Battle Red Blog
Down goes the Chiefs! Down goes the dynasty! The Houston Texans marched into Kansas City’s home stadium, lined up against Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and kicked them straight out of the playoff race! Okay, maybe it’s an exaggeration to say the Chiefs are actually out of the race when they’re only 6-7 (get it), but their chances of making the postseason have now fallen all the way down to 10%. Meanwhile, Houston’s playoff chances have surged all the way up to 87%, something that…I just simply can’t believe. As the north pole has gradually tilted away from the sun, the Texans have grown more ferocious, like a cornered animal that senses winter approaching. Each week over the last month has seen another opponent throw their offense into the teeth of the Texans defensive line like a sacrificial lamb, with even the greatest quarterbacks incapable of escaping the grinder. Led by DE Danielle Hunter, DE Will Anderson, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, CB Derek Stingley, and S Jalen Pitre, the Texans defense has become such an unrelenting force that a small library’s worth of montage videos and edits have cropped up highlighting them in particular:
They’re not as photogenic as the Patrick Mahomes cross-body pass, or as easy to gawk at as the Josh Allen touchdown run, but the Houston Texans defense is as fearsome and dominating as any player or group on offense out there. In the last three weeks, they faced three AFC teams in the thick of the playoff race and gave up a grand total of just 45 points. Surely, a run like this has to send Houston flying up the power rankings all across the internet, right? Well, if it ain’t happening now, it’s gotta happen soon enough! Here’s where the Houston Texans are ranked entering week 15 of the 2025 NFL season:
11. Houston Texans (8-5) (Last Week: 13)
C.J. Stroud completed three passes in the second half — three! — but the Texans produced just enough offense to finish what the defense started. DeMeco Ryans’ elite D has thrown some beauties this season, but Sunday night’s effort was probably its most important performance of the season, with Houston intercepting Patrick Mahomes three times (even if the last one was a gift off the hands of Travis Kelce). Andy Reid rolled the dice twice on fourth downs, and in some ways, that was a nod to just how good the Texans are defensively. Reid felt he had to play that riskily in order to get any spark offensively. Houston also managed an injury to Nick Chubb, with Dare Ogunbowale spelling Woody Marks to score his first rushing TDsince 2022 (on only his fourth carry of the season). The Texans keep finding ways to win games, and they could run their streak to seven straight, with the Cardinals and Raiders on tap in Houston.
12. Houston Texans (8-5)
Week 14 result: Beat the Chiefs [20-10...
