Houston Texans NFL Energy Rankings: Week 18

Right here we’re, on the finish of the 2024 common season! It’s been…one heck of a daily season! I suppose! In one of many last energy rankings of this large season, the Houston Texans discover themselves in essentially the most precarious place on all the rankings. Regardless of their assured spot within the wildcard spherical as AFC South champions, Houston is being handled as essentially the most fringe of all fringe playoff groups, and after that embarrassing displaying in opposition to Baltimore, they’ve earned that stigma. Houston has spent a number of weeks within the high 5 and within the high ten this season the place they have been thought-about a challenger for the Tremendous Bowl the second the earlier season ended, however they now discover themselves within the mid teenagers, clinging on to the coattails of groups just like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams, who’re lastly realizing their playoff clinching goals. This wasn’t the way it was imagined to go for the Texans this 12 months, however after two losses to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens and extra debilitating accidents to the offense, 9-7 appears nearly proper.

Right here’s the place the Houston Texans are ranked coming into Week 18 of the 2024 NFL Season:

NFL.COM:

14. Houston Texans (9-7) (Final Week: 13)

Issues really feel determined as a result of they’re. The Texans have seemingly misplaced their mojo, together with a number of key contributors to harm, with the defeat to the Ravens on Christmas showing to be a brand new low for the crew this season. C.J. Stroud has fallen right into a droop, even when he can’t be blamed for a way these round him are enjoying. His receivers are thinning quickly, and the offensive line is a multitude. It’s to the purpose the place, pretty or not, the once-beloved Bobby Slowik has gone from being a savior in 2023 to taking warmth from followers over his play-calling. Houston is now 1-5 vs. groups with profitable data. If there’s a saving grace to be discovered, it’s that the Texans have clinched a house playoff sport and may afford to relaxation starters in Week 18 in opposition to the Titans. However if you begin potential first-round matchups, every one brings questions over how the Texans can match up and truly win. Have they got one last gasp left in them? We’ll discover out in two weeks.

– Eric Edholm

ESPN:

14. Houston Texans (9-7)

Week 17 end result: Misplaced to the Ravens 31-2

Week 17 rating: 10

Greatest offseason contract state of affairs to observe: Large receiver Stefon Diggs

Diggs proved his worth to the Texans on and off the sphere. By way of the primary eight weeks with him, quarterback C.J. Stroud had a QBR of 60.5 (tenth). However since Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8, Stroud has a QBR of 40.4 (twenty ninth) by means of Week 17. The Texans want solutions at wideout since Tank Dell (knee) will almost certainly miss all of 2025, they usually can’t go into subsequent season with simply Nico Collins. That will increase Diggs’ worth, however he’s additionally 31 coming off a serious knee harm.

– DJ Bien-Aime

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:

15. Houston Texans (9–7)

Final week’s rating: No. 11

Final week’s end result: misplaced to Baltimore, 31–2

This week: at Tennessee

All the biomarkers in an enormous loss to the Ravens by which the offense was shut out have been troubling. C.J. Stroud once more regarded frozen in opposition to break up security seems, the protection was stomped out by Derrick Henry (Houston will not be alone right here) and Lamar Jackson was allowed to spend extra time from snap to throw than at every other level this season with no punishment. Barring a serious identification shift, the Texans are trying like a primary candidate to get boat raced simply as their playoff journey begins.

– Conor Orr

THE ATHLETIC:

15. Houston Texans (9-7)

Final week: 13

Wednesday: Misplaced to Baltimore Ravens 31-2

What’s subsequent?: Self-scouting for the offensive teaching employees

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik did so nicely in 2023 that he bought head teaching interviews within the offseason. He would possibly get fired this offseason. Houston has dropped from twelfth in yards per play (5.4) and fifteenth in EPA per play (.03) a 12 months in the past to twenty fourth (5.1) and twenty fifth this 12 months (minus-.08). They’re 18th within the league in scoring (21.8 ppg) regardless of having C.J. Stroud at quarterback and the fifth-best turnover margin within the league (plus-10).

Up subsequent: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

– Josh Kendall

BLEACHER REPORT:

14. Houston Texans (9-7)

Final Week: 10

Week 17 Consequence: Misplaced vs. Baltimore 31-2

The Houston Texans are within the playoffs as champions of the AFC South and the convention’s No. 4 seed.

If Christmas Day’s dwelling thrashing by the hands of the Baltimore Ravens was any indication, they received’t be within the match for very lengthy.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud did not throw for 200 yards. Houston barely cracked that modest baseline as a crew. The Texans protection was gouged on the bottom to the tune of 251 yards and virtually six yards per carry.

Jamie Erdahl of the NFL Community, who labored the Houston sideline throughout the Week 17 debacle, mentioned the Texans appeared exhausted earlier than the sport ever started.

“The Texans seemed to be exhausted in our meetings and on gameday. … What we saw in our meetings is exactly the team that we saw on the sidelines on Christmas Day,” Erdahl mentioned on the present. I believe [Stroud] was actually badly affected by the Tank Dell harm. Once we requested him ‘How you doing man? How’s Tank doing?’ he goes, ‘Goes I feel like that injury was two minutes ago. … He was still feeling the after effects of the Tank Dell injury. I’m anxious about this Texans’ crew.”

Analyst’s Take

The Texans are in a difficult state of affairs. After back-to-back losses, the crew may use some momentum heading into the postseason. But when Houston really is “exhausted,” per week off may do the starters extra good than beating the Tennessee Titans. No matter DeMeco Ryans decides, this a lot is obvious—if Houston performs within the Wild Card spherical the best way they did in Week 17, they’re going to be a one-and-done soccer crew. — Davenport

– Gary Davenport, Mauarice Moton, Kristopher Knox, Brent Sobleski

CBS SPORTS:

14. Houston Texans (9-7) (Final Week: 14)

They bought rocked by the Ravens on Christmas Day and appear to be limping into the playoffs. They’re locked in because the fourth seed, however they don’t appear to be one.

– Pete Prisco

YAHOO! SPORTS:

15. Houston Texans (9-7) (Final Week: 14)

The Texans could be the least spectacular playoff crew of the 14 to make the sphere, no matter who the ultimate two spots go to. Houston has regarded unhealthy for weeks. The No. 5 seed would be the Steelers, Chargers or Ravens, and Houston shouldn’t be favored in opposition to any of them, even at dwelling.

– Frank Schwab

USA TODAY:

16. Houston Texans (13): They might be AFC South champs for the second straight 12 months, however in addition they appear to be a really inviting opening-round playoff matchup.

– Nate Davis

PRO FOOTBALL TALK:

14. Texans (No. 13; 9-7): The one distinction between final 12 months and this 12 months is a more durable schedule and a extra porous offensive line.

– Mike Florio

AVERAGE RANKING: 14.56

Photograph by Brooke Sutton/Getty Photos

The facility rankings elite groups, the Payments, Chiefs, Vikings, Lions, and Eagles, have maintained their standing all around the web due to their constant, dominant performances each week. The Houston Texans discovered consistency on their protection, which has performed like a high ten unit for almost all of the season, however, the their offense, confoundingly, has but to change into a constant group. At this level, I imagine it’s protected to say they may by no means discover consistency on that facet of ball, making this one of many Texans’ strangest enigmas of their 23 years of operation. Regardless of little change within the make-up of the offensive line from final 12 months to this 12 months, their efficiency as a gaggle (which incorporates quarterback C.J. Stroud) cratered this 12 months, resulting in a cascade of errors and ruined performs from Stroud.

This positioning in the course of the pack is harking back to the vibe surrounding final 12 months’s Texans crew, however this 12 months has one large distinction – momentum. Regardless of nonetheless needing a victory within the season finale to make the playoffs final 12 months, the overwhelming majority of Texans followers most likely had extra confidence in that crew than they at the moment do for this 12 months’s 9-7 squad. Why? As a result of final 12 months’s crew proved week after week that they have been up for no matter problem their opponent positioned on them. Each week, it felt like Derek Stingley Jr. was making a play, or Will Anderson Jr. was making some large deal with, or CJ Stroud was saving the sport with some otherworldly go. This season, I can solely consider one sport the place Houston really rose above the chances and beat a crew few have been anticipating them to – the Buffalo Payments in Week 5. That’s the one “great” victory I can consider for this 12 months’s Texans crew, the place each different win was been underwhelming or worrying. They’ve a protracted approach to go to restoring the boldness we collectively held for this crew only one 12 months in the past.

What do you suppose, although? Will Houston use these final two weeks to rally and change into the juggernaut everybody anticipated, or will they proceed to be one of many greatest disappointments of the 2024 season? Tell us down within the feedback beneath!