Texans Slide in Week 3 Power Rankings After 0-2 Start
The short version
- Houston is 0-2 after losing to Cincinnati 20-6 in Week 2.
- Power rankings placed the Texans anywhere from No. 11 (NFL.com) to No. 24 (CBS Sports).
- C.J. Stroud has 627 passing yards, third most in the NFL, with two touchdowns.
- Nico Collins missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury; Ed Ingram was out with a groin injury.
- The Texans visit the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3.
Houston dropped across major NFL power rankings following a 20-6 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.
The Houston Texans are 0-2 after falling to the Cincinnati Bengals 20-6 in Week 2, and the national power rankings have taken notice. NFL.com placed Houston at No. 11, Sports Illustrated had the Texans at No. 13, ESPN ranked them No. 15, Bleacher Report slotted them at No. 16 and CBS Sports dropped them all the way to No. 24.
Injuries have been a major storyline. Wide receiver Nico Collins missed the Bengals game with a hamstring injury, and Houston did not reach the end zone in the loss. Right guard Ed Ingram was sidelined by a groin injury that could also keep him out of the next game, forcing the team to use another reshuffled interior offensive line.
Despite the record, quarterback C.J. Stroud has put up numbers. According to ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime, Stroud has thrown for 627 yards through two games, third most in the NFL, but that production has produced just two touchdowns.
Several analysts urged patience. Bleacher Report noted that Houston nearly beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 and pointed to three divisional matchups in the next four games as a path back into the AFC South race. NFL.com's Nick Shook added that the Texans may have faced the toughest two-game opening draw of any team in the league.
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr wrote that the offense, which struggles in pass protection at tackle, will require creative scheming from coordinator Nick Caley. Houston travels to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3.
