[Sly Fox]

Since none of the media or anyone else on the board wants to talk about the best team in the AFC, I guess I will have to blabber to myself.

After sifting through all of the coverage of the Texans' blowout of the Ravens, you would assume that the Ravens simply were trounced in a vacuum. All of the attention is on the Ravens being exposed and none on the Texans now clearly establishing themselves as the best team in the AFC with what now amounts to a 2-game lead on homefield advantage to the Super Bowl.

The Texans are legit.
JJ Watt is the best defensive player in football. Period.
That is all.

[NotAJerry]

Get more than 1 playoff win, over the Bungles at that, then you'll be legit. Agreed on Watt being a phenom.

[Sly Fox]

You may or may not recall that the Texans a year ago with without Matt Schaub & Andre Johnson for nearly the entire season and still managed to be one stupid Jacoby Jones punt mishap away from the AFC Championship. Jacoby is gone and Schaub & AJ are looking good. Just sayin'.

[thepostman]

The texans are good but again they have to perform when it matters for anybody to really notice. Ifs only get you so far.

With all of that said being the sleeping giant is rarely a bad thing. I expect big things from them come postseason.

[NotAJerry]

It does help their chances with the other top AFC teams all having glaring question marks at best.

[LUminary]

It's an interesting season in the NFL. It's not total parity, but closer than it's been from top to bottom. The Patriots, Saints and Packers aren't dominating. I'd say right now the Texans could make a case for being the best team in the league, not just the AFC. I'm not buying into the 49ers yet, and we'll see what happens to the Falcons and Bears. Of course, the Giants seem to have a knack for winning when it counts. But the Texans convinced me yesterday.

[NotAJerry]

It's an interesting season in the NFL. It's not total parity, but closer than it's been from top to bottom. The Patriots, Saints and Packers aren't dominating. I'd say right now the Texans could make a case for being the best team in the league, not just the AFC. I'm not buying into the 49ers yet, and we'll see what happens to the Falcons and Bears. Of course, the Giants seem to have a knack for winning when it counts. But the Texans convinced me yesterday.

Agreed with it being a tough season to decipher so far. The Texans got a Baltimore defense that was playing poorly before injuries ravaged their starters, but had the benefit of playing the scoring impaired Chiefs and Browns. Baltimore gave up 420 yards yesterday which raised their season average to an even 400 ypg. No Lewis, no Webb, .15% of Suggs, Ngata going out early again, and no Kemoeatu pretty much leaves that defense with a decent secondary and nothing else. The Ravens defense isn't what it was as they're in the bottom ten per game in total yards, rushing yards and passing yards.

The Texans whooped up on a team whose defense isn't doing the job anymore. With that said, the Texans own defense is getting close to being elite.

[From the class of 09]

Agree that there is lots of parity. The Texans looked pretty good yesterday against a team with an average defense and no offense. Last week Green Bay made the Texans look average. Nobody looks unbeatable this year that's for sure.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Didn't the Packers manhandle the Texans last week? The best in the AFC without a shadow of a doubt, but in the entire league? No, not yet. They've beat Miami, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Denver, and the Jets who quite frankly at the very best are average while the only high quality team they played was the Packers and they destroyed more than Peyton Siva trying to drive into the paint to score over Anthony Davis. The best team in the league doesn't get manhandled unless they have several key players on the bench in week 16, injuries, or suspensions.

I;d say the best team in the NFL, prior to MNF, is either the Giants, Bears, or Falcons.

[BJWilliams]

Didn't the Packers manhandle the Texans last week? The best in the AFC without a shadow of a doubt, but in the entire league? No, not yet. They've beat Miami, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Denver, and the Jets who quite frankly at the very best are average while the only high quality team they played was the Packers and they destroyed more than Peyton Siva trying to drive into the paint to score over Anthony Davis. The best team in the league doesn't get manhandled unless they have several key players on the bench in week 16, injuries, or suspensions.

I;d say the best team in the NFL, prior to MNF, is either the Giants, Falcons, or Bears.

Oh my! FIFY

[lynchburgwildcats]

I think I'll go with either the Bears or Falcons as the best team. Giants are a close third but their defense is still a bit concerning. The Bears defense is just on a completely different level than anyone else right now. Offense is a bit of a concern, but when your defense can shut down pretty much everyone but the Packers, you don't need a lot out of your offense.

One could argue the Bears D as a fantasy football MVP with how much better they are in fantasy than any other defense. In my league, they are scoring over 53% more fantasy points per week than the second place defense! That 53% is no typo folks.

[Sly Fox]

Still not believing?

[NotAJerry]

Still not believing?

Houston has done plenty to be considered legit, but a horrendous rain/wind game with a combined 6 turnovers and no QB going above 95 passing yards doesn't suggest much of anything.

[Sly Fox]

Except that a predominantly dome team can win on the road in terrible conditions against a team some considered to be the best in the league.

[Purple Haize]

For a 'warm weather dome team" last nights game was impressive. I'm not sure any QB would have had a good game in that weather.

[01LUGrad]

One of the Bears defenders should have put a nice helmet-to-chinstrap hit on Arian Foster and knocked him out of the game for the second half just to even things up.

[Sly Fox]

Are you suggesting that Cutler would have improved greatly in the 2nd half? The Texans defense is dominating right now. And JJ Watt had an off night and it still didn't allow the Bears to do anything.

[01LUGrad]

Are you suggesting that Cutler would have improved greatly in the 2nd half? The Texans defense is dominating right now. And JJ Watt had an off night and it still didn't allow the Bears to do anything.

That's EXACTLY what I am suggesting. Cutler does way better in the second half of each game.
Proof: http://www.nfl.com/player/jaycutler/249 ... ionalstats

[BJWilliams]

Controversial play in the Texans-Lions game: Justin Forsett gets hit on a run, puts his arm down, his knee then touches the ground but since there was no whistle, Forsett pops back up and goes the rest of the way for an 81 yard touchdown run. Jim Schwartz throws the challenge flag but since its a scoring play, it would have been reviewed, so instead, the touchdown stands and Detroit is hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty

[01LUGrad]

Sly's excuse in 3....2.....1....

[thepostman]

I proved how stupid some of the rules the NFL has when it comes to replay

[Sly Fox]

10-1 ... Next.

[thepostman]

I was starting to become a believer of the Texans but if they play like they have the past couple of weeks it will be 1 and out for them in the playoffs.

[01LUGrad]

The real winners in that game were the replacement refs who called the Seahawks - Packers game. They no longer have the distinction of making the worst call of the season.

[thepostman]

Wait the real refs make mistakes just like the replacement refs did?? Shocking!!