Texans Bye Week: Houston takes a break with AFC's best record

Fresh off a statement win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans entered their bye week on Monday as the undisputed favorites in the AFC through seven weeks of action.

Visibly angered by a frustrating loss to Green Bay the previous week, the Texans responded in a huge way on Sunday afternoon by racking up 420 total yards of offense. Head coach Gary Kubiak's defense also fully clamped down on a number of explosive Baltimore playmakers like Ray Rice and Torrey Smith, and forced quarterback Joe Flacco to turn in one of his most miserable outings of the year.

"We wanted to show them that’s not who we are," Texans offensive lineman Duane Brown told John McClain of The Houston Chronicle after the game. "We picked up the intensity level. It’s a great feeling to be in control of the AFC."

Despite having five road games remaining on their schedule, the Texans should still benefit from a pair of manageable opponents over the next month. After seeing a woeful Buffalo defense in Week 9, Kubiak's team will square off with the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football the following week, but then will head home for a must-win date with a poor Jacksonville team in Week 11.