In reality, bye weeks are welcomed they provide NFL teams a chance to regroup and rest as they face the balance of the season. However, power rankings never sleep. Some teams rise due to the action during their off week, and other clubs may see a dip relative to the entire 32-team field.
According to Nate Davis from USA TODAY, the Houston Texans were a team that saw their status take a step back over the course of Week 7. The 3-3 squad now enters their Week 8 showdown with the Carolina Panthers as the 17th-best team in the latest power rankings.
17. Texans (16): As if he hadn’t made enough of an early season statement, QB C.J. Stroud now gets a shot at Carolina, the team that passed him over with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft.
Not only does Stroud get an opportunity to show Carolina what they passed over, but the Texans similarly will get a chance to witness what they missed with Bryce Young. Part of the rueage for Houston blowing the No. 1 overall pick was not having the selection to take Young as it passed to the Chicago Bears, who then traded it to Carolina.
Across the rest of the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans dropped from No. 25 to No. 29. Despite losing to the Cleveland Browns at home 39-38, the Indianapolis Colts rose from No. 26 to No. 22. The Jacksonville Jaguars improved from No. 7 to No. 5.