NFL Power Rankings: Houston Texans and 3 Teams That Can't Afford to Lose

After six weeks of the NFL regular season, several teams are hitting the meat of their schedule and cannot afford to lose this Sunday. 

We've seen a ton of excitement so far this season, and it surely won't end anytime soon. Week 7 doesn't have a ton of great matchups, but the games will still be good.  

As long as the games are close, fans will be happy because nobody really wants to watch a blowout. 

Several teams continue to move up and down the power rankings, but a loss this weekend would put a few teams in a big hole. 

Here are three teams that are in must win situations this Sunday. 

Houston Texans 

The Texans hit the road to take on their divisional rival in the Tennessee Titans, and should they lose they'll be in a world of hurt. 

Houston is currently on a two game losing streak, and suffering another loss to a division opponent would crush any confidence they have left. 

Matt Schaub and Arian Foster have to dominate on Sunday to maintain their spot as the top team in the AFC South.

Once Peyton Manning was ruled out, everybody figured the Texans would cruise in the division, but a loss on Sunday to the Titans, and the Texans will spend time climbing up the rankings when they could've been holding a great position. 

Atlanta Falcons 

The Falcons head north to take on the surprisingly good Detroit Lions, and since Atlanta is currently a .500 team, the Falcons really need to win on the road. 

Matt Ryan and company have one win away from home this season, which was a struggle against Seattle. Now they must take on a very talented Lions team that will be airing it out a bunch. 

Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson have been terrorizing teams, and everybody knows how weak the Falcons secondary has been this year. 

Atlanta did a good job of preventing rookie Cam Newton of torching them in the air, but it's uncertain if they'll do the same to Stafford on the road.

This will be a very good game, but should the Falcons lose then it may come back to haunt them at the end of the season as they likely fight for a Wild Card spot.

New York Jets 

 The Jets finally ended their losing streak against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, but now they must host the well rested San Diego Chargers.

New York has struggled on offense, and the defense continues to bail out the Jets. That may not happen against Philip Rivers on Sunday afternoon, which means Mark Sanchez has to shine.

Rex Ryan guaranteed the Super Bowl for New York, but if the Jets don't find a true offensive identity then it will be difficult for them to even reach the playoffs.

The Jets won't fall too far in the rankings should they lose to a top team like San Diego, but another loss on the season will hurt them in the long run. 

Eric Bowman’s 2011 NFL Power Rankings  

1. Green Bay Packers

2. Baltimore Ravens 

3. New England Patriots

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. New Orleans Saints

6. Detroit Lions

7. San Diego Chargers 

8. New York Jets

9. San Francisco 49ers 

10. Chicago Bears

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

12. Houston Texans

13. Buffalo Bills

14. Oakland Raiders

15. Atlanta Falcons

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. New York Giants

18. Tennessee Titans

19. Philadelphia Eagles

20. Cincinnati Bengals

21. Washington Redskins

22. Carolina Panthers

23. Cleveland Browns 

24. Minnesota Vikings

25. Seattle Seahawks

26. Denver Broncos 

27. St. Louis Rams

28. Arizona Cardinals

29. Kansas City Chiefs

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

31. Miami Dolphins

32. Indianapolis Colts