Where's Houston Texans Rank Among NFL's Contending Teams?

The Houston Texans could be primed for a second leap as a franchise.

Jan 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans before a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Texans are primed for a leap, but where will that lead them when the regular season ends?

At this point, the Texans feel like a sure playoff team. DeMeco Ryans proved himself as a head coach in his first season leading charge. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud emerged as a star during his rookie campaign, throwing for 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Equipped with wide receivers like Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell—all of whom would be WR1 if they were on different rosters—Stroud is primed for a better season. The defense was stout last year and should continue to improve heading into next season.

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The Athletic recently released their contender ranking tiers, diving the NFL teams into which tier they are as a contender. The first team -- a.k.a. "the favorites" to win the Super Bowl -- excluded the Texans as they built a win-now team.

Instead, the Texans were ranked No. 6, which slid them into the second tier, meaning it's determined by whether or not they can put it together.

"The Texans went from 3-13-1 to winning 10 regular season games, their division and a playoff game in year one with DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud. After a productive free agency and nine draft picks, Houston should be even better in 2024," The Athletic wrote.

As mentioned, the Texans are primed for another leap, but it's up to them to determine what that looks like. Do they improve by a couple of wins, maybe win two playoff games and call it a success? Or do they dominate and prove to be true contenders by the season's end?

It's truthfully up to Houston to determine their status as contenders and whether or not they're suited to play in the Super Bowl, and it'll be fun to watch.

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