The Houston Texans had a convincing win over the New England Patriots 28-22 on Sunday Night Football. The whole nation got to see the best of the AFC South dominate the cream of the conference with quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing three touchdowns and catching another.
According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, the Texans’ victory was good enough to land them at No. 6 in the latest NFL power rankings.
Yes, Houston’s offense was humming against the Patriots’ generally outstanding pass defense, but what makes the Texans an interesting playoff contender is a defense that is trending upward, especially a secondary that is finding success with first-round castoffs from other teams, such as Bradley Roby and Vernon Hargreaves. Add the possibility that J.J. Watt could return from a torn pectoral muscle in time for the postseason, and Bill O’Brien’s squad is in a pretty good place.
The Texans will take on the Denver Broncos Week 14 at NRG Stadium in their penultimate home game. A win would deliver Houston their eighth winning season in franchise history along with their fifth in the O’Brien era.