8. Houston Texans (6-3)
The Houston Texans are playing on Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions and are in the lead, so this could be interesting. The Texans have dealt with a tough stretch lately. Between injuries and bad OL play, they feel like a frail 6-3 team. If they fall to the Detroit Lions in Week 10, they’d drop to 6-4.
And that would be after a strong 5-1 start. I did predict the Houston Texans to win the Super Bowl this year and for QB CJ Stroud to win the MVP award, and I may end up being off on both. An improved offensive line is going to fix a ton of their issues, but injuries are not always preventable.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is out for the remainder of the 2024 NFL Season with a torn ACL, so that’s also thrown a wrench into their situation, and their defense, while it’s generated a ton of pressure, is just OK. The Texans are weird, man.
7. Washington Commanders (7-3)
The Washington Commanders were able to hang with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, but fell just short. Honestly, if Washington didn’t win a single game the rest of the way, 2024 would still be a huge success in my opinion. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels has shown a ton of great things thus far and the Commanders franchise feels to be on the right path, finally.
They actually traded for a player at the deadline and added CB Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints. They’re in a great position to make the playoffs this year whether it’s a Wild Card or a division winner seed.
First-year head coach Dan Quinn is in his second stint as a head coach in the NFL but has gotten his new team turned around quite quickly. The Commanders are 7th in our latest NFL power rankings.