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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Critical levers Astros can pull as health concerns, deadline pressures grow
Jul 10, 2025, 3:46 pm
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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