Welcome to the second week of the Power Rankings!

For the first time since 2021, the Houston Texans have started the season with a win, catapulting their already impressive position in the power rankings across the internet to new heights. Led by star quarterback CJ Stroud and resurgent running back Joe Mixon, Houston’s offense went straight to work on opening Sunday, scoring 29 points. Complete with spectacular throws from Stroud, another standout game for wide receiver Nico Collins, and a dominating performance from Mixon and the offensive line that seems to have been completely reborn in run-blocking. This is clearly not last year’s offensive line.

The defense was a little sloppier but still largely prepared for the moment, holding Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor to a measly 3.0 yards per carry. Quarterback Anthony Richardson was able to fire off some incredibly impressive long throws to Houston’s secondary to keep the game close, but his herculean efforts were never quite enough for Indy to get a good drive going. Defensive end Will Anderson, Jr. and linebacker Henry To’oTo’o were the saviors on that side of the ball, holding Richardson and Taylor to mediocre stats.

All that and a mountain of field goals add up to one of Houston’s most impressive road wins in the division since… well, last year, when they beat the Colts in the final game of the regular season. Since 2022, Houston seems to be Indy’s number, going 3-1-1 and embarrassing their pass defense all the time. That’s the kind of record I can get used to against a division rival, and Sunday’s game was proof that that dominance is here to stay.

That has to bode well for Houston’s position in today’s rankings, right? RIGHT?!?! Okay, don’t get too excited! Here’s where the Houston Texans will be ranked as we enter Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season:

NFL.COM:

6. Houston Texans (1-0) (Last week: 7)

CJ Stroud was sacked four times, the defense gave up an unseemly 7.0 yards per play, and the special teams allowed a blocked punt deep in their own territory that led to a Colts touchdown. I didn’t like that. What I did like was that Stroud picked up where he left off, Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs made some great catches, and Joe Mixon had his best rushing total (159 yards) since 2021 in his debut for the Texans. Mixon looked as snappy as I can remember, or maybe he’s just an ideal fit for this offense. It’s a wonder how long that will last, but this is a dangerous offense when Stroud has time to operate. On defense, however, some of the same concerns that existed in 2023 remain. Whether that part of the team improves could be the difference between good and great this season.

– Eric Edholm

ESPN:

6. Houston Texans (1-0) (Last week: 6)

Preseason rankings: 6

Best Newcomer Performance: RB Joe Mixon

Mixon’s debut was top-notch. He ran for 159 yards with a touchdown, the third-highest yardage in a game of his career. It didn’t matter what front the Colts presented: He ran for 88 yards against a light box, 34 against a neutral box and 37 against a full box. Mixon kept the Texans’ offense afloat while QB CJ Stroud shook off the rust and threw for 234 yards, less than his 2023 average of 274 yards.

– DJ Good-Aime

SPORTS ILLUSTRATIONS:

10. Houston Texans (1-0) (Last week: 9)

Last week: Victory against Indianapolis with 29:27

This week: against Chicago

In at least one game, the Texans’ offseason diagnosis was absolutely correct for their team. Another top-notch wide receiver and a powerful back with pass-catching skills are an absolute game-changer for the developing CJ Stroud. Stroud worked effectively on almost all corners of the field and continues to be far superior to the 2023 QB class.

– Conor Orr

BLEACHER REPORT:

4. Houston Texans (1-0)

Last week: 4

Result week 1: Victory in Indianapolis 29-27

The Houston Texans entered the 2024 season with high expectations, not least because of the signing of proven veterans such as wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon.

It didn’t take long for the duo’s winnings to pay off.

In his Houston debut, Mixon was a workhorse on the ground — a whopping 30 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown. Diggs, meanwhile, caught six passes for 33 yards — and scored two touchdowns.

Speaking to reporters, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans sounded like a man who could adapt to an offense full of talent at all specialty positions.

“That’s everything for us,” Ryans said. “These guys go out there and make plays no matter what the situation. When you can count on those guys to make plays, that’s great for our team, not just our offense, but what they’ve done for an entire team. The energy they’ve given our team is outstanding.”

To be clear, the Colts pushed the Texans to their limits. Indy converted half of its third down attempts and stayed in the game until the end. But the Texans managed over 400 yards of offense, quarterback CJ Stroud had a passer rating of over 115, and the Texans managed 7 of 14 third downs.

If Houston’s offense plays at this level every week, the Texans will be tough to beat. Plus, they don’t have to face the Buffalo Bills until Oct. 6, when they face a team that was in the postseason last year.

– Gary Davenport, Maurice Moton, Kristopher Knox, Brent Sobleski

CBS SPORTS:

5. Houston Texans (1-0) (Last week: 8)

The win in the opening game away from home against the Colts shows that they are ready to be a hunted team. The defense had some issues, but they can be fixed.

– Pete Prisco

YAHOO! SPORTS:

8. Houston Texans (1-0, Last week: 9)

CJ Stroud is just that good. If there were any fears that he might be slowing down in his second season, Stroud was on the road in Week 1, completing 9 of 9 passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns on third and fourth down. One of the passes was an incredible throw to Nico Collins on third and 11 that basically sealed the win. That was the biggest factor in a big division win in Indianapolis. It’s possible he’s already the second-best quarterback in the NFL.

– Frank Schwab

THE ATHLETE:

4. Houston Texans (1-0)

Last week: 4

Sunday: Beat the Indianapolis Colts 29-27

Joe Mixon is the league’s best runner after setting a career-high 30 carries for 159 yards. That put him in such a good mood that he declined to take a postgame jab at the team that let him go – the Cincinnati Bengals. “I just want to leave them where they are, just like they left me,” he said. Another Houston rookie also had a pretty good debut, with Stefon Diggs catching two touchdown passes. (Nico Collins did manage 117 yards.)

Next: vs. Chicago Bears, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

– Josh Kendall

USA TODAY:

6. Houston Texans (Last week: 7)

It’s hard to say if it’s sustainable to have new running back Joe Mixon run a career-best 30 times a week and dominate the ball for 40 minutes… but so far, it’s working out well.

– Nate Davis

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TALK:

8. Houston Texans (1-0) (Last week: 10)

In his eighth year, Joe Mixon looks better than ever.

– Mike Florio

AVERAGE RANKING: 6.33 (Last week: 7.13)

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

And there you have it! The Houston Texans’ stock is unanimously up after that big win over the Indianapolis Colts, and everyone is in Stroud spirits. Mixon’s big game has pundits everywhere excited to see what comes next from this offense, and that’s not even mentioning Stefon Diggs’ potential. He scored two crucial touchdowns in that game, but we all know he’s capable of much, much more. I’m a little disappointed that PFT’s Mike Florio, Yahoo! Sports’ Frank Schwab, and Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr have the Texans ranked 8th and 10th, respectively, in their rankings (yes, 8th is now shockingly too low). But that’s OK; I have a whole season’s worth of receipts showing how wrong each of them was with their assessments of the Texans in 2023, so I’m not too worried about them.

But what do you think? Are these rankings too high, too low, or just right? Are we exaggerating or is this team ready to go all the way? Let us know in the comments below! GO TEXANS!!!