Texans Week 9 Consensus Power Rankings: Where Houston Sits After the Bye

A check-in on where the Houston Texans are viewed around the league at the bye.

Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) walk off the field after the game against the New York Giants at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Texans got some much-needed time off during their Week 8 bye week that can only hope to recharge this group and help rally back from the 2-5 deficit they're currently stuck in.

But as the Texans were taking their time off in Week 8, teams around the league continued to fight on. The action that unfolded tended to shift the stock of several teams around Houston–– for better or for worse–– and has since led to a few changes across multiple power rankings because of it.

Oct 11, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With that in mind, let's sort through a new batch of consensus power rankings to see just where the Texans stack up around the league as they head into their Week 9 game against the LA Chargers:

Sports Illustrated: 25th

Last Week's Ranking: 21st

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr was one of the highest pundits on this list when it came to the Texans earlier this season. But now, he's dropped them to just barely inside the top 25 teams in the NFL. A disappointing falloff.

"The Texans will face the Chargers this weekend in a battle of the two most confoundingly disappointing teams I can ever remember. This is the kind of hype that forces me to never trust again."

NFL.com: 19th

Last Week's Ranking: 18th

NFL.com's Nick Shook does see reason for optimism surrounding the Texans moving forward, simply because of their upcoming schedule facing a batch of beatable opponents. But that still didn't stop him from dropping Houston one spot in his rankings.

"While we can officially agree Houston’s defense isn’t the unit we’ve known it to be in recent years, the Texans have a favorable road out of the bye. Dates with the Chargers and Colts sandwich a meeting with the Browns, so while 2-5 is a tough place to be after eight weeks, there’s still a path back to relevance. Keep an eye on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s role in the offense, too."

ESPN: 22nd

Last Week's Ranking: 21st

ESPN's writers also dropped the Texans by one spot in their rankings and continue to keep them outside of the top 20. D.J. Bien-Aime was tasked with finding Houston's best in-season trade acquisition within franchise history, landing on wide receiver Demariyus Thomas in 2018.

"Historically, the Texans haven't made many in-season trades. Zero have resulted in Houston receiving a game-changing player. The hope is Marvin Harrison Jr., who was acquired from the Cardinals in early October, could become exactly that. Thomas was at least the most effective player out of all the choices. In 2018, Houston started 0-3 and reeled off nine consecutive wins to finish 11-5. Houston acquired Thomas after five wins in a row, and in his first game, he had 61 receiving yards against his former team, the Broncos. He finished the season with 275 receiving yards for Houston with two touchdowns."

The Athletic: 24th

Last Week's Ranking: 22nd

The Athletic's Josh Kendall and Chad Graff aren't ready to count the Texans out of playoff contention just yet. However, that isn't to say that they still aren't disappointed with the results of Houston's latest loss to the New York Giants.

"It’s frustrating, honestly. Houston started 0-4, showed a spark of life, but then disappointed in a 27-21 loss to the Giants in Week 7.The Athletic’s most recent playoff projections have the Texans with just a 19 percent chance to make the playoffs. But here’s the problem: Houston has the second-easiest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon."

CBS Sports: 23rd

Last Week's Ranking: 21st

CBS Sports' Pete Prisco highlights the defensive woes Houston has faced as his biggest cause for concern on the Texans now and moving forward.

"It's hard for many to see how this team is down this low in the rankings. Here's why: the defense has been a mess. They can't afford another loss or they might be done."

FOX Sports: 19th

Last Week's Ranking: 21st

FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano tends to have a bit more to like about the Texans compared to the consensus. Not only does he have them within the top 20 teams of his current rankings, but he's the only pundit who ranked Houston higher than their previous spot heading into Week 8––which becomes especially surprising knowing that this team didn't play a snap this weekend.

"Here’s the good news for the Texans coming out of their bye: They’re in second place in the AFC South despite a 2-5 record. They’re 2.5 games out of a wild-card spot, but the point is that their division is pretty awful and they still have to play the two worst teams — the Titans and Colts — one more time each. They also get the Chargers, Ravens, Commanders and Eagles, so there are a lot of soft spots in the second half of their schedule. If they can get over their pre-bye loss to the Giants, they still have an outside chance to be OK."

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