AFC South Week 11 Power Rankings: Texans hot on the Jaguars heels

Week 11 AFC South Power Rankings team No. 2: The Houston Texans (5-4)

Who would've thought the Houston Texans would find themselves in the thick of the playoff race at the midpoint of the 2023 season? There were signs for sure but it was hard to envision first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans taking over a team that had lacked consistency for years and turning things around in just a few months after getting hired.

Then again, Ryans doesn't probably care about outside expectations. He showed up to work and focused on putting the best possible team on the field. While that may sound a bit cliche, some of his peers seemed to be more interested in showing who's in charge. Not Ryans though. He's made sure his players ready for Sunday. The Jaguars know this firsthand, having lost to them (at home) in Week 3.

You could even argue that the Texans are a better team now than in Week 3 since they were still finding their footing then. Now that they've hit their stride, Houston is a real threat to overtake the Jaguars in the AFC South.

Next on the Texans' schedule is an Arizona Cardinals team that seems to be determined to tank, trying to get rid of all their good players. But as much as the Cards are trying to lose, Kyler Murray is back in the mix and he could take things to the wire. Heck, this could turn out to be an upset if Houston takes the foot off the pedal.

If the Texans lose, the Jaguars will be able to take a deep breath but if they beat Arizona, things could get interesting in Week 12, when Jacksonville travels to NRG Stadium.