing with 1,313 yards.
Key matchups: Houston’s run defense will have its hands full with Peterson. He is averaging 164.1 rushing yards in his last eight games and put up a season-high 212 yards against the Rams last week. The Texans have only allowed two 100-yard rushers this season, but one of them came their last time out when Colts RB Vick Ballard had 105 yards on 18 carries. Houston leads the league with just three rushing touchdowns allowed this season and is No. 5 in rushing defense, giving up 93.2 yards per game.
Injuries of note: OLB Brooks Reed (groin) has practiced this week and hopes to play for the first time since hurting his groin on Thanksgiving at Detroit. CB Alan Ball (foot) has not practiced this week, and he could miss his fourth game in a row.
Inside stuff: Rookie WR DeVier Posey did not catch a pass in the first 12 games of the season, but he has four catches for 65 yards in the last two. Posey had three receptions for 46 yards last week against the Colts. Texans coach Gary Kubiak said the light has started to come on for Posey in the last month, and he could become a more regular part of the offense.
Connections: Texans QB Matt Schaub played at Virginia from 2001-02 while Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave held the same position. Texans coach Gary Kubiak and Vikings coach Leslie Frazier have sons who play college football at Rice. Klein Kubiak is a junior wide receiver while Corey Frazier is a senior safety.
Stat you should know: The Texans are 43-5 under Kubiak when running the ball 30 or more times, including 11-0 this season. Conversely, Houston is 3-30 under Kubiak when running the ball less than 25 times.
Record watch: WR Andre Johnson needs just one reception to reach 800 for his career. If he does it this week, he will become the second-fastest player to reach 800 catches, doing it in 137 games. Marvin Harrison accomplished the feat in 131 games.
Bulletin board quote: DE Antonio Smith on if he’d vote for Watt for league MVP: “Yep. He is the most valuable player, not just because we’re friends, because he’s the most valuable player.”
Looking ahead: The Texans conclude their regular season in Week 17 at the Colts. Houston beat Indianapolis 29-17 last week, but the game could hold a lot more meaning for the Colts, especially if the Texans beat the Vikings to clinch the top seed in the AFC.
Prediction: Texans 27, Vikings 16
Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter @CBSTexans.
