This week, the Houston Texans, YOUR Houston Texans, once again took on the always fierce, always mighty bye week in week 15 of the NFL regular season. How the bye week is won and lost is entirely within the eyes of the beholder, and in the eyes of this beholder, it was won with encouraging news about Christian Harris. After injuring his calf and being placed on IR during training camp, information related to Christian Harris and his injury became incredibly scant. Considering the years that Henry To’oTo’o and Azeez Al-Shaair have had, you couldn’t be blamed for forgetting about Harris. But with Al-Shaair now suspended until week 18, the return of Harris comes at a crucial time.
Starting guard Kenyon Green has returned to practice, too! Now, his impact on the offense is highly controversial, but another warm body for the much maligned offensive line is a step in the right direction. That position group in particular will be under a microscope after this bye week, for their missteps have driven much ire from Texans fans this season. Of course this ignores the elephant in the room that is quarterback C.J. Stroud’s decline in excellent quarterbacking, but…I’d honestly rather continue to ignore that elephant in the room. If I pretend it’s not happening, it’s not real, right?
Here’s where the Houston Texans are ranked entering Week 15 of the 2024 NFL Season:
NFL.COM:
12. Houston Texans (8-5) (Last Week: 12)
The Texans might have crawled into the bye week with a narrow win over the Jaguars, following a spell in which Houston won just twice in six games. However, the Texans have emerged from their week of rest in outstanding shape to not only make the postseason but also win the AFC South, earning a home playoff game as a result. So why does it feel so edgy with this team? The close wins and losses against subpar foes haven’t helped. The win over the Bills feels like ancient history now. Thankfully, the Texans have some good measuring-stick games down the stretch, starting with Miami this week, with tilts against the Chiefsand Ravens to follow. Amazingly, they can lose all three of those and still make the tournament, but that’s a path no Texan wants to take. If Houston can take down either Kansas City or Baltimore — or both — it might give these Texans some real confidence they can thrive in the playoffs. This hasn’t been the big-step-forward season many predicted, but it’s not too late to change that.
- Eric Edholm
ESPN:
11.Houston Texans (8-5)
Week 14 result: Bye
Week 14 ranking: 11
Most shocking ranking: Quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the league in dropbacks under pressure
Stroud has been pressured on 39% of his dropbacks (199), the third most in the NFL, and he has the most passing yards under pressure (1,053). That starts with the offensive line. It would make more sense if the Texans hadn’t heavily invested in their line, but it’s made up of high draft picks and expensive contracts. Their O-linemen have a combined cap hit of roughly $51 million this season, per Roster Management System, which is fifth highest in the NFL. In 2023, Stroud was pressured on only 35% of his dropbacks (16th).
- DJ Bien-Aime
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
15. Houston Texans (8–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 15
Last week’s result: bye
This week: vs. Miami
The Texans aren’t exactly a team on the skids—the team did survive against Jacksonville the week before the bye—but I have a hard time penciling in a win against Miami at home. This Miami Dolphins team is remade and Houston has posted a net positive EPA for the offense as a unit just twice since Oct. 20. Since Week 8, the Texans are 24th in offensive EPA, 24th in dropback EPA and 27th in dropback success rate.
- Conor Orr
THE ATHLETIC:
13.Houston Texans (8-5)
Last week: 13
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Cornerback Kamari Lassiter
The second-round pick doesn’t get as much attention as some of this year’s other rookie cornerbacks, but he’s looking like a player who is on his way to locking up pass catchers opposite Derek Stingley Jr. for a long time. Lassiter and Stingley are tied for second on the team with three interceptions and tied for sixth on the team with 41 tackles each.
Up next: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Josh Kendall
BLEACHER REPORT:
9. Houston Texans (8-5)
Last Week: 10
Week 14 Result: Bye Week
The good news for the Houston Texans is that at 8-5, barring a catastrophic collapse the team will be champions of the AFC South.
The bad news is that may not matter much. Houston is 2-3 over their last five games and barely squeaked by the lowly Jaguars last time out.
As Bucky Brooks wrote for NFL.com, second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud has played his part in Houston’s struggles. But Stroud’s issues go beyond just a young quarterback who isn’t playing well.
“Whenever a quarterback struggles,” Brooks said, “it is likely due to problems with the play caller, playmakers and/or pass protectors. “The 3 Ps,” as we call them on the Move The Sticks Podcast, typically have the biggest impact on the QB’s performance — and that is indeed the case with Stroud. The Texans’ schematic issues, lack of playmaker availability and poor pass protection have contributed to the young signal-caller’s issues. From opponents catching up to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s schemes to the revolving door of playmakers around Stroud to the poor play of the offensive line, the QB1’s recent woes fall on the shoulders of the group.”
Analyst’s Take
The Texans have no shortage of offensive talent, whether it’s Joe Mixon on the ground or Nico Collins through the air. But the Houston offense has been out of sync of late, the defense just lost its No. 1 linebacker to a three-game suspension. And Houston appears headed toward the AFC’s fourth seed, a Round 1 matchup with the AFC North runner-up—and a quick exit from the postseason. — Davenport
- Gary Davenport, Maurice Moton, Kristopher Knox, Brent Sobleski
CBS SPORTS:
15. Houston Texans (8-5) (Last Week: 14)
They come off a much-needed bye leading the division, but they haven’t played like a playoff team much of this season. The next four weeks has to be about getting right for the playoffs.
- Pete Prisco
YAHOO! SPORTS:
15. Houston Texans (8-5) (Last Week: 15)
The Texans are practically a lock to win the AFC South because there are no viable challengers. They also aren’t very good themselves and likely on their way to the AFC’s No. 4 seed. Perhaps the silver lining is they basically have four exhibition games before the playoffs to figure things out.The Texans are practically a lock to win the AFC South because there are no viable challengers. They also aren’t very good themselves and likely on their way to the AFC’s No. 4 seed. Perhaps the silver lining is they basically have four exhibition games before the playoffs to figure things out.
- Frank Schwab
USA TODAY:
15.Houston Texans (14): “Nobody embodies our program more than Azeez,” GM Nick Caserio recently said of (rightfully) suspended LB Azeez Al-Shaair. Yet is it worth wondering if Caserio should’ve kept blossoming players like DE Jonathan Greenard and LB Blake Cashman rather than building this program around the likes of free-agent signings like Al-Shaair and aging Danielle Hunter.
- Nate Davis
PRO FOOTBALL TALK:
14. Texans (No. 15; 8-5): The upcoming Christmas game against the Ravens could be a preview of their playoff game.
- Mike Florio
AVERAGE RANKING: (Last Week: )
Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images
The analysts appear to still be bearish on the Texans and their championship odds, their victory over the bye week having no influence on the zeitgeist surrounding their embattled offense. Unlike previous weeks, we’re now starting to see repeated criticism levied directly at Stroud, which just goes to show you that the sophomore slump is REAL.
All kidding aside, though, I think the Texans can host, and then dismantle the Miami Dolphins. A small pile of one-score victories have granted the Houston Texans a layer of security over this brutal final stretch of the season, but they will still need to get over this funk to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. If Stroud can begin his comeback against Miami, Houston’s offense will be in very good shape come January. And then finally, FINALLY, everyone will be able to agree they won their bye week.
What do you think, though? Will Houston come out of this bye week looking like a new offense, or will they be the same old mess? Will C.J. Stroud outduel Tua Tagovailoa? Let us know down in the comments below!
GO TEXANS!!!