Check out where John McClain has the Texans in Week 1 of his power rankings.
WEEK 1
1. New England (14-2): It’s not a question of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. The question is: Can they be the first 19-0 team?
2. Pittsburgh (11-5): The Steelers are the only AFC team capable of competing with New England for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
3. Seattle (10-5-1): A difficult opener for the Seahawks is a game at Green Bay that features team capable of reaching the Super Bowl.
4. Green Bay (10-6): The Packers are strong enough to win a second Super Bowl under Mike McCarthy because they have Aaron Rodgers.
5. Atlanta (11-5): It’s essential that the Falcons avoid the Super Bowl hangover that ruined last season for the Carolina Panthers.
6. Oakland (12-4): This should be the best Raiders team since their last Super Bowl, but they’ll have to win the tough AFC West.
7. Kansas City (12-4): Andy Reid couldn’t ask for a tougher start for the Chiefs than visiting New England in the first Thursday night game.
8. N.Y. Giants (11-5): Eli Manning wants to lead the Giants to a victory in Arlington to begin a season that should find them in the playoffs again.
9. Dallas (13-3): The Cowboys are capable of reaching the Super Bowl. How far they go depends heavily on a defense that could be mediocre.
10. Tennessee (9-7): If Marcus Mariota stays healthy for the first time in three years, the Titans can dethrone the Texans as AFC South champs..
11. Tampa Bay (9-7): The Bucs have a lot of pieces in place to win the NFC South, but they need to open with a victory at Miami.
12. Denver (9-7): After missing the playoffs last season, the Broncos have a new head coach and two new coordinators.
13. Houston (9-7): In Bill O’Brien’s fourth season, the Texans’ success or failure depends heavily on quarterbacks Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson.
14. Philadelphia (7-9): After going .500 as a rookie, quarterback Carson Wentz has everything it takes to become an elite quarterback.
15. Arizona (7-8-1): Bruce Arians’ team was a big disappointment last season. The recovery begins on the road against Detroit.
16. Miami (10-6): QB Jay Cutler came out of the broadcast booth to answer coach Adam Gase’s SOS when Ryan Tannehill went down.
17. Baltimore (8-8): John Harbaugh isn’t accustomed to missing the playoffs. A win at Cincinnati would help the Ravens get off to a good start.
18. Washington (8-7-1): Kirk Cousins, who should be known as The Franchise, is under a lot of pressure to deliver to deserve a monster contract.
19. Cincinnati (6-9-1): Marvin Lewis is in the last year of his contract. His lame-duck status is going to be a constant topic of conversation.
20. New Orleans (7-9): The Saints have missed the playoffs the last three years. They’d like to get off to a successful start at Minnesota.
21. Detroit (9-7): Jim Caldwell always seems to be on the hot seat, even when the Lions have a winning record. He needs a playoff season.
22. Minnesota (8-8): The Vikings started last year 5-0 before collapsing and finishing 3-8. The offense is suspect, but the defense should be good.
23. Carolina (6-10): One season removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the Panthers are capable of finishing first or worst in the NFC South.
24. L.A. Chargers (5-11): The only thing for certain is the Chargers should sell out all their home games. They could be better than the Rams.
25. Buffalo (7-9): The Bills have a new front office but some of the same old problems. Still, they should be able to beat the Jets.
26. L.A. Rams (4-12): Sean McVay is the league’s youngest head coach, but he’s got 70-year-old defensive coordinator Wade Phillips for advice.
27. Indianapolis (8-8): So much of the Colts’ season depends on Andrew Luck’s health and how soon he can return from shoulder surgery.
28. Jacksonville (3-13): It would mean so much to new coach Doug Marrone if he could beat his close friend, Bill O’Brien, in their opener.
29. Chicago (3-13): The sooner John Fox turns to rookie QB Mitch Trubisky, the sooner fans and media will quit howling to see the rookie.
30. San Francisco (2-14): It’s going to be another long season for the 49ers, new coach Kyle Shanahan and new general manager John Lynch.
31. Cleveland (1-15): It’s asking too much of rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer to upset Pittsburgh in the first game of his career.
32. N.Y. Jetts (5-11): For a team that’s supposed to be tanking the season, it makes no sense not to start second-year QB Christian Hackenberg.