6. Houston Texans
There isn’t a defense in the NFL playing better than the Houston Texans at the moment. On Saturday afternoon, the Texans went into Los Angeles and handed the Chargers a loss, getting off to a hot start and holding off a Chargers comeback attempt later on.
Houston needs CJ Stroud to get hot as we enter the postseason run. With a shot at the AFC South title, the Texans are really one of the hottest and most well-rounded teams in the NFL. They have question marks on the offensive line and in the running game, but does anyone really believe this team couldn’t win it all?
After an 0-3 start to open the season, Houston has been red-hot, and they look like they could run the table. Having that pass rush with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter coming off the edge is such a massive advantage for this team at this time of year. They had Justin Herbert running for his life.
5. New England Patriots
You can’t overreact to the Patriots’ win against the New York Jets, but there’s something to be said for going out there and completely beating the brakes off of a team that you were expected to beat. The Patriots blew a 21-0 lead against the Buffalo Bills, coming off their bye week, playing on their home field. They followed that up by gutting out a win against the Ravens and then blowing out the Jets.
That game against the Bills was a sobering moment for them as a team this season, but they clearly were able to refocus and get right back on track against the Jets.
With one week left to play, the Patriots have a great shot at earning the #1 overall seed in the AFC with the Dolphins on the schedule and the Broncos taking on the Los Angeles Chargers. This team has been so well-rounded all year, and we know they can beat up on the bad teams. They will be a fascinating team to watch in the postseason with Drake Maye playing awesome this season, the weapons all coming through offensively, and Vrabel having that defense ready for every matchup.