How mounting injuries could influence major shift for CJ Stroud, Texans
TIME TO PIVOT
14 December 2023
The Houston Texans have a huge game this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, and the outcome of this game could greatly impact the team's playoff chances.
But as of Thursday, CJ Stroud is still in the concussion protocol, Nico Collins hasn't practiced (calf), and Will Anderson Jr. is reportedly dealing with a high ankle sprain that has kept him sidelined.
#Texans who didn't practice: C.J. Stroud (concussion), Blake Cashman (hamstring), Nico Collins (calf), Tavierre Thomas (hamstring), Will Anderson Jr. (high ankle sprain), George Fant (hip)
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 14, 2023
And as much as we would love to see the Texans get into the playoffs, have we reached a point where looking ahead to next season should be the priority?
The Chargers placed QB Justin Herbert on IR this week, and shut down Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen. Why risk further injury to their top players when they no longer have a chance at making the playoffs?
For the Texans, though, they're still in this thing. And let's face it, CJ Stroud is going to want to play. He has a legit chance to lead the league in passing yards.
DeMeco Ryans is going to have some tough decisions to make over the next week or two.
Looking ahead
A lot can happen in just a few weeks. Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury against the Broncos, and now Nico Collins is out with a calf injury, which caused CJ Stroud to have his worse performance of the year against the Jets.
The offensive line is banged up, and it's led to Stroud taking more hits. We're also realizing that receivers Noah Brown, Robert Woods, and John Metchie have become completely ineffective without Dell and Collins on the field.
It also looks like the Texans haven't learned their lesson from using Tank Dell in goal line situations to block between the tackles. Plus, Nico Collins has yet to play a full season. As good as they are, they appear to be injury prone.
So as we look to next season, there's no reason to bring back Brown and Woods. Brown has ZERO catches in the last two games and Woods has only reached 50 yards receiving twice this year and has -2 yards receiving in his last two games. Yes, you read that correctly.
The salary cap is going up, so why not look to sign Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman, or Mike Evans?
And don't stop there, add another receiver at the top of the draft and give Stroud as many weapons as possible.
There's so much more to talk about. Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss how the Texans should navigate the remainder of the season and beyond.
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X-factor matchups for Houston Texans to make statement rebound versus Colts
Oct 24, 2024, 6:10 pm
This week, the Houston Texans take on the Colts in a matchup with division supremacy on the line. If the Texans are able to come away with a victory, they will own the tiebreaker over Indy and enjoy a comfortable lead in the division.
However, a loss to the Colts means the Texans will be in a virtual tie with Indy in the AFC South. So what do the Texans need to do to secure a win?
On offense, they'll have to do a much better job of protecting CJ Stroud. In their last game against the Packers, Stroud faced immense pressure on third downs, with 12 of his 14 dropbacks resulting in pressure.
During one series, Stroud was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble on three straight plays. They have to clean up the protection, or it will be another long day for the offense.
Fortunately for the Texans, this game is at home. So hopefully the communication issues the Texans o-line dealt with on the road last week won't be an issue at NRG.
Rushing attack
Houston can't afford to rely solely on Joe Mixon and the run game to carry the offense. While Mixon has been terrific, contributing significantly in recent weeks, the Texans will need a balanced attack. Which means Stroud must have time to operate in the pocket.
Bulls on parade
The defense last week was another story for the Texans. They played well against Green Bay, limiting them to 24 points. This week, they face a very different type of quarterback. Anthony Richardson is dead last in passer rating and completion percentage, so that's definitely working in their favor.
We know what Richardson can do with his legs, and Indy is expecting running back Jonathan Taylor to return from an ankle injury, so the rushing defense will be tested.
Richardson's accuracy is certainly a weakness, but he does throw a good deep ball that gave the defense problems in Week 1 this season.
What does Vegas think?
The Texans are favored by 5 points and the total is set at 45.5 points.
This is one video you don't want to miss as we share our in-depth breakdown of the game, as well as our predictions for Sunday's contest.
For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube
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