On a run of 8 consecutive wins, are the Houston Texans ready to join the NFL's elite? | Bleacher's report

The Houston Texans are good. They lead the AFC South by two games after Monday's 34-17 win over rival Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. But they have not yet reached the rarefied air where the New Orleans Saints, the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams reside.

The four best teams in the league offer more complete alignments.

The Texans' eight-game winning streak is testament to the improvement in the football team that has become the first in the history of the NFL to register a record of 8-3 after losing his first three games.

Who really beat the Texans?

The combined record of the opponents of Houston during his series is 40 to 48 in total. Yes, the Dallas Cowboys, division leaders, are included, as are some teams that play well for the moment, but none of them can be described as elite.

Houston battled a team, the Patriots, with seven or more wins this season, and lost the first game of the season against Tom Brady & Co. The last five games will look like those of 10. Only the Colts of Indianapolis have a winning record, and the Cleveland Browns, the unfortunate New York Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the disappointing Philadelphia Eagles complete the last five.

Obviously, a team can not be blamed for its timing. He can only beat the teams that NFL planners place in his path. Safety Tyrann Mathieu said the Texans did not care who they beat as long as the result stays the same:

However, a suspicious calendar can hide deficiencies. That's why Texans should be concerned.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, defensive back J.J. Watt, linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and Mathieu are stars. Nobody will deny it. Everyone can take control of a game at any time. The headliners are not the problem, though. These are the other cracks in the lineup that place Houston a little lower than the best in the league.

The offensive line remains a work in progress. The tackle on the left, in particular, is a disaster.

In simple terms, Julie's Davenport is the worst protector on the blind side of the game. The second-year blocker leads the league in penalties imposed (13) and accepted (10). Two weeks ago, Davenport was tied for most of the ceded pressures, with 42, according to Focus on professional football.

The 23-year-old lineman has all the physical tools the job requires and can be overwhelming at the point of attack in the run, but the Texans are lucky. Watson was not destroyed by leading defenders this year, although his mobility was an important reason for his survival.

Opponents will continually attack the weakest link of an offensive line. Davenport does the business. His performance has been so poor that the other four players tend to receive a pass even though none of them is above average.

Even in a decisive victory, the Texans allowed four sacks. Smugglers have already been to Watson 37 times–which is behind the Dak Prescott Cowboys and Eli Manning of the New York Giants for the most championship games.

What will happen in the playoffs when the top five in Houston face the Pittsburgh Chiefs or Steelers, who both rank among the top three in sacks? Watson will run for his life– more than usual, that's it. Chiefs Patrick Mahomes and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers were sacked one more time than Watson when their season totals are combined.

Protection is a problem. It will not change either. Texans lack talent in the front. Watson has had a chest injury this season.

From Houston The best hope is to establish a solid running game to establish the first tracks and better protect Watson. A franchise record of 281 rushing yards against the Titans is a good start. Or, Bill O-Brien, head coach and game observer, can be creative in maximizing Watson's mobility to prevent the caller from being destroyed.

The best teams in the league are characterized by strong offensive fronts. Houston no.

The number of weapons that Watson has is also suspect. Obviously, Hopkins is fantastic. Lamar Miller is a threat to the home run. That's all.

Rob Gronkowski, the half-melters, the runners Sony Michel and James White and the wide receivers Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman. The Saints are almost unstoppable from stopping with wide receiver Michael Thomas, rookie Tre "Quan Smith, the Taysom Hill wild card and running back Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II. The Rams lost receiver Cooper Kupp following an injury at the end of the season, but they still have Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and the best running back of the game, Todd Gurley. The Chiefs are a scoring machine with Kareem Hunt in the backfield, Tyreek Hill defying the defenses at ground level, Sammy Watkins also stretching the field and the narrow end Travis Kelce doing a job at the center.

Houston does not have the firepower needed to fight the league's most powerful fouls, even after acquiring Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos before the trade deadline.

Fuller V's ACL end-of-season tear during week 8 did not help. His replacement, Keke Coutee, who caught two passes on Monday for 14 yards, is injured on the hamstring, according to Texans. official site. Both are vertical threats that can relieve Hopkins and Thomas in good health.

A mediocre offensive line associated with inconsistent weapons going beyond the team's best options led to a mediocre play in the red zone.

"Yes, we are there, but we are not doing anything," said the head coach last month, according to the Houston ChronicleThat's Aaron Wilson. "We just have to keep working and find out what we can do to put the ball in the end zone because that is not happening at the moment."

Texans participated in their 12th week contest as NFL third worst red zone offense. The defense is no better when the opponents are close to the goal line:

To the credit of the team, the offensive converts his three trips into the red zone into touchdowns against the Titans, while the defense did not allow Tennessee to score a touchdown when it entered the red zone, including a fourth ground stop. 3 yard line (a direct transfer to the close end?! C my).

Improvements can be seen in crucial areas. Any regression would place the team at an additional disadvantage.

"I still think we can be more consistent," said O. Brien. told reporters.

Two levels were formed in both conferences. The saints and rams are the best of the NFC, and the chiefs and patriots are the equivalent of the AFC. The Texans are below this level and could even be a half-step behind the Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers.

However, the continued growth of Houston this season is a good sign in the short and long term. Watson told reporters after the match, "we are sitting here 8-3 and have the opportunity to do something special." The pieces are in place to make the post-season this year.

Once the offensive line corrected, one or two weapons added and improving the red zone, the Texans will find themselves among the league's elite. They are just not there yet.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.