Texans start Week 16 No. 8 in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans are No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings for Week 16.

The Houston Texans are back to their winning ways and got a big victory over the Tennessee Titans 24-21 Sunday at Nissan Stadium that offered them first place in the AFC South with two games to go.

Now, the division is the Texans’ to win. A victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday will give Houston their sixth division title, the second-most in AFC South history behind the Indianapolis Colts’ seven.

Where does that put the Texans in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings? Try No. 8. In terms of AFC teams, only the Baltimore Ravens (No. 1) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 5) rank higher than the Texans.

Carlos Hyde has been one of the more underappreciated stories of the year, going from afterthought to his first 1,000-yard rushing effort.

The Titans are No. 11 while the Indianapolis Colts, who took a 34-7 beating from the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees on Monday night, are No. 21. The Jacksonville Jaguars with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew are No. 24.