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Following Monday night's embarrassing 42-14 loss to the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans (11-2) are still tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the best record in the NFL. That said, few experts believe they're still the best team in the league, and SB Nation NFL Editor Joel Thorman is no exception, dropping the Texans down a spot to No. 2 in his latest power rankings.
The previous No. 1 team's two losses have both been blowouts in primetime, as the Texans were also trounced by the Green Bay Packers. Still, Thorman points out the Texans have beaten their share of quality opponents and shouldn't all of a sudden be taken lightly:
2. Houston Texans (LW: 1, 11-2): Down goes Houston. This team has now lost to the Packers, 42-24, and the Patriots, 42-14. They're not a one-trick pony -- they also beat the Ravens and the Bears -- so they're capable of winning big games. They just get embarrassed on the national stage -- Sunday Night Football against Green Bay and Monday night against New England.
The Texans also fell in the power rankings by CBS Sports and ESPN.com. CBS' Pete Prisco dropped the Texans only one spot to No. 2, but the panel at ESPN dropped them to No. 3 behind the Patriots (the new No. 1 across the board) and the Denver Broncos.