1. Houston Texans
Week 4 ranking: 1st
The Texans are once again the top dogs in the AFC South power rankings despite losing to the Panthers, 16-10. It was a strange game for a normally high-powered Houston offense that ultimately looked to be dominated by Carolina’s defense.
Houston mustered up just 264 yards of total offense, and quarterback Deshaun Watson’s legs were responsible for the only touchdown of the afternoon. An old problem also reared its ugly head once again, as the Texans’ O-line surrendered six sacks to the Panthers defense.
Protection issues continue to be a concern in Houston, and it’s hard to imagine Watson staying healthy for an entire 16-game slate with how things are going right now; although it must be said that some of those sacks were on Watson because he sometimes holds on to the ball for far too long.
Week 5 presents somewhat of a reprieve for the Texans signal-caller, though. The Falcons’ defense just got picked apart by the Titans in Week 4, and their pass-rush garnered zero sacks against a struggling Titans offensive line. This is a prime bounce-back spot for Watson and Co.