Matt Schaub and the Texans have finally reached the top spot. (Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle)
1.TEXANS (8-1): After beating the Bears, the Texans are 40-5 under coach Gary Kubiak when they run the ball at least 30 times. LW: 2
2. FALCONS (8-1): Atlanta was handed its first loss by New Orleans. In their last 13 games against the Saints, the Falcons are 2-11. LW: 1
3. BRONCOS (6-3): Peyton Manning has thrown 420 TD passes, tying Dan Marino for second. Brett Favre leads with 508. LW: 7
4. PATRIOTS (6-3): The Pats are the league’s highest-scoring team with 33.2 points a game. They’ve scored at least 30 six times. LW: 6
5. BEARS (7-2): Led by the Bears’ seven, there have been 39 interceptions returned for TDs, the most to this point since 1970. LW: 3
6. STEELERS (6-3): With Ben Roethlisberger out, the Steelers will have to win with their running game and defense. LW: 5
7. RAVENS (7-2): Ex-Texan Jacoby Jones is the first NFL player to have two kickoff returns of at least 105 yards in his career. LW: 10
8. PACKERS (6-3): The Packers have a four-game winning streak going into upcoming road games against the Lions and Giants. LW: 8
9. 49ERS (6-2-1): The 49ers host the Bears in a battle between teams that have allowed the fewest points in the league. LW: 4
10. COLTS (6-3): The Colts have a four-game win streak. Andrew Luck is the first QB in club history to rush for at least five TDs. LW: 11
11. SEAHAWKS (6-4): Russell Wilson is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first five games at home. LW: 12
12. GIANTS (6-4): After compiling a four-game winning streak, the Giants have lost to the Steelers and Bengals. LW: 9
13. BUCCANEERS (5-4): Josh Freeman hasn’t thrown a pick in the last four games. The Bucs averaged 37.3 points in last three games. LW: 14
14. VIKINGS (6-4): After rushing for 171 yards against Detroit, Adrian Peterson has 11 career games with at least 150 yards. LW: 15
15. SAINTS (4-5): The Saints have won four of five. After playing Oakland, their schedule is brutal: 49ers, at Falcons, at Giants, Bucs. LW: 17
16. COWBOYS (4-5): Look for the Cowboys to make a run at the division lead. Their next three foes have a combined record of 8-19. LW: 20
17. BENGALS (4-5): The Bengals ended a four-game skid by stunning the Giants. Their next five opponents have losing records. LW: 25
18. LIONS (4-5): Calvin Johnson has three 200-yard receiving games in his career. Lance Alworth owns the league record of five. LW: 13
19. TITANS (4-6): Chris Johnson has run for 125 yards 24 times. The record for a player in his first five seasons is Eric Dickerson’s 27. LW: 29
20. DOLPHINS (4-5): The Dolphins were cruising with a 4-3 record before losing their last two to the Colts and Titans. LW: 16
21. CHARGERS (4-5): The Chargers play at Denver, where they hope to win for the fourth straight year. Philip Rivers is 5-1 there. LW: 18
22. CARDINALS (4-5): In their five-game losing streak, the Cardinals have failed to score more than 17 points in any game. LW: 19
23. REDSKINS (3-6): In their three-game losing streak, the Redskins have scored 16 points a game and allowed 25. LW: 23
24. RAMS (3-5-1): In Jeff Fisher’s first season as their coach, the Rams have a 2-0-1 record against NFC West opponents. LW: 27
25. EAGLES (3-6): The Eagles have a five-game losing streak. It’s not a question of if Andy Reid will be fired but when. LW: 21
26. BILLS (3-6): The Bills, who have a three-game losing streak, have surrendered at least 35 points in five of their six losses. LW: 26
27. RAIDERS (3-6): In their last two losses to Tampa Bay and Baltimore, the Raiders have allowed 48.5 points a game. LW: 22
28. JETS (3-6): After losing three games in a row, including blowouts in the last two, Rex Ryan should start Tim Tebow. LW: 24
29. PANTHERS (2-7): If the Panthers continue to lose, don’t be surprised if the owner fires coach Ron Rivera after two seasons. LW: 28
30. BROWNS (2-7): GM Tom Heckert has acquired offensive talent, but he still might not keep his job after the season. LW: 30
31. CHIEFS (1-8): There are worse moves than bringing back Marty Schottenheimer as a consultant, like doing nothing. LW: 31
32. JAGUARS (1-8): The Jaguars are the lowest-scoring team in the NFL, averaging 14.1 points, and next face the No. 1 Texans. LW: 32
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See the best photos from the Texans’ 13-6 win over the Bears.