Texans NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Week 7

Sports Illustrated: 20th

Last week: 18th

Sports Illustrated drops the Texans by two spots, with Conor Orr circling Week 7's primetime game vs. the Seahawks as a true test to see just where they stand at this point in the season.

"Houston’s get-right campaign saw wins over the now coachless Titans and banged-up Ravens. Now, in a 7 p.m. local start time road game against Seattle on Monday, Houston gets to truly measure itself."––Conor Orr

On SI: 22nd

Last week: 20th

On SI publishers and editors dropped the Texans down by two spots in this week's power rankings. Surrounding the topic of the best player to step up in the wake of an injury, tight end Dalton Schultz was my pick.

"Texans starting tight end Cade Stover was quickly forced to injured reserve after suffering a broken foot in Week 1. During his absence, veteran Dalton Schultz has remained a productive fill-in at the position. Schultz is second to Nico Collins in Houston’s offense for receptions (21) and yards (186), and has emerged as a quality target in the passing game for C.J. Stroud." –– Jared Koch

ESPN: 20th

Last week: 18th

A slight drop from ESPN's rankings, but DJ Bien-Aime highlights the Texans' prowess on the defensive end that should inspire confidence for what's ahead.

"They have the No. 1 scoring defense -- allowing 12.2 points per game -- and it's not as if they've played offensive bottom-feeders. Houston earned that ranking after playing the Buccaneers (sixth in points per game), Rams (16th) and Jaguars (17th). Those teams are a combined 13-5 on the season, so the Texans have faced respectable competition en route to their No. 1 status. They are also third best in the league in pass rush win rate (47.1%), behind the Steelers and Browns." –– DJ Bien-Aime

Bleacher Report: 20th

Last week: 21st

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox points to the pros and cons of the Texans' early bye week into perspective in the midst of their jump into the top 20.

"It'll be interesting to see if the Week 5 bye helps or hinders the Houston Texans. On one hand, it'll give Houston an extra week to prepare for a very good Seattle Seahawks team. On the other, it puts a pause on any momentum the Texans picked up during blowout wins over the Titans and Ravens."

"Of course, the Titans and Ravens haven't been good this season. Upcoming games against the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos will tell us a lot more about where the 2-3 Texans actually stand." –– Kristopher Knox

CBS: 20th

Last week: 18th

CBS's Pete Prisco notes that the offensive line could be an area of concern for the Texans rolling into their primetime showing on Monday night.

"Coming off their bye, they face a tough road game at Seattle. Their offensive line, which has struggled, will be challenged in a big way in that one." –– Pete Prisco

FOX: 19th

Last week: 20th

FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano points to Week 7's tilt as being the real challenge for the Texans to prove themselves as back to their old selves.

"After winning their past two games by a combined score of 70-10, the Texans come out of the bye and head to Seattle. That’ll tell whether they’re really back or not."–– Ralph Vacchiano

The Athletic: 20th

Last week: 19th

The Athletic's tandem of writers gave some flowers to Nick Chubb. While not rattling off any peak production, he's been a nice contributor to the Texans' efforts on the ground.

"This is just a Chubb appreciation post. His production (130th) is unremarkable and mostly matches his ADP (No. 122), but what he’s doing is remarkable. In his eighth season, Chubb has survived two devastating knee injuries and a broken foot to be the Texans’ most productive back, albeit with a pedestrian 249 yards on 58 carries." –– Josh Kendall and Chad Graff

USA TODAY: 17th

Last week: 18th

USA Today's Nate Davis turns to the defensive end while giving the Texans their highest ranking of the roundup.

"How stingy is this defense? It's allowing a league-low 1.19 points per drive, a figure that, if maintained, might ultimately propel Houston back atop this division." –– Nate Davis

Yahoo: 20th

Last week: 18th

Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab hints that there could be more success to come for the Texans based on their strength on the defensive side.

"How good has the Texans’ defense been? Houston is allowing 12.2 points per game. Since the 1970 merger, the only teams at or better than that mark are the 2000 Ravens, 1986 Bears, 2000 Titans and 1978 Steelers. If the offense comes around, the Texans could get on a roll." –– Frank Schwab

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