The Houston Texans were consistently one of the worst teams in the NFL last year when pundits were making their power rankings. However, the placement for the AFC South club has changed thanks to a strong offseason and promising preseason.
According to Pete Prisco from CBS Sports, the Texans begin the 17-game campaign at No. 26 in his latest NFL power rankings.
They will be better than most expect. Davis Mills will be one of the surprise players in the league this year.
Of course, the Jacksonville Jaguars were ranked just one slot ahead of the Texans, and it was due to Trevor Lawrence entering his second season and the defense expected to do well.
The Texans would get the same credit for their defense if there were better messaging and comprehension surrounding Lovie Smith’s scheme. Although the 64-year-old will never back down from his belief in the Tampa 2 scheme, Smith has been open about adapting new elements to keep up with the latest innovations on the offensive side of the ball. The drafting of cornerback Derek Stingley No. 3 overall from LSU in the 2022 drat indicates the Texans expect to play some man coverage on the outside when the situation calls for it.
Across the rest of the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans are No. 14, but the loss of edge defender Harold Landry may have impacted their initial placement. The Indianapolis Colts begin at No. 11, and it is the addition of quarterback Matt Ryan along with reigning NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor that has them so placed.
The Texans take on the Colts Sept. 11 at NRG Stadium to kickoff the regular season. If Houston is able to beat a team that is hovering outside the top-10 of the power rankings, it would be quite the shock and validation the rest of the league would need to see to start taking the Texans seriously.
