Right now, the focus for the Houston Texans should only be on Week 10's road trip against the Cleveland Browns.
With a loss on Sunday against a now-struggling Browns teams, it feels as if the writing will be on the wall for the Texans' chance to make a run back into the AFC playoff conversation, at least barring a miraculous turnaround against much more stable teams.
But following a 44-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, where would the Texans rank today among those "in the hunt" for a playoff berth ahead of Sunday's matchup against Deshaun Watson and a still competitive Browns roster?
The version of Houston's offense that took over in the second quarter against Los Angeles needs to be a common theme entering the second half of the regular
season. C.J. Stroud, a native of Los Angeles, had a homecoming to remember, throwing for a season-high 384 yards and tying his career high in touchdown passes with five, including two to Kayshon Boutte.
For as good as Stroud was, the Texans' defense delivered a much-needed, jolt-worthy performance while attacking Justin Herbert. The Chargers' quarterback, who entered Sunday as the second-most-hit passer through eight weeks, took over at No. 1 as Houston's defense recorded a season-high eight sacks, including two each by Sheldon Rankins and Jadeveon Clowney.
What do the experts think of Houston's chance of making a run to the postseason and where the AFC South's most disappointing team sits entering Week 10? Here's the latest power rankings from the top publications.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 22 (Last Week 26)
From Davis: "Their 3-5 start has been anything but pretty. But the upcoming schedule very much suggests the Texans could be above .500 by the time December arrives"
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:19 (Last Week 23)
From Prisco: "With a soft schedule over the next few weeks, they can get back into playoff contention. They aren't dead yet. C.J. Stroud is playing great football."
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 15 (Last Week 19)
From Schwab:"C.J. Stroud had five touchdowns Sunday, and even if that came against the Chargers, he has mostly had a good season. He's up to 10th among quarterbacks in adjusted EPA per play. The next three QBs on the list are Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford."
Nick Shook, NFL.com: 16 (Last Week 19)
From Shook:"A 44-point outburst and dominant win over the lowly Chargers had to be as cathartic as it was enjoyable for these Texans -- especially for Tank Dell, who scored his first touchdown since returning from a lengthy injury absence. It should also remind us that, while 3-5, Houston's not out of the running for the playoffs yet and might only be just getting started."
The Score:18 (Last Week 22)
From The Score:"C.J. Stroud is coming off a five-touchdown performance (although recording five TDs against the Chargers doesn't mean what it used to). Stroud's quietly put together a strong season while Houston's running game and defense have been slacking. Winners of three of four, the Texans have a juicy opportunity to continue climbing the standings with the Browns and Colts coming up over the next two weeks."
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 19 (Last Week 24)
From Kendall:"It’s frustrating, honestly. Houston started 0-4, showed a spark of life, but then disappointed in a 27-21 loss to the Giants in Week 7. The Athletic’s most recent playoff projections have the Texans with just a 19 percent chance to make the playoffs. But here’s the problem: Houston has the second-easiest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon."
Maurice Moton, Bleacher Report: 19 (Last Week 29)
From Moton: "The Houston Texans looked like world-beaters against the winless Los Angeles Chargers, and they showed flashes of that dominance in a 26-3 blowout victory over the then-winless Tennessee Titans in Week 5. They followed that outing with a quality win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, but then took a step back in an overtime loss to the New York Giants before their bye week. The Texans need to string together more quality performances before this panel begins to believe in them again. They could pull it off against the slumping Cleveland Browns, the two-win Indianapolis Colts, and the Baltimore Ravens, who are down to their third-string quarterback, likely Jacoby Brissett, next on the schedule."
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports: 16 (Last Week 21)
Super Bowl odds: +4500
From Vacchiano: "If the Texans hadn’t stumbled in overtime against the Giants before their bye, they’d be riding a four-game winning streak, sitting at .500, and the entire NFL would be talking about how dangerous they are. Truthfully, though, even at 3-5, they’re dangerous and a playoff berth isn’t far out of reach. What makes this run weird, though, is that they’re doing it with their revived offense and on the shoulders of QB C.J. Stroud, who is making a hell of a contract push. If their defense was even close to what it was the last few seasons, we might be talking about the Texans as a Super Bowl-bound team."
Conor Orr,Sports Illustrated:16 (Last Week 24)
From Orr:"Yes, it’s the Chargers. But L.A.’s defense isn’t the problem (and is actually pretty good). So you can take that C.J. Stroud top-10 talk very seriously. Five touchdowns. Three hundred eighty-four yards. Mercy."
D.J. Bien-Aime, ESPN: 17 (Last Week 22)
From Bien-Aime: "The Texans are trying to finish the 2026 season like how they ended 2025, when they started slow and still got into the playoffs. A loss to the Browns could mean their season is unofficially done, as they're currently 3-4 against AFC opponents. Making the postseason would become difficult due to tiebreakers, and losing head-to-head to a team in the wild-card hunt also wouldn't be ideal. With the Jaguars at 6-2, there's almost no way for the Texans to reach the playoffs by winning the AFC South."
Cole Thompson, Texans Wire: 17 (Last Week 20)
From Thompson: "Not dead yet. It's time to talk about C.J. Stroud as a top-10 passer once more following his five-touchdown day against the Bolts' secondary. Houston's defense allowed two late scores, but it also recorded eight sacks and two turnovers. This is the version of the Texans that must appear from here on out if a playoff run is expected to be in the works. No, Houston's not back yet, but it's also far from dead."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL power rankings round-up 2026: How do Texans fare entering Week 10?
