Texans Land in Middle of the Pack in Latest NFL Power Rankings

The Houston Texans are in the middle of the league in the latest installment of NFL power rankings.

The Houston Texans are dealing with a plethora of key injuries late in the NFL season, but they came away with a 19-16 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. 

The Texans are currently without star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, but as they pursue a playoff spot in the AFC, they enter the latest NFL power rankings at No. 15 on the list out of 32 teams. Sports Illustrated released its updated list of the rankings on Tuesday, and you can find an excerpt from the piece below.

To beat a Titans team that knocked off the Dolphins the week prior with Case Keenum at quarterback is no small feat, but it shows the strength in this Texans build. While some teams are scanning the Indian Premier League for elite bowlers capable of throwing touchdown passes, the Texans had Keenum as the second/third-string quarterback, just hanging tight.

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

According to reports on Monday night, Stroud, who suffered a concussion in Week 14 against the New York Jets, has yet to clear concussion protocol, so time will tell if Keenum will be called upon again in the contests ahead. 

He did have a solid game in Nashville, however, throwing for 229 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the overtime win.

Where Do Houston Texans Land in AFC Playoff Picture Following Win vs. Titans?

Houston will need to stockpile as many wins as possible down the stretch of the regular season if it hopes to reach the playoffs. In the current AFC playoff picture, the Texans come in at No. 8 on the list, one spot shy of making the field if the season ended today.

The Texans return to action at home on Sunday when they play host to the Cleveland Browns. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on CBS.