Get beat 41-7 in a preview of a possible AFC divisional round or conference championship tilt, and that will affect your status in the power rankings.
Thanks to the Baltimore Ravens’ drubbing of the Houston Texans in Week 11 at M&T Bank Stadium, the once leaders of the AFC South have fallen out of the top-10 and are now No. 13 in the Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings.
Heading into Sunday’s matchup between the Texans and Ravens, the obvious story was the showcasing of Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, two of the league’s most impressive young quarterbacks and legitimate contenders for the NFL MVP award. Problem was, only Jackson showed up. Watson was overwhelmed by a Baltimore defense that has taken on an entirely different cast in the last month — he completed 18 of 29 passes for 169 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in a 41-7 beatdown. Not that this was all Watson’s fault — the Texans were absolutely robbed on an inexcusable non-call for pass interference against Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey, and Watson was sacked six times and hit 10 more times behind an offensive line that was completely unprepared for the Ravens’ voluminous blitz packages. Outside of a 41-yard touchdown run from Carlos Hyde, the Texans didn’t do much on the ground. Conversely, Houston’s defense had no answers for Jackson. This was a litmus test for the Texans, so that they could see whether they were ready to hang with the hottest team in the NFL. The answer was definitive, and not at all positive.
If there is any sliver of hope, it is that the Indianapolis Colts, who hold the tiebreaker over the Texans and are the division leaders entering Week 12, are No. 12 in the power rankings. There isn’t a huge chasm between first place and second in the division, or between the Texans and the Colts.
The Tennessee Titans finished No. 15 while the Jacksonville Jaguars are No. 20.
