Texans Week 6 Consensus Power Rankings: How Win No. 1 Changes Things

The Houston Texans finally got their long-awaited first win of the 2026 season down in the books following their dominant 26-3 victory over their division rival, the Tennessee Titans, in Week 5.

And because of that win, the general consensus surrounding the Texans seems to have taken a slight boost compared to where things stood this time last week. Back then, Houston was still at a winless 0-4, both sides of the ball had some glaring issues, and led to many selling their stock on this group.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs in for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Now, the Texans certainly might not have those same issues fixed by now––even after their recent trade to acquire Marvin Harrison Jr.––but they are in a bit of a better spot than they were previously now that they have what hopes to be their first win of many.

With that in mind, let's sort through a new batch of consensus power rankings to see just where the Texans stack up as they roll into Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

Sports Illustrated: 14th

Last Week's Ranking: 20th

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr has the Texans at their highest spot in these consensus rankings by far. Spoiler alert: everyone else we have listed has Houston outside of their top 20 teams, while Orr is able to find them a spot in the top 15.

"Of the teams whose seasons are theoretically dead in the water, Houston provides the faintest glimmer of hope. Braden Smith, Tank Dell and Kayden McDonald are on the way, the Titans are up next on the schedule and 1–4 looks far better (with three examples of playoff teams in the last 25 years, by the way)."

NFL.com: 25th

Last Week's Ranking: 23rd

Nick Shook went against the grain last week when he decided to shift the Texans up two spots from their previous ranking to land at 23, even after a loss. This time around, it's the exact opposite: Houston finally won a game, and Shook drops them back down to 25.

"Houston did what everyone expected it to do: take care of business against the worst team in the NFL. C.J. Stroud added another fruitful week to what is quickly becoming a very strong rebound season, the Texans finally got a little bit more out of their ground game (despite losing David Montgomery to injury), and the superior AFC South team walked away with an easy win. It’s a start, and we'll see what becomes of the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade, but it’s going to be a long climb out of 0-4."

ESPN: 21st

Last Week's Ranking: 24th

ESPN's writers were polled this week on their power rankings, where the Texans saw themselves right outside of the top 20. When D.J. Bien-Aime was tasked to point out Houston's biggest weakness on defense, that would be "health at all three levels."

"The Texans have dealt with injuries to key players. Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair sat out time because of a groin injury. Nickelback Jalen Pitre just sustained a shoulder injury against the Titans, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was on IR because of a quad injuryto start the season, and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o landed on IR after Week 1 because of a shoulder injury. That has factored into their defense giving up 234 passing yards per game (23rd). Overall, Houston is tied for 15th in scoring defense (22.4 per game) after ranking second last season (17.4)."

The Athletic: 21st

Last Week's Ranking: 24th

Josh Kendall and Chad Graff continue the trend of placing Houston right outside of the top 20, but give them a welcomed boost of three spots compared to where they were this time last week.

"Finally, some positive vibes in Houston! Beating the Titans is hardly much to celebrate these days, but at long last, the Texans are in the win column, and reinforcements are on the way. After trading for Kayshon Boutte just before the season, the Texans added another wide receiver this weekend in 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr."

CBS Sports: 23rd

Last Week's Ranking: 26th

Pete Prisco made sure to have some praise for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud for the strong start to the season he's had, which is more than justified. Even at a 1-4 record, Houston's signal-caller is averaging a career-high in passing yards (280.4 yards per game), is completing over 64% of his passes, and hasn't thrown an interception in five games.

"The offense with C.J. Stroud has been playing good football. The change to DeMeco Ryans calling plays seemed to work as they ready to play a big game this week with Jacksonville."

FOX Sports: 23rd

Last Week's Ranking: 26th

Ralph Vacchiano gives the Texans a nice boost of three spots, yet wants to see this roster keep up their momentum in Week 6 as they travel to London and face a much more difficult test in the Jaguars, compared to what the Titans just allowed.

"It says a lot about parity in the NFL that the Texans think they’re still in the race enough to trade a second-round pick for WR Marvin Harrison Jr... Blowing out the Titans on Sunday isn’t enough to convince anyone that they can. This week’s game against the Jaguars in London will be a much bigger test. The sooner DeMeco Ryans and QB C.J. Stroud figure out how to tap Harrison’s old potential, the better."

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google