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The Texans got only a moderate bump in most power rankings after an uncomfortably close win against the lowly Tennessee Titans last Sunday. Brock Osweiler started out hot before freezing up for the final three quarters of the game, and things might have gone the other way were it not for a herculean effort from Will Fuller. This team needs a "get right" game in a bad way, but unfortunately their next opponent just might be the best team in the entire NFL.
Houston has a monumental test this week against the Vikings. If they can come out of Minneapolis with a victory (and that’s a big "if"), we might finally be able to figure out how good this team is. If they falter again and get blown out by another elite team, well…it could be a long season.
Fingers crossed, ladies and gentlemen.
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Website
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Rank
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Last Week
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Comments
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| SB Nation |
14
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18
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N/A
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| ESPN |
13
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16
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The Texans are 3-1, but do they feel like a team with a winning record thus far? They are one of two teams with a winning record and a negative point differential of minus-4 this season.
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| NFL.com |
12
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13
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Not a huge jump up from last week's rankings, due to the J.J. Watt injury. On to brighter news: Will Fuller might make catching the football an adventure, but he sure is making a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. While Ezekiel Elliott and Carson Wentz present the strongest competition early, you don't see either of them housing punt returns. That's not a dimension they offer. The Texans sorely needed Fuller's clutch, 67-yard sprint to paydirt. Sprint to paydirt. When's the last time you heard that phrase? I'm bringing it back. #gridiron
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| Bleacher Report |
10
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11
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People always ask me why I'm so down on Brock Osweiler. I'll kindly point them to his final three quarters of football Sunday afternoon. The Texans quarterback couldn't maintain a hot start (13-of-14) and threw three passes that made me pull my hair out. Two of them were picked; a third should've been. The good news? Even when Brock is off, he has the supporting cast to bail him out. Houston's defense had its bad moments but manned up in its first outing without J.J. Watt. Rookie Will Fuller had DeAndre Hopkins-level production when Hopkins stalled himself. I like this team. But I'll like it a lot better after seeing a full four quarters out of Osweiler.
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| Fox Sports |
12
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16
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The Texans bounced back after a blowout loss to Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots by topping the Titans 27-20 at home. The offense still isn’t as explosive as it should be, but it was infinitely better than in their Week 3 loss in Foxborough. The loss of J.J. Watt hurts, but they have the talent to overcome it. |
| USA Today |
12
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10
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They're currently featuring league's most effective pass defense. But how long can that last without J.J. Watt rushing enemy passers?
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| Yahoo Sports |
13
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13
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Brock Osweiler gets all the critical attention, but Lamar Miller isn’t exactly lighting it up. He has 351 rushing yards for a 3.8-yard average, with no runs longer than 15 yards and no scores. And he has 78 receiving yards with a long gain of 11. Maybe the quarterback would play better if the running game was doing more.
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| CBS Sports (Prisco) |
9
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11
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They have a two-game lead in the division after a month, which makes them the team to beat. But not having J.J. Watt will hurt.
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AVERAGE
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11.9
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13.6
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N/A
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Texans vs Vikings coverage