Where Do Houston Texans Land in Latest NFL Power Rankings?

The Houston Texans continue to climb the NFL's pecking order after this week's win in Arizona.

The Houston Texans are fresh off a narrow win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and while rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud did not have his best game, his team continues to pile up wins in recent weeks.

How has this affected the Texans' standing in the NFL power rankings? Sports Illustrated released its updated list on Tuesday, and Houston comes in at No. 12 out of the 32 NFL teams. You can find the full list here, and you can read an excerpt from the Texans' analysis below.

"C.J. Stroud said after beating the Cardinals this week that there was “no shame in my game” and compared himself to Steph Curry shooting through a bad night. While Stroud can do no wrong at the moment, I do think we’d consider the fourth quarter picks differently had they led to a loss."

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Stroud threw three interceptions on Sunday, more than doubling his total in passing turnovers this season, but he did enough to lead his team to a win (helped by some clutch defense). The quarterback may not have had his best game of the season, but he continues to make headlines in what has been a superb rookie campaign thus far, thrusting himself into the rookie of the year conversation.

So far in 2023, Stroud has put up nearly 3,000 passing yards alongside 17 touchdowns and five interceptions.

DeMeco Ryans: Texans 'Found a Way to Win' vs. Cardinals Despite Miscues

What is promising for the Texans is that their defense shouldered the load to win Sunday's game. To this point, Stroud has been asked to put up dominating performances to help lead his team to wins, but in this inevitable game where he took a step back, his defense rose to the occasion.

Can the Texans win their fourth straight game this week? They have a stiffer test coming to town in Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on CBS.