Houston Texans: Unanimous #1 in NFL.com Power Rankings

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by Thorn

If the Texans defense doesn't get healthy soon, we won't be going to the super bowl. We can't survive the playoffs sending out 3rd string LBs.

I said the very same thing to a friend of mine just a couple of days ago. Can't keep giving up over 30 points to weak opponents and expect to be able to beat the best teams in the playoffs.

[Thorn]

Originally Posted by TexansFanatic

I said the very same thing to a friend of mine just a couple of days ago. Can't keep giving up over 30 points to weak opponents and expect to be able to beat the best teams in the playoffs.

Detroit has a pretty good QB and Calvin Johnson, so I'm not overly shocked at that. But Jacksonville did shock me.

[BullBlitz]

Originally Posted by Thorn

If the Texans defense doesn't get healthy soon, we won't be going to the super bowl. We can't survive the playoffs sending out 3rd string LBs.

Agree. The defense looks more vulnerable every week, and Watt looks more containable (though not totally) with double teams on him.

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by Fiddler

Still going with this theme, I know a lot of people don't put much stock in power rankings at all. However, we all have an idea of who the best teams are & who the worst teams are.

If we were to wipe the slate clean, right now, the best teams in the league are

1) Denver Broncos
2) Green Bay Packers
3) New England Patriots
4) New Orleans Saints
5) Houston Texans
6) Atlanta Falcons
7) San Francisco 49ers
8) Baltimore Ravens
9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10) Minnesota Vikings/Indianapolis Colts/Seattle Seahawks

From what I'm seeing right now, the Bears won't make the play-offs. The Stealers won't make the play-offs. The Colts & Cincinnati will win the Wild-Cards in the AFC. The Saints & Tampa Bay will win the Wild-Cards in the NFC.

Hopefully the Broncos will see the Patriots in the play-offs before they see us. That way we'll only have to play one of them. I don't think we'll be able to beat both (just like I don't think the Broncos will survive both the Patriots & us, & the Patriots won't survive seeing Broncos & Us)

That's just the way I see it.

That's a reasonable list. However, who knows what that list will look like in a month... Also, the Texans, because of how well they played early, will have the advantage of home field, a week off, and the option of resting players down the stretch. All of those factors can be significant.

I'd add that the defensive struggles have given the offense an opportunity to become more balanced and gain confidence in its dropback passing game.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

That's a reasonable list. However, who knows what that list will look like in a month... Also, the Texans, because of how well they played early, will have the advantage of home field, a week off, and the option of resting players down the stretch. All of those factors can be significant.

I'd add that the defensive struggles have given the offense an opportunity to become more balanced and gain confidence in its dropback passing game.

I agree with your comment about the view a month from now. It's also doubtful that we'll lose 3 games out of the next 5. But if we lose 2, & Baltimore wins out, we won't have homefield.

Nix that, the Ravens won't beat Washington or Denver. If we beat New England we'll get HF throughout

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by Fiddler

I agree with your comment about the view a month from now. It's also doubtful that we'll lose 3 games out of the next 5. But if we lose 2, & Baltimore wins out, we won't have homefield.

Nix that, the Ravens won't beat Washington or Denver. If we beat New England we'll get HF throughout

Ha! You edited before I could respond.

The Ravens, I think, have the toughest schedule remaining. I wouldn't have picked the Skins to beat them (it is an away game though), but they will have tough games against the Chargers, the Broncos, a second game against the Steelers, and at the Giants.

[TEXANRED]

Originally Posted by Fiddler

Still going with this theme, I know a lot of people don't put much stock in power rankings at all. However, we all have an idea of who the best teams are & who the worst teams are.

If we were to wipe the slate clean, right now, the best teams in the league are

1) Denver Broncos
2) Green Bay Packers
3) New England Patriots
4) New Orleans Saints
5) Houston Texans
6) Atlanta Falcons
7) San Francisco 49ers
8) Baltimore Ravens
9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10) Minnesota Vikings/Indianapolis Colts/Seattle Seahawks

From what I'm seeing right now, the Bears won't make the play-offs. The Stealers won't make the play-offs. The Colts & Cincinnati will win the Wild-Cards in the AFC. The Saints & Tampa Bay will win the Wild-Cards in the NFC.

Hopefully the Broncos will see the Patriots in the play-offs before they see us. That way we'll only have to play one of them. I don't think we'll be able to beat both (just like I don't think the Broncos will survive both the Patriots & us, & the Patriots won't survive seeing Broncos & Us)

That's just the way I see it.

Couldn't disagree with you more. It is all about the wins. First round bye's and home field throughout the playoffs is what those W's are for.

We are head and shoulders better than the Bronco's so I don't get how you could put them #1. We beat them right?

The Patriots put up some numbers and terrible teams but big whoop. There is nothing about the patriots that scare me.

New Orleans? Really? C'mon man!

This list looks like you have been watching way too much BSPN.

Top three teams in the AFC, Texans, Ravens, Patriots, in that order. And the Broncos? Over-rated.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by TEXANRED

Couldn't disagree with you more. It is all about the wins. First round bye's and home field throughout the playoffs is what those W's are for.

We are head and shoulders better than the Bronco's so I don't get how you could put them #1. We beat them right?

The Patriots put up some numbers and terrible teams but big whoop. There is nothing about the patriots that scare me.

New Orleans? Really? C'mon man!

This list looks like you have been watching way too much BSPN.

Top three teams in the AFC, Texans, Ravens, Patriots, in that order. And the Broncos? Over-rated.

This is about who is playing the best right now (Denver is laying an egg right now so that's hurting my argument). This is not about restating the standings.

The New York Giants & Green Bay Packers could go deep into the play-offs & win the Super Bowl because they got hot & were playing better football than the other teams at that time.

We started off better than the Patriots & the Broncos. We beat the Broncos before they started clicking. But right now (actually before today's games started) they are playing better ball than we are. I'm not too sure we'll beat New England on the road & I wouldn't put money on us beating the Broncos at home.

Baltimore is not playing well & have a tough schedule to go. I guarantee they will fall in the standings before it's all said & done.

[thunderkyss]

The real question for Texans fans, is "Have we Peaked?"

Hopefully the answer is no, but it's looking like we have.

[Thorn]

Originally Posted by Fiddler

The real question for Texans fans, is "Have we Peaked?"

Hopefully the answer is no, but it's looking like we have.

It only looks that way because we're missing damn near half our starting defense on the field. If somehow they can all come back (except Cushing of course) before our first playoff game, I very much like our chances of getting to the Super Bowl. We can do it without Cushing, but I don't believe we can if we can't get back the others on our defense.

[klockWork]

He said if the slate was wipe, meaning W-L don't matter. It's whose playing all-around top-notch right now.

Here's my list

1) 49ers
2) Pats
3) Broncos
4) Packers
5) Saints

Texans offensive outburst was against two very weak defense. No way we win that game against Bears if Cutler's stay healthy. Bears left a lot of plays on the field with drop passes. Backup QB Henne carve us up.

The only way Texans gets on my list is if they play an ALL-AROUND great game against Titans and Pats.

[ThaJokaa]

Lions are a top 15 D were top 10 before we played em, lol at weak ^^

Look at the Broncos game right now, still think theyre doing good

[klockWork]

368 total offense by Broncos. D didn't allow TD. They won on the road. It was a solid ALL-AROUND game, not great but ALL-AROUND solid.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by ThaJokaa

Lions are a top 15 D were top 10 before we played em, lol at weak ^^

Look at the Broncos game right now, still think theyre doing good

Brady Quin did not score 31 points.

However, Broncos definitely took a hit in my power ranking. I put them up high on the strength of their defense which I think did not show up today. Probably sleeping on the Chiefs, yet managed to get it done. Their D just didn't look as bad as our D has the last two games.

[ThaJokaa]

On the 1-9 Chiefs... It shouldve been a blow out

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by ThaJokaa

On the 1-9 Chiefs... It shouldve been a blow out

The CBS crew was just speaking about this very thing. Shannon Sharpe, who played for the Broncos for many years, said he could speak from experience that the Chiefs will play you tough when they're at home no matter what their record is. Also, the Chiefs lost a lot of games, but they're not the worst team in the league in terms of their stats --- more middle of the pack.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by ThaJokaa

On the 1-9 Chiefs... It shouldve been a blow out

And our shoot-out against the 1-8 Jags should have been what? To the wire? OT?

[Thorn]

Even with our defense as banged up as it is, I think we can take the Titans next week. But Monday nights game in New England isn't shaping up very well. We need our defense to be in good shape to beat Brady an company.

[TEXANRED]

Originally Posted by klockWork

He said if the slate was wipe, meaning W-L don't matter. It's whose playing all-around top-notch right now.

Here's my list

1) 49ers
2) Pats
3) Broncos
4) Packers
5) Saints

Texans offensive outburst was against two very weak defense. No way we win that game against Bears if Cutler's stay healthy. Bears left a lot of plays on the field with drop passes. Backup QB Henne carve us up.

The only way Texans gets on my list is if they play an ALL-AROUND great game against Titans and Pats.

OK now this is just getting silly. The best team in the NFL would be the Texans. You think the best team in the NFL would tie the Rams?

The only team on this list that I would even consider being better is Green Bay.

It's not how many points you win by its if you win. This team has had everything and the kitchen sink thrown at them and all they do is keep winning. No other team in the NFL can say that.

[Texn4life]

When did the NFL become the BCS? This entire argument is silly in my book.