The Houston Texans and The NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

Another week, another heart-stopping victory for the Houston Texans ! This time, instead of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud pulling the rabbit out of his hat with seconds left, it was the defense saving Houston from collapse to keep the Texans on their win-streak. Stroud actually threw back-to-back interceptions on the final two Texans possessions, and with his team only up by five, disaster felt imminent.

Well, not if Steven Nelson had anything to say about it:

What a play by Steven Nelson to end the game pic.twitter.com/oeBWwhA8JV

— Houston Texans November 19, 2023 Similar to the New Orleans Saints game, Houston’s defense bailed them out of climatic failure time and time again. Quite unlike the last two games where a litany of points were given up in just the final quarter, the defense tightened up in the second half, forcing three straight turnovers on downs to end the game. There was only one score by either team the entire second half, a one-yard rush by Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray that capped off the Cardinals’ first third-quarter drive. Although, a dearth of points from Arizona didn’t hide their ability to move the ball with relative ease, piling up 319 total yards on offense, their seventh time getting 300+ this season. Turnovers and big plays on fourth down were vital to Houston’s victory on Sunday, which reveals how the Texans’ defense can still win a possession even when they’re giving up yards. It was an imperfect but still highly encouraging showing, especially considering the clutch factor of the defense as a whole when they curtailed a Cardinals comeback following two Stroud interceptions.

In another similarity to the New Orleans game, Houston’s best defensive performances came from linebackers and defensive backs. Derek Stingley Jr., maybe looking for some redemption after a rough return to action vs. the Cincinnati Bengals , nabbed an interception with 11:20 left in the second quarter. Tavierre Thomas had another good game, as did Steven Nelson, sealing the win with the game-winning pass breakup. And, to cap it off, Blake Cashman had another exceptional game, tallying 19 tackles, a pass breakup, two quarterback hits, and a sack. At this point, Blake Cashman has played himself into a Pro-Bowl nod, his play against the run and in coverage being a major reason why Houston’s rush defense has leapt from 32nd to eighth in just one season. It’s an entire team effort led by head coach DeMeco Ryans, but Blake Cashman has been a vital cog in the machine. Talk about improvement in just his second year on the team!

Unfortunately, all this coal I’m throwing into the Texans hype train isn’t going to change the power ranking pundits of the world. To them, the rapidly rising Texans just escaped an ugly loss to one of the league’s worst teams. Even though the Cardinals have been a hard out all season long, a near-miss against them won’t do a green Texans team any favors.

Here’s where everyone has the Houston Texans ranked after their victory against the Arizona Cardinals :

NFL.COM:

C.J. Stroud threw a first-half interception , but in spite of the pressure the Cardinals were throwing at him, Stroud was generally rolling through the first three quarters, guiding the Texans on three touchdown drives of 60-plus yards. That’s the level we’ve come to expect from the precocious rookie, who has mostly been lights out — especially when the lights are brightest. So that’s why it was so shocking to see Stroud implode in the fourth quarter, continually leaving the back door cracked open for the Cardinals to steal one. Houston’s defense finished the game with three straight fourth-down stops after Arizona had crossed midfield. It was a good team victory, which will be DeMeco Ryans’ bottom line here. It’s good to know the Texans can survive a spell and finish off a game where Stroud briefly plays like a rookie.

- Eric Edholm

ESPN:

Houston Texans (6-4)

Week 11 ranking:

Preseason hot seat: TE Brevin Jordan

Current temperature of hot seat:

Jordan has been targeted in just three games this season and flashed his talent with a touchdown in Week 3 against the Jaguars. But his production has been few and far between — mainly because he can’t stay healthy, but also because he’s averaging 10 offensive snaps per game this season. He returned Sunday from a foot injury that cost him the previous three games but didn’t register a target. Injuries have been an ongoing issue throughout his three-year career. In a possible 44 career games, he has played in only 27. Sometimes, he has been inactive, and other times have been due to injury, but he might be running out of time to show he deserves to be on the Texans’ roster.

- DJ Bien-Aime

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:

Last week: win vs. Arizona, 21–16

Next week: vs. Jacksonville

I do think that the timing and the cost of interceptions matters, at least to people sitting on this side of the fence. C.J. Stroud said after beating the Cardinals this week that there was “no shame in my game” and compared himself to Steph Curry shooting through a bad night. While Stroud can do no wrong at the moment, I do think we’d consider the fourth quarter picks differently had they led to a loss. But instead, we have the benefit of learning without hampering progress. I’d be interested in a more all-encompassing look at rookie quarterbacks and how certain picks occurred and whether that led to smoother development.

- Conor Orr

BLEACHER REPORT:

Last Week: 13

Week 11 Result: Won vs. Arizona 21-16

The Houston Texans didn’t score after halftime in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. After throwing just two interceptions in his first nine starts, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was picked off three times by the Redbirds.

That the Texans still found a way to win the game speaks to just how different this Houston team is.

While talking to reporters after the win, head coach DeMeco Ryans lauded the resiliency his quarterback and team showed in Week 11 while allowing that the Texans need to cut down on the miscues moving forward.

“You’re going to have miscues, you’re going to have bad plays, but it’s all about how you respond to those plays,” Ryans said. “So, we will continue to highlight all the positive things that C.J. is doing. And then we’ll also coach him up on those negative plays.”

“In just 10 games, Stroud has thrown for almost 3,000 yards,” Davenport said. “Fellow rookie Tank Dell has been a force at receiver. Devin Singletary has eclipsed 110 rushing yards in back-to-back games. Journeyman linebacker Blake Cashman piled up a whopping 19 tackles Sunday. The Texans aren’t 6-4 solely because of Stroud. This is a team. A good team. And the job Ryans has done coaching that team up in his first season has been remarkable. These Texans are no fluke—and they have earned their spot in these power rankings.”

“The Texans’ 2023 draft class has the potential to go down as one for the ages,” Sobleski added. “Stroud has already established a commanding lead for this season’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and placed himself among the league’s best quarterbacks. Will Anderson Jr., who’s been a consistent presence all season, provided pressure on the final play to seal the victory against the Cardinals. Tank Dell set new career highs Sunday with eight receptions for 149 yards. Henry To’oTo’o is the squad’s second-leading tackler. Juice Scruggs would have been the offense’s starting center had he not found his way to injured reserve. The Texans are one win away from matching the last two seasons’ victory total thanks largely to an outstanding crop of rookies.”

- Gary Davenport, Maurice Moton, Brent Sobleski

Average Ranking: 11.25 (Last Week Average: 12.75)

It’s still a rise from last week’s rankings, but a little more understated. Some stagnation after victory, especially considering this is now a three-game winning streak for the Texans, feels a little unjustified. But, now that the Texans have worked their way up to the top half the league, the stagnation is a bit of a softer pill to swallow. They’re now officially either in the top 10 or knocking on the door in all of these featured rankings, making them one of, if not the most improved teams of the 2023 NFL season. This is, for lack of a better word, truly shocking. I’ve run out of exclamatory phrases I can muster to describe just how pleasantly surprised I am by this team, and with each passing week they prove this is less of a fluke and more of the norm. A winning Texans team? The norm? I’ve been raised thinking these two things were to never exist in the same sentence, but if there’s anything this team has taught me, it’s to broaden my horizons

Next up, the Houston Texans host the Jacksonville Jaguars in a bout for the AFC South lead at NRG Stadium. (and likely the title), Maybe the most anticipated division battle since 2019, this can be the Texans’ chance to sweep the glitter kitties and all-but claim the AFC South division crown with six games left on their schedule. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been trying to build steam for his offense to fully take flight into Super Bowl contention, but unfortunately for him, C.J. Stroud is looking to crash that party. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve looked towards a Texans game with this much anxiety and anticipation, and I genuinely can’t wait to see how they shock the world again.

What do you think, though? How will C.J. Stroud perform next week? Will his MVP campaign continue to roll? How hyped are you for this division matchup? Let us know in the comments below!