Labor Day weekend has came and went, and as the September breeze sweeps through the air, the tidings of a new football season come near. Welcome to a new season of the NFL Power Rankings, where the stakes cannot go any higher.
Last year, the theme of the entire Houston Texans season was “expectations.” Virtually every person in the state of Texas had high expectations for the Houston Texans following their blowout 2023 season, highlighted by quarterback CJ Stroud. Getting to the divisional round before
anyone had time to properly familiarize themselves with the new guard of Texans players sent expectations to the stratosphere in 2024. Although, even after the 2023 season and Nick Caserio’s offseason moves that brought in Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and Danielle Hunter, some were still a bit bearish on the Texans hype train. Take NFL.com writer Eric Edholm’s initial ranking of the Houston Texans in 2024:
7. Houston Texans (Last Week: 6)
I’ve been gently warning people that Houston might not quite be ready for prime time, even if it’s hard not to love the direction of the franchise, resetting in such a quick fashion. The 2023 season was an unquestioned success, ushering in the C.J. Stroud/DeMeco Ryans era in exceptional fashion and setting this team up for success. But I’ve also argued that we sort of graduated the Jaguars (whom I ranked No. 9 last preseason) to a similar level last offseason, and since their fall from an 8-3 perch last season, they’ve sort of been relegated to middling status. The same could happen with the Texans, who faced one of the league’s easier schedules (which included some bad losses, let’s be fair) a year ago and who now have one of the tougher slates in 2024. I’m not saying Houston is suddenly a bad team. But I am saying that going 9-8 and missing the playoffs isn’t out of the picture.
I was a bit sour on the pundits still not sold on the Texans at that moment in time, convinced that the team had nothing left to prove to be considered a truly elite team. Eric Edholm turned out to be right for exercising reticence with the Texans hype train, and was only one game off his predicted 2024 regular season record of 9-8.
While the Texans still had a very successful 2024 season by most standards, they ultimately still did not break through the glass ceiling of the divisional round, where every Texans team of the past has met their high watermark. Now, with the element of the surprise in the rearview mirror, the Texans need to prove that they have learned from last year’s faults. They have to prove it to the fans and critics alike that they truly have Super Bowl talent. They have to prove to everyone that, finally, this year will be different.
With that being said, this is where the Houston Texans are ranked entering the 2025 NFL Season:
NFL.COM:
14. Houston Texans
In some respects, Houston flatlined last season, going from the darling team everyone loved to just another also-ran contender in the loaded AFC. What will it take to break out in 2025? Doing so likely will mean the offensive line has improved, the receivers are more reliable/explosive and the defense has taken another step toward being one of the best units in the NFL. That’s not to say C.J. Stroud doesn’t have room for improvement, too; he seemed to plateau in 2024, as well. Having a better surrounding cast should help, and Stroud’s strong showing in the two playoff games made me feel better about his progression. I’m a tad leery of the Texans’ ceiling, but I do think they have a chance to move up this list.
ESPN:
12. Houston Texans
Postdraft ranking: 13
Who’s under the most pressure: Linebacker Christian Harris
He is going into the final year of his rookie contract and flashes good potential — he showcased that when he caught a pick-six in the 2023 wild-card win over the Browns. But Harris hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and he also hasn’t practiced in training camp. If that continues, he might be on the outside when 2026 comes around.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
16. Houston Texans
My excitement level at being absolutely proved wrong and humiliated by C.J. Stroud is high. Very high. For the better part of six months, I have been downplaying the Texans as much as one can without supplanting the team in my predictions with the Colts. Nothing in GM Nick Caserio’s recent past has suggested poor drafting ability. Yet, here I am wondering if a new offense run by the great Nick Caley and two receivers taken in the first three rounds of the draft won’t be impactful? Clown stuff, bro.
BLEACHER REPORT:
12. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are back-to-back AFC South champions, but two different sides of the scale exist within that short time period.In 2023, the Texans were flying high under the direction of new head coach Demeco Ryans and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. They exceeded all expectations and placed themselves among the conference’s best.
One season later, expectations were much higher and they didn’t play quite as well.
This year’s squad is fascinating based on its offensive makeup. Stroud is still in the place, but the offensive line has been revamped.
Running back Joe Mixon is currently on the reserve/non-football injury list with no timetable for a return. Finally, wide receiver Stefon Diggs is gone, while Tank Dell continues to recover from last year’s devastating knee injury.
The Texans still have enough talent on the roster to three-peat in the AFC South. However, their ability to do so is more of an indictment of the other teams in the division.
CBS SPORTS:
15. Houston Texans
The entire season might hinge on the offensive line. That unit was bad last year, but changes were made. The question is this: Is the unity any better?
YAHOO! SPORTS:
17. Houston Texans
The Joe Mixon absence, which will be for at least four games and maybe longer, isn’t ideal. Either Nick Chubb has one more productive season left or the Texans’ running game might be in trouble.
THE ATHLETIC:
8. Houston Texans
Last ranking: 8
It looked briefly like high-profile free-agent safety addition C.J. Gardner-Johnson had suffered a season-ending knee injury. Instead, Gardner-Johnson is on the initial 53-man roster and could be available in Week 1. The news is not as good for Joe Mixon, who was placed on the reserve/NFI list to start the season. At the moment, no one seems willing to say if he’ll be back this year or not.
Up next: at Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
10. Texans (0-0): Not having Joe Mixon will hurt — unless Nick Chubb can rewind the clock to pre-2023.
Average Ranking: 13
As you can see, the vast majority of pundits are cautiously neutral on anything Houston Texans related. When running back Joe Mixon’s move to IR is paired with the reality that none of us really know how well Houston’s offensive line will play this year, many NFL analysts will go running to the middle of the list to reflect this uncertainty. I would be inclined to agree with them…if it weren’t for the defense Houston has loaded up. Even in the dregs of the 2024 regular season, the Texans’ swarming defense kept the team in playoff contention, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll regress this year. Defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter will have their pass rush boosted by free agent signee Sheldon Rankings returning to Houston after a year sabbatical in Cincinnati. The linebacking room and defensive backfield returns their starters and is improved by newcomers E.J. Speed, Jaylin Smith, and most notably, CJ Gardner-Johnson. The offense may be in a state of flux, but the defense gives me reason to believe the Houston Texans are a top ten team at the very least.
What do you think, though? Are the Houston Texans still a top-of-the-line AFC team that the pundits can’t see, or are these new additions the the offense just icing on a half-baked cake? This weekend, the Texans’ 2025 NFL regular season begins with a trip to SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Rams, so we’ll get to see how potent this offense really is right away. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
GO TEXANS!!!
