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After a two-week hiatus as a healthy scratch, Keke Coutee found his way back to the Houston Texans’ lineup in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Red Raider played 72% (44) of offensive snaps in Week 11, recording three catches for 25 yards.
While coaches haven’t explained directly why Coutee did not play in Weeks 8 and 9, they did allude to a lack of attention to detail as a reason being his removal from the offense.
Coutee’s quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is elated for the return of the second-year wide receiver.
“It’s always good to get Keke back out there and get his confidence up,” said Watson on Tuesday. “He’s a great help for this team, he’s a great football player, great teammate, just a great person, a brother.”
In theory, Coutee is supposed to be the quarterback’s slot sidekick. Though he briefly fell out of favor at the position, there remains hope that he can develop into a reliable, speedy weapon in Houston’s offense.
“You just kind of make sure that he’s staying along, staying encouraged and that’s what we’ve been doing,” continued Watson. “He’s definitely going to help us out as we make this run.”
Coutee has 16 receptions for 179 yards in seven games for the Texans in 2019. In 2018, he recorded 28 for 287 yards and a touchdown. His specialist, as a rookie, was dicing up the Indianapolis Colts.
In two games against the Colts in 2018 (including playoffs), Coutee recorded 22 receptions for 219 yards and a touchdown. His momentum against the Colts took a halting stop in Week 7 when he dropped a pass; resulting in a game-losing interception.
On Thursday, Coutee will get an opportunity for redemption. The Texans host the Colts on the short week. With a job within Houston’s offense in his name, Coutee can either prove he is the “Colt Killer” or that his success against them in 2018 was a fluke.