Week 11 NFL Power Rankings: Giants get hot, Cardinals thrill
By Will Lomas
26. Houston Texans (-3)
The Texans allowed two 100+ yard rushers from the Browns and only scored 7 points themselves, and while I don’t think the Texans have quit…it is almost worse if that is true because that would mean that this is their best effort.
This season has really been “let Watson run around and hopefully make a play” on offense and then on defense it has been “Uh…J.J. will get them…right?” and so far they are getting exactly what you would expect from that formula.
The weather was bad and I didn’t think that the Browns played particularly well, but it still shocks me that the Texans only lost this game by 3 points. I know that they are focused on the future, but with no one standing out other than Watson and no high draft picks…I don’t know how interesting they will be for the coaching cream of the crop.
25. Carolina Panthers (+2)
Why do I keep moving the Panthers up in these power rankings? They have lost the last five games in a row, surely it is time to ignore them.
But…man they look good at times. Not good like the Chiefs, Bucs, or Saints…no wait a second, that is exactly what they look like because those are the teams they are running stride for stride with week in and week out before running out of horses.
For a team with a new quarterback, a rebuilding OL, no CMC, and basically an entirely new defense, it is hard not to count the moral victories week in and week out. Maybe the Panthers aren’t great, but you don’t want to be the team that they get hot against because once this team has more confidence they are going to be a problem.