After winning just three games throughout the entire 2022 campaign, the Houston Texans head into their bye week with a record of 3-3. They're also coming off two wins in a row as the offense is starting to fire on all cylinders.
They're currently tied for second place in the standings with the Indianapolis Colts but when it comes to Power Rankings, how do they stack up? That's what we answer here with a quick look around the AFC South.
AFC South Power Rankings heading into Week 7
4. Tennessee Titans
Somehow, the Tennessee Titans have continually fielded a winner under Mike Vrabel, even without an elite offense. They were able to ride Derrick Henry to four-straight winning seasons — even with him missing much of 2021 — while getting just enough out of Ryan Tannehill.
That seemed to finally change in 2022 when they lost seven in a row to close out the campaign. That left them with a 7-10 mark and they were out of the postseason. Now in 2023, they're just 2-4 and have lost their past two games. That includes a 23-16 defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts which was followed by a loss to the Baltimore Ravens overseas.
Tennessee will have a lot to figure out with Tannehill struggling and their defense no longer playing up to their standards. Perhaps they consider making a move under center — and not just because of the ankle injury their quarterback suffered.
Until they do find a way to create a spark on offense, they remain at the bottom of the standings in the division as well as the bottom of these AFC South Power Rankings.
3. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts started out 2-1 with wins against the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. They also secured a victory over the Tennessee Titans but have already faced — and lost — to the Jacksonville Jaguars twice on the year.
First, it was a 31-21 defeat in Week 1 and more recently, they lost to the Jags in Week 6. That ended up being the ninth time in a row Jacksonville got the better of the Colts.
As frustrating as those losses are, the real problem for Indy right now is the loss of Anthony Richardson. Their rookie quarterback was easily the most athletic signal-caller in the draft and was playing very well in the NFL. In four starts, he had 577 yards passing with three touchdowns and just one pick. He added another four touchdowns on the ground, proving to be a true dual-threat.
The Colts do feel good about Gardner Minshew taking the helm and he has experience with head coach Shane Steichen who was his offensive coordinator while both were in Philly. Having said that, Minshew doesn't strike fear into opponents and needs help around him to succeed. Indy has done well this offseason to improve things but they're not ready to compete without a game-changer under center.
2. Houston Texans
After going 3-13-1 in 2022, the Houston Texans made some big moves this offseason. They not only landed head coach DeMeco Ryans, who rose to prominence as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, but they also wound up with the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft after a shrewd trade.
With those selections, they brought in C.J. Stroud to lead their offense and Will Anderson to anchor the defensive line. Stroud has been better than expected and enters the bye with 1,660 yards and nine touchdowns against only one pick.
Anderson has been solid as well with 25 tackles and one sack while being credited with 10 pressures so far. He hasn't been able to get home as much as he would like but he's still proving to be the real deal.
Houston started slow out of the gate with losses to the Ravens and Colts but has since caught fire. They shocked the Jaguars with a 37-17 win and followed that up with a 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They also handed the New Orleans Saints a loss last week, which made up for an upsetting defeat in Atlanta prior to that.
At 3-3 with a 1-1 record in the South, the Texans are in great shape. They have several games they could feasibly win coming up with Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati on the schedule before hosting Jacksonville on Nov. 26.
They've started out strong and if they can stack some wins up during that stretch, and maybe get another over the Jags, then perhaps they can move up to No. 1. But for now, they sit at second in the AFC South Power Rankings, which is still an improvement from a year ago.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
At 4-2, the Jacksonville Jaguars remain on top of the AFC South heading into Week 7 but they do have some questions. Their star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, hurt his knee in their win over the Colts and they're now preparing to play on a short week.
With a trip to New Orleans to play the Saints on Thursday Night Football, the Jags are hopeful Lawrence can suit up. Lawrence even said recently he felt he was in a good spot as he looked forward to the game.
"I'm going to do everything I can to be out there," Lawrence said Tuesday via ESPN. "I feel a lot better today than I would've thought. So I like how I'm progressing, and I'm going to do everything I can to be out there on Thursday. It's progressed really well through the past 24, 48 hours. So, really like where it's at."
If Lawrence can't go, it will be C.J. Beathard who gets the start. He's an experienced backup but there's a significant drop-off in talent.
As it stands now, the Texans have the edge in the series thanks to a win in Week 3 but the three-game winning streak — which included a victory over the Buffalo Bills — still has Jacksonville at No. 1 in the AFC South Power Rankings.