With great drama, suspense, and even terror, the Houston Texans surmounted the surmountable Tennessee Titans, swept them off their porch with a 35-yard kick, and grasped their fifth win the 2025 season. After much deliberation was spent after starting 0-3, the Houston Texans scratched and clawed their way back into playoff contention with seven weeks left in the NFL season.
This mid-season comeback has definitely caught the eyes of some power rankers
out there, but this ugly, exhausting, 16-13 hiccup of a victory will quickly challenge their opinions on the Texans as a whole. Houston was one big mistake away from losing to the hapless Tennessee Titans…but, they didn’t! At the end of the day, wins are the only thing that matters in this league, regardless if they’re pretty or not. And this is what I keep telling myself as I prepare for the great neck of Davis Mills to make its third appearance of the season, fingers crossed that he will not regurgitate another opening drive interception.
These are the visuals that the journalists responsible for the power rankings will have to contend with when they consider the Houston Texans: Spicy defense, long necks, and short kicks. Will that be enough to give the team a boost up? Well, here’s where the Houston Texans are ranked entering week 12 of NFL regular season:
NFL.COM:
18. Houston Texans (5-5)
Houston’s defense kept things under control while Davis Mills and the offense bogged down. The Texans drove inside Tennessee territory six times but came away with only 16 points and will be glad to get C.J. Stroud back soon (hopefully), even with Mills delivering two straight nail-biter wins in the final minutes. The Texans have the NFL’s stingiest defense, allowing just 16.3 points per game, but the offense now must ante up down the stretch if they want to make the playoffs. Next Gen Stats only gives Houston a 29% chanceto make it now, even as the team currently sits one spot outside the postseason field. However, that stands to change dramatically over the next three games, with the Texans welcoming the Bills to town before going on the road to face Indianapolis and Kansas City. If they can win at least two of those games, the Texans will be over .500 and in far better shape to make the dance.
ESPN:
19. Houston Texans (5-5)
Week 11 result: Beat the Titans 16-13
Week 11 ranking: 18
Who’s under the most pressure: Offensive coordinator Nick Caley
Houston’s defense lowers the number of points needed to get a comfortable win. This season, the Texans have allowed more than 20 points only twice and given up the fewest points per game (16.3). So, the pressure falls squarely on Caley to get a complementary offense better than the one they currently have. The Texans offense is averaging 22.0 points, which ranks 21st. If the offense doesn’t show improvement over the rest of the season, the Texans could be looking for their third offensive coordinator in three years.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
21. Houston Texans (5–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Last week’s result: beat Titans, 16–13
This week: vs. Bills
I admittedly have no idea where to put the Texans, who, yes, have won two straight games but have a horror-show schedule over the next three weeks (where the surging Cowboys and Dolphins do not). I think part of Power Rankings are a snapshot of the now, but part of it is a near-future hedge on where you think this stock is trending.
BLEACHER REPORT:
19. Houston Texans (5-5)
Last Week: 19
Week 11 Result: Won at Tennessee 16-13
The good news for the Houston Texans is that after a last-second-win over the Titans that included a second-straight gutsy performance from backup quarterback Davis Mills, they have won three of four and five of seven and are a .500 team for the first team this season.
The Houston defense is among the best in the NFL, allowing just 258.1 yards and 16.8 points per contest.
The bad news is the Texans are going to need that defense over a brutal three-week stretch (Buffalo at home followed by trips to Indianapolis and Kansas City) that starts in Week 12, especially given the inconsistency the offense showed even before C.J. Stroud went down.
Houston isn’t going to catch Indy in the AFC South, but the next few weeks could well determine whether the Texans make the playoffs at all.
CBS SPORTS:
18. Texans (5-5)
They’ve won two straight without C.J. Stroud, which keeps them alive in the playoff chase. The defense is special.
USA TODAY:
13. Houston Texans (13):
How good is this defense? It’s allowed more than 200 passing yards twice this season. It’s allowed more than 100 rushing yards twice this season. Allen will test it Thursday night, but whew.
YAHOO! SPORTS:
18 (16): Houston Texans (5-5)
Barely beating the Titans is not a good look, but a win is a win. Especially with C.J. Stroud out. And the Texans might have to play again without Stroud this week. They play the Bills on Thursday night and as of Monday, Stroud hadn’t been cleared from concussion protocol.
THE ATHLETIC:
19. Houston Texans (5-5)
Last week: 18
Sunday: Beat Titans 16-13
A suggestion: Call Davis Mills’ agent
The Texans’ backup quarterback is on a one-year deal right now, and he’s proven his worth by winning the last two weeks while C.J. Stroud is out due to a concussion. Nico Collins has 16 catches for 228 yards in those games, so he’d be all for more Mills in his life, and Houston has won three of its last four to get back to .500 after starting 0-3.
Up next: vs. Bills, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
17. Texans (No. 16; 5-5): Do they belong? Beat the Bills, and the answer is yes.
Average Ranking: 18.00 (Last Week: 16.89)
Yeah, people still aren’t buying in on the Texans. Nate Davis of USA Today is still all-in on this defense, though! Besides him, this win didn’t spurn much positive movement at all for the team, but that isn’t much of a surprise given the circumstances. Davis Mills and the offensive line regressed against a worse opponent, and will now have their .500 record immediately challenged by possibly the most challenging three-game stretch in the NFL: vs. Buffalo Bills, @ Indianapolis Colts, @ Kansas City Chiefs. What makes it worse was yesterday’s announcement that both CJ Stroud and Jalen Pitre will miss Thursday’s game due to concussions:
So, once again, it will be Davis Mills and Myles Bryant/Jalen Mills filling in for the injured stars. It’s worked out so far…but, my confidence in Houston’s ability to keep pace with better AFC teams was seriously challenged last Sunday. In order to have a chance of making the playoffs, Houston will probably have to win one or two of these upcoming games, so Mills’ job still isn’t over. If that offensive line can get back on track (a more likely possibility now that Ed Ingram has returned to practice), the Texans will have a chance to rely on Woody Marks grinding out chunk yardage against a bad Bills run defense, complemented by the reliable Mills-to-Collins or Mills-to-Schultz connection. Although, if the offensive line continues to give up pressures, the offense is going to be stuck in mud and reliant on their defense getting turnovers yet again.
What do you think, though? Will the Texans be able to find enough yards on the ground and from Collins/Schultz to give Buffalo fits? Will Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson be able to shut down Josh Allen? Let us know in the comments below!
Go Texans! Beat the Bills!
