Losing to a second-year quarterback making his third career start at home in a 16-10 fashion can have its consequences, and that is what happened to the Houston Texans as they tumbled 10 spots in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings.
Following their loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, the Texans dropped from the bottom of the top-10 at No. 9 all the way to the edge of the twenties.
19. Texans (9): Only time Houston has scored fewer points than Sunday’s 10 with QB Deshaun Watson as starter was last season’s 21-7 playoff defeat.
The loss to the Panthers had the same feeling of the wild-card playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts from January. However, the Colts were a hot team riding a 9-1 record with a proven franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck under center. Carolina still has plenty of ambiguity, even though Kyle Allen has started in both of the Panthers’ wins this season.
While an overall record trumps any power ranking, this poll indicates how the Texans’ anemic offensive performance influences their perception as a formidable opponent.
