Last week was the first set of off weeks in the National Football League this season. The Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers all had time off in Week 5. It obviously did those teams some good, because all four clubs came away with a win in Week 6.
This past week, the reigning AFC south champion Houston Texans, and the inconsistent Minnesota Vikings got some me-time.
So how are both teams doing this season, and did either get any help this past week when it came to moving up in their respective division standings?
2025 NFL Season: Grades for teams coming off Week 6 bye
Houston Texans (2-3)
It’s been a rough start to the season for DeMeco Ryans’s club, who have won back-to-back division titles under his guidance. The team dropped its first three games, all by seven points or less, despite allowing a total of 51 points. However, the Texans are coming off consecutive victories over the Titans and Ravens by a combined 70-10 score. Ryans’s team is allowing an NFL-best 12.2 points per contest this season and has given up just eight offensive touchdowns in five contests.
A year ago, the Houston Texans were the only team in the AFC South to sport a winning record. The Indianapolis Colts (8-9), Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) and Tennessee Titans (3-14) combined for a 15-36 mark. That’s certainly not the case in 2025 as the Colts are tied with the Buccaneers for the best record in the league (5-1). The 4-2 Jaguars have already equaled their win total of 2024.
It will be an uphill climb for the Texans to win a third consecutive AFC South title and reach the playoffs. On the other hand, the last NFL to lose their first three games and still make the playoffs were the 2018 Houston Texans.
Grade: C
Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
Last year everything fell in place for the Purple Gang. The team finished 14-3 and had a chance to win the NFC North on the final Sunday of the regular season. Reclamation project Sam Darnold enjoyed a career year as the quarterback earned his first Pro Bowl invitation, and Kevin O’Connell was named the NFL Coach of the Year.
However, it all went south by the end of the season. They missed out on the division title following a 31-9 loss at Detroit. A week later, Darnold had his second straight subpar performance. He was sacked nine times by the Rams, and had a fumble returned for a touchdown in a 27-9 loss in the wild card round.
In 2025, it was exit Darnold and enter 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season. He helped the team rally to beat the Bears in Week 1 but took a beating in a prime time loss. Enter Carson Wentz the past three games. Meanwhile, Brian Flores’ defense has struggled vs. the run.
The Vikings have yet to play either the 3-1-1 Packers or 4-2 Lions. Every team in the NFC North is above the .500 mark. A year ago, this was the best division in football and it appears formidable once again.