The Houston’s Texans victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday may have been the first time in over a month that the entire team looked completely ill-suited for the moment. Considering how this season
started, it’s remarkable that they were able to establish this kind of momentum, but they now risk losing it right before the playoffs with a performance like this. Since their week 10 comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans had become men possessed, outscoring their opponents in the fourth quarter 59-19. Yes, the Texans still submitted their fanbase to thrillers and heart-stopping finishes throughout that entire stretch of time, but there was no denying the Texans got stronger as the game went on. In the second half of the Raiders game, as I watched Houston’s offense flail in the wind drive after drive and gradually give up more and more yards to Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty, I found myself worrying if that clutch gene had finally worn out…and against the Raiders? Yes, the 2-12 Raiders gave the Texans a very hard time, running all over that vaunted defense and forcing quarterback CJ Stroud into one of his worst games of the season, despite not getting sacked once.
Every team has a “trap game” at some point. Many thought last week’s match against the Arizona Cardinals would be the game Houston would “look ahead of” and play below expectations, but instead, Houston beat that team 40-20 and had one of their greatest offensive performances of the season. Then, one week later, they had the complete opposite kind of performance against an uglier team…how does that happen?
It’s still a win – Houston’s seventh in a row – but not one anyone can feel comfortable about. A two-point victory over one ofthe worst teams in football, where the offense was out scored and needed WR Nico Collins to bail them out at the very end of the game is not something you want to walk into the playoffs with. A win is a win, though, so it’ll be interesting to see where the power rankers put Houston in this week’s rankings.
Here’s where the Houston Texans are ranked entering week 17 of the 2025 NFL season:
NFL.COM
10. Houston Texans (10-5) (Last Week: 10)
The Texans won their seventh straight game on Sunday, but the close-shave victory over the lowly Raiders induced several rounds of boos from the NRG Stadium crowd. Houston’s ballyhooed defense gave the team an early lift with Derek Stingley Jr.’s pick-six, but it also allowed Las Vegas to score 21 points and rip off a surprising number of big plays. Meanwhile, the Texans’ offense didn’t score a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter, resurfacing concerns about the shape of that unit. The Jaguars’ win in Denver also kept the chances higher that the Texans will have to go on the road if and when they clinch a postseason bid.
ESPN:
13. Houston Texans (10-5)
Week 16 result: Beat the Raiders 23-21
Week 16 ranking: 13
Rookie of the year: Left tackle Aireontae Ersery
Ersery has flashed potential while replacing Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who was traded to the Commanders in March. Ersey has been the best and most available rookie for the Texans, helping protect quarterback C.J. Stroud as they make their final push for the playoffs. Ersery has given up nine sacks this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and his pass block win rate is tied for 51st out of 69 eligible tackles. But there have still been enough positives for Houston to feel it got its long-term answer on Stroud’s blind side.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
8. Houston Texans (10–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Last week’s result: beat Raiders, 23–21
This week: at Chargers
I think commemorating big life moments on a Nintendo D.S. camera should be way more normalized in today’s society:
BLEACHER REPORT:
8. Houston Texans (10-5)
Last Week: 6
Week 16 Result: Won vs. Las Vegas 23-21
Surprisingly, the Texans struggled against the Raiders, and the effort almost made it feel like a trap game. In some ways, it was.
Houston had everything to lose, with postseason hopes on the line. Conversely, the Raiders lost eight straight entering the contest. Las Vegas played loose and gave its best effort in over a month of play.
Surprisingly, the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense allowed the Raiders to generate over 300 yards of offense, which outgained the Texans. Running back Ashton Jeanty had himself a game, with 188 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
The Texans still found a way to escape with a victory, which is what good teams do. The effort should also serve as a wake-up call for Demeco Ryans’ squad.
CBS SPORTS:
8. Texans (10-5) (Last Week: 8)
They didn’t look good in the victory over the Raiders, which is concerning as they head to play the Chargers this week. The offense has to be better.
USA TODAY:
7. Houston Texans (4): They escaped with a win … but better learn a lesson from what was a near-total letdown against the lowly Raiders.
YAHOO! SPORTS:
9 (6): Houston Texans (10-5)
The Texans didn’t deserve to drop that much after barely beating the Raiders, but Jacksonville had to move ahead of them after the Jaguars continued their hot streak with a great win at Denver. Also, it was startling to see the Texans’ offense do almost nothing against the Raiders and the defense allow 21 points to a team that had just 75 yards the week before. The Texans are fine, but now that the path to the AFC South title is much harder, they get downgraded a bit.
THE ATHLETIC:
9. Houston Texans (10-5)
Last week: 7
Sunday: Beat Raiders 23-21
One concern: The O-line
Over the last four games, the Texans have allowed a pressure rate of 40.7 percent, which ranks 22nd in the league during that span. But they’ve found success despite that, rattling off seven straight wins heading into a big game this weekend.
Up next: at Chargers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
8. Texans (No. 8; 10-5): They’re good enough to sleepwalk to a win. (It helps that they were playing the Raiders.)
Average Ranking: 8.89 (Last Week: 7.67)
Even though I’m annoyed literally anytime the Texans fall in the rankings, I feel like their drip downwards was justified this week. That Raiders win felt a lot more like a Texans game from September than it did December, echoing all of those ugly drives Stroud & Co. had against the Rams, Buccaneers, and Jaguars in week 3. A win like that isn’t going to inspire any confidence as the greater Houston area gets geared up for the playoffs, especially when we might have a wildcard preview coming up as the Texans travel to L.A. to face the Chargers this Saturday. It would make for an ugly holiday weekend if the Texans get humbled by the same team they beat in the wildcard round exactly one year ago, so the entire team (especially the offense) will need to step their game up in a hurry to avoid losing all the momentum that has got them this far.
What do you think, though? Was this Raiders game just another bump in the road of an otherwise fantastic season, or was this close-win a harbinger for worse things to come? Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
Go Texans!!!
