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The Texans are one of only twelve teams remaining in the hunt for a Super Bowl championship, but don’t tell that to most of the national media this week. As of right now, Houston sits outside of the top twelve in all but two major power rankings (one of which is Bleacher Report, shockingly enough). I am personally fine with all of that, however, because (content removed).
Oh…uh…excuse me. I got a little carried away there. Here is what the media had to say about where the Texans stand relative to the rest of the league as we conclude the regular season:
| Website
| Rank
| Last Week
| Comments
|
| SB Nation | 15
| 14 | N/A. |
| ESPN | 16
| 15
| Either Brock Osweiler or Tom Savage will join an illustrious list of Texans quarterbacks to start a playoff game, a list currently populated by Matt Schaub, T.J. Yates and Brian Hoyer. The Texans have used eight starting quarterbacks under coach Bill O'Brien, most in the NFL.
|
| NFL.com | 14
| 14
| The fact that Bill O'Brien has manufactured multiple quarterback controversies with a gaggle of mediocre quarterbacks is mind-boggling. At this point, O'Brien is just a can short of a sixpack: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage have all "won" the job at one point or another. And we're not even counting T.J. Yates, who might be the O'Doul's in this scenario.
To handle a complaint before we get it: Yes, Houston is in the postseason and not listed in the top 12. That's because there are non-playoff teams that are better than the Texans all-around (... and especially/i> at quarterback).
|
| Bleacher Report | 8
| 9
| Brock Osweiler was given the solar eclipse of an NFL contract—rare, attention-grabbing and a little shadowy. Only Bill O'Brien refused to look at it. And in doing so, he avoided the kind of damage only eclipses (or $72 million quarterbacks) can dole out to the eyes.
That's not to say Houston is the picture of offensive health. Replacement Tom Savage has the tools, but he'll make his third career start in an anything-goes Wild Card Game. His targets, like DeAndre Hopkins and C.J. Fiedorowicz, are too drop-prone. The offensive line will give up some sacks and pressures too.
Anything above Osweiler-level production is a treat for the defense, though. Without J.J. Watt for the better part of the season, Jadeveon Clowney (six sacks) is the obvious headliner. That's fine by Whitney Mercilus, a sackmaster who gets to quarterbacks just as often as Houston's big-name guys do. Behind those two and a four-deep secondary, Houston's defense was a force again in 2016.
Now those guys are getting time to take a breather and diagnose plays. It's amazing what one obvious quarterback switch can do to jump-start a team.
|
| Fox Sports | 12
| 11
| Of all the postseason teams, the Texans are the worst. There were at least five teams more worthy of a playoff berth than Houston, but the weak AFC South allowed them to sneak in. The defense is good but Tom Savage and Brock Osweiler, whomever starts, will hold this team back. |
| USA Today | 17
| 15
| Nothing is certain except death and taxes ... and Bill O'Brien going 9-7. Latter could change with return of J.J. Watt and a QB breakthrough.
|
| Yahoo Sports | 15
| 15
| If Brock Osweiler starts a playoff game and struggles in a loss, he’s going to have a hellish offseason. Albert Haynesworth will forever be replaced as the poster child for free-agent busts.
|
| CBS Sports (Prisco) | 15
| 15
| They are the division champs, but they aren't very good. Their offense is awful.
|
| AVERAGE
| 14.0
| 13.5
| N/A. |