The Houston Texans earned a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. The 27-25 victory improved their record to 2-6 on the season and also gave them a bump in the power rankings.
According to Mark Schofield of the Touchdown Wire, the Texans crept from No. 27 in the power rankings up to No. 25. Schofield was especially impressed with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who once again played fabulously as he is playing his best football in what could be a lost season.
Unfortunately, it comes for a team that is struggling, particularly on the defensive side of the football. That was the case against Sunday in Houston’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sure, it was just a two-point win, but look at what Watson did. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns — without an interception — and was also Houston’s leading rusher, carrying the ball ten times for 50 yards. He truly did it with his legs: And his arm: That touchdown pass covered 77 yards and on the other end was Will Fuller, a wide receiver many thought would be on the move last week before the trade deadline.
The Jaguars did not change, staying at No. 30. The Tennessee Titans moved up from No. 7 to No. 6 in the power rankings. The Indianapolis Colts dropped from No. 9 to No. 10.
Houston’s next matchup is against the 5-3 Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns will be coming off a bye, and will be well rested. If the Texans can come up with a win against a team with a winning record on the road, and not just the Jaguars, it should give them a considerable boost in the power rankings and also confidence they can turn around their 2-6 record.
“We play Cleveland next week, so it’s going to be opportunity for us to improve that and try to put games away,” Watson said.