The Houston Texans shook up their offensive line in Week 12 against the New York Jets.
Instead of trotting out Geron Christian at left tackle as two-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil remains on injured reserve, the Texans moved over Tytus Howard to protect the blindside of quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Lane Taylor played left guard for Houston as Howard played his first game on the edge since Jan. 3, which was Week 17 of the 2020 campaign.
The former 2019 first-round pick from Alabama State was playing left tackle for the first time in his career, but nevertheless found familiarity playing on the edge.
“It felt pretty good,” Howard told reporters Monday. “It was good to get back out there on the edge and play. Felt like it was a pretty good first game for me. Had a lot to learn from, and the only job is to get better and move forward.”
The Texans faced pressure from the interior of the Jets’ defensive line. Defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers punished Houston with three combined tackles, 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, an interception, and a pass breakup. The Jets sacked Taylor five times, and the Texans lost 21-14 at NRG Stadium in Week 12.
Playing left tackle wasn’t too much of a surprise for Howard, who has been working multiple positions along the offensive line since training camp.
Said Howard: “It was pretty much an ongoing thing throughout the week. I mean, I pretty much been preparing for this situation all season, throughout camp. Throughout the season I’ve been getting multiple reps at a lot of different positions. So, the coaches pretty much prepared me to play any position on the offensive line so far this season.”
The Texans’ next opponent is the Indianapolis Colts, who they will face Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium.