Tag: Henry To’oTo’o

Will Henry To’oTo’o play today? Latest injury updates for Texans LB

Houston Texans LB Henry To’oTo’o has been dealing with a concussion. Here are the latest updates entering Thursday night.

With the Houston Texans on a short week, current injured players might be out again if not fully cleared.

That might not be the case for second-year linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, who suffered a concussion earlier this month but returned to practice last week.

He was a last-second inactive for Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts and could have played if the team was desperate. 

Will Al-Shaair suit up on “Thursday Night Football” when the Texans take on the New York Jets? Here’s what happened and his current status entering Thursday morning.

Henry To’To’o injury update

To’oTo’o suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter of Week 6’s win over the New England Patriots. He didn’t practice before Week 7’s loss against the Green Bay Packers and was limited last week.

The former Alabama star practiced on Wednesday last week but then missed Thursday’s drills for further evaluation. To’o’To’o returned on Friday and was listed as questionable on the final injury report. 

To’oTo’o was a full participant in drills this past week and cleared the protocol. He plans on playing Thursday night and is excited to return to the starting lineup after having to watch the Texans go 1-1 without him.

“I’m excited,” To’oTo’o said. That’s my biggest thing. I’m just so excited to be able to play the game. I love it and also to be out with the guys that you work so hard with every single day. I’m excited. I’m juiced up and ready to go.”

Fellow linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair did practice on Tuesday, but the Texans ruled him out once more. He will miss his third consecutive game as Houston looks to improve to 7-2 to close out the month of October.

Henry To’To’o stats

Through six games, To’oTo’o leads the Texans with 46 tackles. He’s also recorded two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup. 

Texans LB depth chart

With Al-Shaair out, Texans must decide who will line up next to To’oTo’o as the team’s MIKE linebacker.

Here’s the rest of the linebackers on the active roster:

  • Neville Hewitt
  • Jake Hansen
  • Devin White
  • Jamal Hill
  • Del’Shawn Phillips

Hewitt and Hansen rotated in last week and likely will do the same opposite To’oTo’o. Hewitt, best known as a special teams ace, has been the team’s top tackler over the previous two games. He finished with 15 total stops against the Patriots and Packers, respectively. 

White, a former first-round pick in 2019, isn’t expected to start but could see prominent reps as the No. 3 option. Last week against the Colts, he recorded three tackles.

Last season with the Buccaneers, White had 83 tackles, six pass deflections and two interceptions. 

Will Henry To’oTo’o play this week? Injury updates for Texans LB

Houston Texans LB Henry To’oTo’o is dealing with a concussion. Here are the latest updates.

With the Houston Texans on a short week, players currently injured might be out once more if not fully cleared. 

That might not be the case for second-year linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, who suffered a concussion earlier this month but returned to practice last week. He was a last-second inactive for Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts and could have played if the team was desperate. 

Will To’oTo’o suit up on “Thursday Night Football” when the Texans take on the New York Jets? Here’s what happened and his current status entering Tuesday’s walkthrough. 

Henry To’oTo’o injury update

To’oTo’o suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter of Week 6’s win over the New England Patriots. He didn’t practice before Week 7’s loss against the Green Bay Packers and was limited last week.

While To’oTo’o practiced on Wednesday, he missed Thursday’s drills for further evaluation. To’o’To’o returned on Friday, but the Texans listed him as questionable on the final injury report. 

While the Texans didn’t practice Monday, To’oTo’o would have been a full participant, meaning he’s cleared protocol and can now handle contact. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans didn’t say if he’d play, but the early outlook seems to be promising. 

How long will Henry To’oTo’o be out?

Barring a setback during Tuesday’s drills, it would be best to assume that To’oTo’o will play Thursday against the AFC East opponent. The Texans have managed without him and Azeez Al-Shaair through two weeks, but there’s been a drop-off in production between the three rotating options. 

Henry To’oTo’o stats

Through six games, To’oTo’o leads the Texans with 46 tackles. He’s also recorded two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup. 

Texans LB depth chart

Al-Shaair, who’s also missed the last two games due to a knee injury, could be again after being listed as “didn’t practice” along with Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive back Jimmie Ward. 

Here’s the rest of the linebackers on the active roster:

  • Neville Hewitt 
  • Devin White
  • Jake Hansen
  • Del’Shawn Phillips
  • Jamal Hill

Hewitt, White and Hansen rotated in last week and likely will do the same opposite To’oTo’o. Hewitt, best known as a special teams ace, has been the team’s top tackler over the previous two games. He finished with eight stops against the Patriots and Packers, respectively. 

Who is inactive for Texans in Week 7 matchup vs. Packers?

Six players are out for the Houston Texans on Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.

The Houston Texans are down five defensive starters for Sunday’s contest at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.

Linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, plus cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Jimmie Ward were all officially out for Sunday’s matchup against the Packers, according to the team’s Friday injury report. The four appeared on the inactive list, along with return man Steven Sims and veteran receiver Robert Woods.

Al-Shaair suffered a knee injury in the first half of Week 6’s win over the New England Patriots. Neville Hewitt, best known for his special teams ability, will start as the team’s MIKE backer opposite either Jake Hansen or fifth-round pick Jamal Hill.

To’oTo’o exited the game late in the fourth quarter after making a tackle on a punt return. He entered the league’s concussion protocol and didn’t practice throughout the week. Hansen filled in for the final eight minutes of Sunday’s matchup.

“Neville and Jake have been here with us for a while,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “They have gotten a lot of reps. They know how we play, they know what to expect, they know how to communicate. It is nothing new to them. If they have to go out and give snaps, I feel confident in those guys being able to step up and help us.”

Sims was a late addition to the injury report after suffering a back injury. In his place, Houston elevated Desmond King from the practice squad to likely serve as the punt returner and add depth to Houston’s secondary.

Receivers Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson could also be used heavily in special teams as returners.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

DeMeco Ryans provides update on LB Christian Harris

Christian Harris likely won’t be suiting up until at least next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, if not longer.

Christian Harris is expected to play for the Houston Texans in 2024. It just won’t be happening this week against the New England Patriots.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Monday that Harris is inching his way back from a hip injury but will not be cleared to practice just yet.

A former third-round pick out of Alabama, Harris has yet to play a snap since the start of training camp due to the injury suffered this summer. He was eligible to return from the injured reserve following the end of camp.

Ryans said that the team is “still waiting” on Harris to show a bit more improvement in the recovery process before putting him on the field.

“He is doing well,” Ryans said. “We actually had Christian down on the sideline yesterday which was encouraging to see him down there, see his support, his energy that he brings to our team. We are pulling for him to get back at the right time.”

Last season, Harris was one of the breakout defensive stars en route to helping Houston secure a division title. After totaling 74 tackles as a rookie, he bumped his numbers up to 101 tackles, plus two sacks in Year 2.

Ryans said he wasn’t worried about Harris having regression set in because of missed reps and is excited to have him back whenever he is cleared.

“Whenever we can get Christian back, it’ll be beneficial for everyone,” Ryans said. “I am excited about his growth and his development. I’m still very encouraged by that and Christian will pick up right where he left off.”

With Harris still expected to be sidelined, the Texans will turn back to Henry To’oTo’o. Ryans pleased the second-year linebacker for his performance in coverage against the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s 23-20 victory.

“Henry had one of his better games this past week,” Ryans said. “He’s playing physical, he’s playing fast, just all over the field. So, encouraged with his growth and his improvement. Coach [Bill] Davis has done a great job with helping his development.”

Texans defense not willing to overlook Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

The Houston Texans defense considers Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to be a formidable field general.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans defense will face an interesting dilemma when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium on Sunday. Many believe the wide receiver duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will cause havoc for the Texans defenders, and that is not without merit. In seven games this season, the two have combined for 959 yards (Evans-507, Godwin-452) on 71 receptions. Evans is a big-body wide receiver with a huge catch ratio, while Godwin can stretch the field with his speed.

Yet, the one person that the Texans defenders must contain is Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who took over play-calling duties for Tampa Bay with the retirement of Tom Brady. He helped his team get off to a 3-1 start before they went on their current three-game losing streak. Even though he has yet to be as efficient as of late, Mayfield still can exceed expectations numerous times.

“He can move,” said Texans rookie linebacker Henry To’oTo’o when asked about Mayfield. “He still got it. He still looks like the college Baker Mayfield to me. But he can move, and he knows how to make plays. He knows how to throw the ball, and he knows where to put the ball. He can escape the pocket when he needs to and make plays with his legs. We have to contain him and swarm to the ball, honestly.”

Mayfield will surprise many defenders by being able to manipulate the pocket, but he does some of his best work when he is allowed to set his feet and deliver the ball. Of the 1,600 yards he has thrown this season, 1,506 have come from inside the tackle box, while 94 have been generated when he is outside of it. When he feels pressure, his football instincts heighten, as displayed by his 96.7 passer rating compared to 86.1 when he has a clean pocket.

The Texans’ defenders want to see just how good he performs when the pressure is applied by defensive ends Jonathan Greenard and rookie Will Anderson Jr. Houston has a 31.2% pressure rate through seven games this season and is coming off of a six-sack game against the Carolina Panthers.

“He gets the ball out really fast, and he can escape the pocket really well,” Anderson said about Mayfield. “He doesn’t take many sacks and if you watch the film, he escapes the pocket and people are missing him on sacks. So, we have to be really sound on our technique on bringing him down and attacking the ball.”

Tampa Bay has one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL, leading Mayfield to attempt more passes. Even with the duo of Evans and Godwin, the passing game has looked dismal as he has only had one 300-yard passing game and, at one point this season, had a four-game streak of throwing at least one interception. Anderson is aware that the Texans’ front seven must help out the defensive backs that have to deal with their wide receiver unit, and to do that, they have to apply as much pressure to Mayfield as possible.

“Coach DeMeco [Ryans] always says that ‘Rush and coverage always go together,’” Anderson told the Texans Wire. “If we are doing what we are supposed to do up front, then the DBs [Defensive Backs] will have a really good day. It starts with us having a game plan, a rushing game plan that we have practiced all week. We have to rush together and make him uncomfortable in the pocket.”

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Houston Texans rookie report cards: C.J. Stroud leads with stellar play

The Houston Texans’ rookie class has turned in some decent grades through the first six weeks of the season.

The bye week is a great time to make assessments.

One area where the Houston Texans have to be pleased with themselves is their rookie draft class. Aside from completely nailing the top pick and landing the franchise’s starting quarterback for years to come, general manager Nick Caserio and assistant director of personnel and college scouting director James Liipfert identified a cast of contributors.

Not only does the Texans class provide competition at certain positions, but the rookies also have shown dependability as game day contributors.

Here is a look at the Texans’ draft class through the first six weeks of the regular season.

Texans LB Henry To’oTo’o earns high praise from NBC Sports’ Peter King

Houston Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o managed to get some high praise for his efforts in the 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4.

While it would seem the addition of an Alabama linebacker on the Houston Texans defense would be otherwise redundant, Henry To’oTo’o proved in Week 4 why the team needed to draft him in Round 5.

To’oTo’o generated seven combined tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup in the Texans’ 30-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium.

According to Peter King from NBC Sports, To’oTo’o was one of his three defensive players of the week.

Henry To’oTo’o, linebacker, Houston. A ferocious defensive effort that smothered the Steelers for much of the day Sunday was led by this rookie fifth-round pick from Alabama. Pronounced TOE-oh-TOE-oh, by the way. His stats (seven tackles, one for loss, and a pass defended) don’t jump off the page, but you had to see his impact on the game, particularly in the third quarter. With the Steelers down 16-0 and threatening at the Houston 15-yard line on third-and-two, To’oTo’o plastered running back Jaylen Warren behind the line, and he was stopped for a two-yard loss. Pittsburgh settled for a field goal. Next series: Pittsburgh at the Houston eight, first-and-goal, and Kenny Pickett threw for George Pickens in the back of the end zone. To’oTo’o broke it up. Pittsburgh settled for a field goal. Two huge plays in the Texans’ 30-6 win.

Along with Christian Harris, another former Alabama product, the Texans have a duo of young linebackers with dynamic cohesion. Houston limited the Steelers to 225 yards total offense and 12 first downs.

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Texans’ linebacking corps still seeking to find stride

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Houston Texans linebacking corps is still working on forming cohesion.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans defense prepared all week for Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. The defense sought to stop the No. 4 overall pick from using his legs as a weapon, and force Richardson more in the pocket, challenging him to win through the air.

The formula looked good on paper, but on the gridiron, Richardson burned Houston on scoring runs of 18 and 15 to give the Colts a 14-0 first quarter lead.

While Richardson left the game with a concussion in the second quarter, the Texans hardly found an advantage. Backup Gardner Minshew’s veteran presence steadied the Colts to a 31-20 win in Week 2 at NRG Stadium.

One of the many factors that led to the Texans’ demise was the play of their linebacker corps, who found themselves continuously taking bad angles on run plays and being in the wrong spots while in pass coverage.

“For the linebacker corps, for me, we have to coach them better,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It wasn’t good enough, and from start to finish, we have to do a much better job when it comes to just being where we’re supposed to be in coverage, when it comes to tackling in the hole — like, it has to be much better for us to play good defense.”

Veteran Denzel Perryman led the group with eight tackles, while rookie Henry To’o To’o (seven) and second-year player Christian Harris (one) finished with the same amount combined. The former Alabama duo also had difficulty in pass coverage as the trio was targeted nine times, and the Colts were successful on every pass attempt for 51 yards. To’o To’o played the most snaps (46) behind Perryman (56), while Harris finished with 21.

“Yeah, with the linebackers, we’ve moved a couple guys around,” said Ryans about the limited snaps for Harris on Sunday. “We’ve seen Henry get some snaps. We’ve got Christian in getting snaps. There’s been a little rotation of both of those guys, but we’re just looking for all those guys to be consistent with what they’re given. Own the reps that you have and do the best that you can do with those.”

Houston allowed 236 yards rushing in the first two games, which is unsuitable for a team that was ranked last in the NFL in rushing defense in 2022. In back-to-back weeks, multiple missed tackles and blown assignments will cause many to wonder if the Texans’ defense is slipping back into some of the old habits that plagued them last season.

“Definitely recognize things a lot quicker by formation,” rookie linebacker Henty To’o To’o said about the mistakes he noticed in the game on Sunday during film study. “It will give me that extra step of knowing when I can take off or when I can shoot a gap. I think tackling as a whole defense. We have to do a better job of tackling and no extra yardage on the back end.”

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Texans LB Henry To’oTo’o earned praise for performance against the Patriots

Houston Texans fifth-round linebacker Henry To’oTo’o managed to draw praise from coaches following the 20-9 win over the New England Patriots.

HOUSTON — Now that the dust has settled, all the evaluations of the Houston Texans’ first preseason game against the New England Patriots are done. Rookie linebacker Henry To’oTo’o let the rest of the NFL see what most of the media members and fans have noticed during training camp, and that is his constant evolution of learning the game and applying it on the field.

“Henry did a great job, but again I think Henry has built up that foundation in practice,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke told the media on Saturday about To’oTo’o’s performance. “He’s been out here working the same, and it was nice to see him make a couple of plays and tackles and just being around the ball a little bit. He has a couple of things to work on to. It was a good step for him; hopefully, he keeps progressing this week.”

The former Alabama linebacker only played 16 snaps against New England but made the most of his limited time by recording five tackles. To’oTo’o was able to use the knowledge he gained during training camp from being around his head coach DeMeco Ryans, a former NFL linebacker early in the game when he was able to stop a Patriots drive early in the second quarter, making an open field tackle on running back Pierre Strong Jr. who tried to slip into the flats on third and two.

“Knowing what down it is, the possibilities of something happening, and just communicating that over and over again,” To’oTo’o said after the game on Thursday about his awareness. “So I think that was the biggest thing for me being out there and knowing this can happen and that can happen, and ultimately, that leads us to make the plays.”

That mindset made him a priority for the Texans when he was available in the later rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.

“We are seeing the same stuff we have seen when he was coming out of college,” said Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. “The instincts he has for the ball and the feel for the game, those are things you can’t really coach. Getting comfortable in the system and on game day, just cutting it loose, and that is what he did on his first couple of snaps.

“In the run game, he saw it and triggered fast; in the passing game, he has a great feel. It was really good to see; he still has a long way to go, but for him to get that first one under his belt and feel good about it and feel good going into the next one.”

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C.J. Stroud dull in preseason opener, Texans top Patriots 20-9

Rookie QB C.J. Stroud was underwhelming in his preseason debut, but the Houston Texans nevertheless beat the New England Patriots 20-9.

C.J. Stroud was lackluster in his preseason debut, but the Houston Texans still dominated the New England Patriots 20-9 Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

The No. 2 overall pick played two series for Houston, completing 2-of-4 for 13 yards and an interception while taking a sack.

Spelling Stroud was third-year Davis Mills, who completed nine passes on 12 attempts for 99 yards and a touchdown. With 12 seconds remaining until halftime, Mills connected with rookie receiver Tank Dell to push Houston ahead 7-3.

Case Keenum took over for Mills with 11:58 to go in the third quarter. The 35-year-old went 9-14 for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Dell led all receivers with five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. On his lone score, the third-round pick bobbled the initial contact with the ball while lying on his back in the front left corner of the end zone. Despite two Patriots in the area, Dell managed to catch the ball on the second attempt for his first preseason score.

Dameon Pierce did not play, which led Devin Singletary to take first-team reps at running back. The former Buffalo Bills starter carried five times for 14 yards. Mike Boone led the Texans with four carries for 25 yards.

Fifth-round linebacker Henry To’oTo’o collected five combined tackles to lead the team. Linebacker Denzel Perryman had four combined tackles and 1.0 sack. Defensive end Chase Winovich and defensive tackle Kurt Hinish also collected a sack apiece.

Houston limited the Patriots to 164 yards total offense while tallying 265. The Texans went 7-15 on third down while New England went 3-12. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans’ squad also won the penalty battle as they incurred three penalties for 30 yards compared to five for 41 for New England.

The Texans go home to host the Miami Dolphins Aug. 19 at NRG Stadium after a week of joint training camp practices.

The Patriots go on the road to take on the Green Bay Packers Aug. 19 at Lambeau Field.

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