The good fortune that set the Houston Texans tumbling towards contention last week just keeps rolling the good guys’ way, as they clobber the usually dominant Baltimore Ravens 44-10.
This May have been a game defined by the purple-fonted injury report, but a game like this doesn’t simply happen because of a few players on the mend. This was a full-on beat down of a weaker opponent, with Houston putting many of the doubts to rest about the potential of their offense. With challenges levied from all corners
of the fan base about quarterback CJ Stroud’s lack of development and the validity of the new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, the offense responded with four passing touchdowns, three field goals, one rushing touchdown, no turnovers, and only one punt. Talk about a referendum!
Even though the Ravens defense was severely depleted, Houston’s performance on Sunday is sure to baffle several pundits that prematurely sank the Texans to the depths of their power rankings. In last week’s roundup, Houston’s average ranking was hovering around 22nd overall, which looks much more suspect with back-to-back blowouts now on their resumé.
So, where are they now? Well, let’s get on with it, then! Here’s where the Houston Texans are ranked entering Week 6 of the 2025 NFL Season:
NFL.COM:
17. Houston Texans (2-3) (Last Week: 21)
Houston is 2-3 but has the third-best point differential on the season at plus-47, making this a trickier team to project. But if we can assume the Texans are starting to find some offensive solutions based on how the past two games have gone, they might be able to find themselves back in the upper reaches of the Power Rankings once again. Losing by a combined 13 points to the Rams, Bucs and Jaguars doesn’t look so bad now, and Sunday’s blowout of the Ravens in Baltimore — no matter how badly beat up that team is — rings even more positively. The past two games have been three-phase victories, and Houston has the bye to prep for a tricky stretch coming up.
ESPN:
18. Houston Texans (2-3)
Week 4 result: Beat the Ravens 44-10
Week 4 ranking: 22
Fantasy surprise: RB Woody Marks
Marks entered training camp as the fifth running back on the depth chart. It was fair to suggest that Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale were ahead in mid-July. But Mixon landed on the non-football injury list, and Pierce missed half of camp because of a leg injury. So, it was clear Marks would have a bigger role this season. In the Texans’ Week 4 win over the Titans, he broke out with 27.9 fantasy points, recording 119 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. The rookie fourth-rounder is continuing to carve out a noticeable role on the roster.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
18. Houston Texans (2–3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 23
Last week’s result: beat Ravens, 44–10
This week: idle
I understand the ridiculous self-seriousness of the NFL, having covered the league for 15 seasons now. And I can say with absolute confidence that Jaylin Noel, scoring his first NFL touchdown on an unremarkable bootleg and then doing the Ray Lewis dance in a romp of the Ravens was one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. Go off, king. I hope you got your ball back.
BLEACHER REPORT:
21. Houston Texans (2-3)
Last Week: 24
Week 5 Result: Won vs. Baltimore 44-10
It took a few weeks, but the Houston Texans have woken up.
After three consecutive losses, they’ve won back-to-back games, albeit against teams with a combined record of 2-8. Still, the Texans offense is showing positive signs, scoring 70 points over the last two weeks following a 38-point output through Week 3.
Entering Week 6, C.J. Stroud looks closer to the quarterback who won 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the Texans’ backfield features a veteran-rookie pair in Nick Chubb and Woody Marks.
Houston looks up at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in the standings and power rankings, but they’re not far behind.
CBS SPORTS:
18. Houston Texans (2-3) (Last Week: 21)
The offense we saw against the Ravens gives this team hope. The defense continues to play at a high level.
USA TODAY:
17. Houston Texans (21): They’ve won their past two games by an aggregate score of 70-10. But a Week 6 bye could blunt their momentum and cost them to surrender more ground to the Colts and Jags, who are already two games clear of the reigning AFC South champs.
YAHOO! SPORTS:
18 (22): Houston Texans (2-3)
The Texans had two fortunate matchups, against a bad Titans team and a severely injured Ravens team. Two wins doesn’t mean they’re back, but it’s a start. The offense has looked much better. The next three games (at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Broncos) will tell the story.
THE ATHLETIC:
19. Houston Texans (2-3)
Last week: 24
Sunday: Beat Ravens 44-10
Who have they beaten? Titans, Ravens
C.J. Stroud has thrown six touchdown passes in the last two games, and Houston’s defense looks like it’s rolling. Only the Vikings defense has been better against the pass this season based on EPA per play.
Up next: Bye
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
21. Texans (No. 21; 2-3): A huge test looms after the bye, in Seattle.
Average Ranking: 18.56 (Last Week: 22.11)
Houston hasn’t won back every critic quite yet, but they’re on the come up! Nearly four spots up the list is a healthy sign after a dismal first act of the new season, but the Texans will need to ride this wave of momentum through their bye week if they want to continue the steady climb back to playoff contention. Nate Davis mentioned the fact that Houston is already two games behind the division rivals Colts and Jaguars, so every loss from here onward can potentially ruin the entire season. So, who’s up next?
Well…it won’t be cakewalk. After the bye week, Houston will travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks, and then will host the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars. They are facing only one team with a losing record (@Titans in week 11) until week 14 when they face the measly 2-3…Kansas City Chiefs!? The schedule is doing anything but getting easier as winter approaches, so Houston’s offense will need to keep the pedal to the metal if they’re fixing on 2025 being a Super Bowl year.
What do you think, though? Did the Texans really turn a corner in Baltimore, or is the team just pushing around bad competition? Are the Texans prepared to get back into playoff positioning, or will the post-bye gauntlet chew them up? Let us know down in the comments below!
GO TEXANS!!!
