The Houston Texans are deseprate to return to the Playoffs for the third straight season. The Battle Red will bring a 6-5 record into their matchup on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Many things have improved for this team throughout the year, but the Texans have still faced its share of bad news.
When fans heard about C.J. Stroud’s injury, not many people had faith that Davis Mills could carry this team (I was one of those). I’m happy to admit I was wrong; despite some challenges, Mills has proven to be a reliable option. Still, it would be unfair to credit the Texans' recent momentum without highlighting the defense: Calen Bullock, Danielle Hunter, and Will Anderson Jr., among others have done the bulk of the heavy lifting.
This honor wasn’t overlooked. The official NFL website has released its new power rankings, and the Battle Red starts to climb in the league.
Texans surging in new NFL Power Rankings
According to Eric Edholm from NFL.com, the team was on life support when C.J. Stroud was knocked out of the lineup. However, Davis Mills has done a wonderful job keeping the playoff hopes alive, and the defense, as expected, has been exceptional.
In the article, Edholm stated, “Thanks to some excellent relief work from Davis Mills. The bar has now been raised for C.J. Stroud.” The former Ohio State QB has no excuses if he starts on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
There’s an ideal opportunity for either Stroud to shine on game day: The Colts lost last week to the Chiefs, showing they’re not invincible. If the Texans secure a win, their playoff chances will rise significantly. Even better, C.J. will have the chance to prove he’s the same reliable quarterback we saw in his standout rookie season, ready to deliver when the pressure is on.
The Battle Red are riding a wave of momentum, and their victory over the Buffalo Bills was a defining moment, especially when the team seemed at risk of a disappointing season. Why? Had the Texans lost to the Bills, they would have slipped to a 5-6 record. Without their star quarterback (Without a win, I don’t believe Stroud would be playing on Sunday), the next few games of the season would have been an even steeper challenge.
Nevertheless, fans know. The Houston Texans deserved to climb three positions on this ranking. Before the Bills' game, the Battle Red were 18th out of 32 teams. Today, the Texans are 15 out of 32.
Despite this ranking improvement, the team coached by DeMeco Ryans has to make difficult stops over the next two weeks against the Colts and the Chiefs, two teams that will probably join the playoffs.