On a five-game win streak with victories over four potential playoff rosters, are the Houston Texans among the top five teams in the NFL entering their triumphant return to NRG Stadium to take on the Arizona Cardinals?

Fresh off a 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on the road, the Texans sit at 8-5 entering Week 15. They’re still a half-game out of first place, but bolstering a No. 1 defense in total yards and scoring has made the case for them as perhaps the most complete roster in the AFC South.

Advertisement

As Houston looks to gain ground on the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s lost a bit of traction steam in Nate Davis’ latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports, sitting idle at No. 6 for a second straight week.

The reason? While the defense has been great, the offense continues to be an eye sore.

“They’re holding steady at No. 6 − and on the verge of a sixth straight win with Arizona headed to Houston on Sunday,” Davis wrote. “And if QB C.J. Stroud and the offense can pick up the pace just a bit, this team poses a legit Lombardi threat.”

Houston recorded three turnovers against Patrick Mahomes, forcing him to have the worst game of his career in terms of passer rating. A later interception by Azeez Al-Shaair also pushed Houston back into the No. 2 spot for turnover differential at +12.

As for the Cardinals, a 10th loss now has them out of the playoff conversation, while also appearing at No. 23 in the ranking, largely because of the success from All-Pro tight end Trey McBride.

“If Trey McBride catches five more balls Sunday, he’ll set the record for most consecutive five-reception games (16) by a tight end. Gotta look for silver linings where you can find them in the desert.”

Across the AFC South, the Colts took another giant tumble after losing quarterback Daniel Jones, moving from No. 13 to No. 22 following Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. The inability to trust the offense outside of Jonathan Taylor has become a reason to ponder if this team can actually win a division title.

Much like Houston, Jacksonville held firm at No. 9 following its win over the Titans.

“They’re holding steady at No. 9 − and now firmly atop the AFC South with fifth-year QB Trevor Lawrence playing his most efficient football of the season heading into the stretch drive,” Davis wrote.

As for the Titans, they remain in last place at No. 32 after winning over the Cleveland Browns, though a near-epic collapse in the fourth quarter kept fans on the edge of their seat straight since their improbable win over the Arizona Cardinals, which still remains their lone victory.

Advertisement

“The team that made last year’s No. 1 pick could really accelerate its rebuild if it also lands atop the ’26 draft … assuming struggling rookie QB Cam Ward takes a quantum leap as a sophomore,” Davis wrote.

Elsewhere around the league, the Los Angeles Rams are ranked No. 1 and New England Patriots are ranked No. 2 as the two leaders toward a Super Bowl run. To view the complete NFL power rankings going into Week 15, visit USATODAY.com.

Kickoff for Sunday is scheduled for Noon CT on CBS.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL power rankings: See where the Texans rank after Week 14’s win