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NFL power rankings: Saints, Chargers lead way into 2019

By Russell S. Baxter

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 20: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) talk during a TV timeout during the NFC Championship Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints on January 20, 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 20: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) talk during a TV timeout during the NFC Championship Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints on January 20, 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 05: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans rushes with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts during the Wild Card Round at NRG Stadium on January 5, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 05: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans rushes with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts during the Wild Card Round at NRG Stadium on January 5, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

. . Houston Texans. 8. team. 10.

2019 Key Additions: Last off season, the Houston Texans did not have a first- or second-round draft choice and relied on free agency to rebuild their troubled offensive line. It simply didn’t work and no team in the league gave up more sacks than Bill O’Brien’s club (62). This year, the team did add free-agent tackle Matt Kalil in hopes of improving the left tackle situation. But this club had three selections in the first two rounds of this year’s draft and used two of them on tackles Tytus Howard (1-Alabama State) and Max Scharping (2b-Northern Illinois). And a new-look secondary features cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Briean Boddy-Calhoun, safety Tashuan Gipson and 2019 second-round pick Lonnie Johnson (Kentucky).

Offseason Review: A year ago, quarterback Deshaun Watson spent the early part of the season getting healthy and O’Brien’s club got off to a 0-3 start. But the Texans rebounded and became just the sixth example in NFL history of a team dropping its first three contests and still reaching the playoffs. But this club seemed to run out of gas by year’s end and while Houston was crowned AFC South champions, it was the rivals Colts who seemed like the best team in the division and went out and proved that in the wild card round. The Texans must fix their offensive line if they want to get back to the postseason.

Next: No. 7

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