The Houston Texans check in at No. 7 in the latest batch of NFL Power Rankings from SBNation, but their stay in the top ten might not last longer:
7. Houston Texans (8-3, LW: 5): Houston won last week but this is a preemptive drop from last week's No. 5 ranking as they now enter the T.J. Yates era, the team's third string quarterback.
With Matt Schaub at the helms, Houston, a team ranked 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards, 2nd in passing yards allowed and 4rth in rushing yards allowed, would be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
But now that their only healthy QB's are a fifth-round rookie from UNC who was remarkably average in the ACC (Yates) and a retread who couldn't beat out Rex Grossman and John Beck in Washington in the pre-season (Kellen Clemens), it's hard to have too much optimism for the Texans' season.
Things have gotten so bad that Houston is rumored to be close to signing either Jake Delhomme or Jeff Garcia, neither of whom has taken a snap this season.
However, their schedule is so soft, and the AFC South is so weak, that they should still make the playoffs.
For the latest news and analysis of the Texans QB situation, check out Battle Red Blog.