1. Houston Texans
Week 3 ranking: No. 1
The Texans sit atop both the standings and the AFC South power rankings after their Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Things weren’t looking great for Houston after facing a 17-7 first half deficit going into the final two quarters, but Deshaun Watson once again put the team on his back and helped the Texans leave LA with a win.
In a game where his rushing attack was non-existent, Watson threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns, with his most impressive play coming on a fourth quarter 53-yard strike to Jordan Adkins that saw Watson escape pressure to find his wide open man.
Despite their issues upfront, the Texans held a talented Chargers pass-rush to just two sacks and allowed Watson, who is the best quarterback in the division by a mile, to go to work. If Houston can keep up this level of play on the offensive line, it’s going to be extremely tough to beat this team.
The Texans will host the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, and the Panthers will once again be without Cam Newton. Granted, Kyle Allen did play well in relief, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to outplay Watson enough to get his team another win.