HOUSTON — The Houston Texans enter Sunday’s game at Jacksonville knowing 11 AFC teams have a better record than they do, but that doesn’t keep them from having playoff aspirations.

The Texans (6-6) will attempt to defeat the Jaguars for the first time since 2012. Lose a third consecutive game to Jacksonville, and they can forget about even the slightest playoff hopes.

If they beat the Jaguars, they will face a crucial game at Indianapolis, where they have never won. The Texans are 0-for-12 on the road against the Colts.

With four games left in the regular season, nobody has secured a playoff berth. There are still 26 teams in contention.

Jacksonville is a must-win game for the Texans.

“We have to treat every game like it’s the playoffs — lose and go home,” left tackle Duane Brown said.

After beating the Tennessee Titans 45-21, the Texans are trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since defeating the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders to start the season.

“The big word is for us to be able to practice consistently, and, obviously, play on a consistent basis on Sundays,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “That’s what we did in the Tennessee game. Not that everything was perfect in the Tennessee game.

“Don’t get me wrong, but I do believe we played our most consistent game of the year, and we played well in all three phases. We have to remember that and understand that Jacksonville is a very tough team, and we have to be at our best and play at a consistent level.”

The New York Giants lacked that kind of consistency when they built a 21-0 lead at Jacksonville before losing 25-24.

If the Texans win, the number of teams in front of them could be reduced significantly based on this weekend’s schedule. There are five other games that can impact their playoff chances.

Consider the schedule for teams that have one more victory than the Texans: Pittsburgh (7-5) at Cincinnati (8-3-1), Baltimore (7-5) at Miami (7-5), Indianapolis (8-4) at Cleveland (7-5), Buffalo (7-5) at Denver (9-3), and Kansas City (7-5) at Arizona (9-3).

If it comes down to a tiebreaker, the Texans beat the Bills and Browns and lost to the Steelers. They have a game remaining against the Ravens.

“Obviously, we’re fortunate to still be in it,” defensive end J.J. Watt said. “As a player, you love the competitive aspect of the game, and you love being able to put it all on the line. We know what’s at stake. We know that we need to win, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”