Tag: Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins

Texans elevate former starting tight end from practice squad to game-day roster

The Houston Texans are adding another player from the practice squad for Sunday’s contest.

The Houston Texans are calling up reinforcements from the practice squad ahead of their Week 15 showdown with the Miami Dolphins.

The Texans elevated tight end Irv Smith Jr. to the game-day roster, the team announced Saturday. They will revert back to the practice squad on Tuesday.

For his career, Smith has 109 career receptions in the NFL for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught 18 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown last season in 12 games.

Players can be elevated up to three times during the season without having to clear waivers to return to the practice squad. This marks Smith’s second elevation since being picked up off waivers last month.

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, the Texans are considered favorites against the Dolphins.

With a win and an Indianapolis Colts loss, Houston would clinch the AFC South title for a second consecutive season.

Dolphins vs. Texans injury report: Latest updates, news for Friday

Here’s the injury report from Friday’s final practice as the Houston Texans prepare to take on the Miami Dolphins.

Here are the full injury reports ahead of the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins’ matchup at NRG Stadium in Week 15.

Houston Texans (8-5)

OUT

  • OL Juice Scruggs (foot)

QUESTIONABLE

  • G Nick Broeker (hand)
  • G Kenyon Green (shoulder)
  • LB Christian Harris (calf)
  • LB Jamal Hill (knee)

Note: The Texans placed third-year safety Jalen Pitre on the injured reserve.

Miami Dolphins (6-7)

OUT

  • WR Dee Eskridge (knee)

DOUBTFUL

  • OT Terron Armstead (knee)

QUESTIONABLE

  • LB Bradley Chubb (knee)
  • WR Grant DuBose (shoulder)
  • LS Blake Ferguson (non-football illness)
  • LB Cameron Goode (knee)
  • OT Kendall Lamm (back)

Note: The Dolphins released Odell Beckham Jr. Friday morning 

All 32 NFL teams (including the Texans) ranked by FPI ratings

Here’s where the Houston Texans rank among all 32 NFL rosters based on their FPI rankings entering Week 15.

Fourteen weeks into the season, the Houston Texans (8-5) have a 1.1 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 22nd in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins (6-7), who travel to NRG Stadium in Week 15 to take on the Texans, are ranked 16th with a 0.3 FPI rating.

FPI is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.com. “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

So with that background in mind, here’s a look at how the league’s 32 teams stack up based on FPI going into Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season.

  1. Detroit Lions (12-1): 8.4
  2. Buffalo Bills (10-3): 6.7
  3. Green Bay Packers (9-4): 6.2
  4. Baltimore Ravens (8-5): 6.2
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2): 4.6
  6. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1): 3.7
  7. Minnesota Vikings (11-2): 3.3
  8. San Francisco 49ers (6-7): 3.1
  9. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3): 1.7
  10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6): 1.7
  11. Washington Commanders (8-5): 1.3
  12. Houston Texans (8-5): 1.1
  13. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5): 1.0
  14. Los Angeles Rams (7-6): 0.6
  15. Arizona Cardinals (6-7): 0.6
  16. Miami Dolphins (6-7): 0.3
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8): 0.1
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-5): -0.3
  19. Atlanta Falcons (6-7): -0.7
  20. New York Jets (3-10): -0.7
  21. Cleveland Browns (3-10): -1.0
  22. Denver Broncos (8-5): -1.2
  23. Chicago Bears (4-9): -1.5
  24. Indianapolis Colts (6-7): -2.7
  25. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11): -4.2
  26. Tennesee Titans (3-10): -6.1
  27. New England Patriots (3-10): -6.7
  28. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10): -6.8
  29. New Orleans Saints (5-8): -7.3
  30. Dallas Cowboys (5-8): -7.3
  31. New York Giants (2-11): -8.5
  32. Carolina Panthers (3-10): -9.6

The Texans will aim to improve their rating when they host the Dolphins for a chance to clinch the AFC South title. Houston remained idle in FPI rankings following the bye week.

Texans LB Christian Harris post cryptic photo surrounding return rumors

Christian Harris should be getting ready to suit up for the Houston Texans following the bye week.

Is Christian Harris coming back following the Houston Texans’ bye week?

Based on his latest social media post, the results are looking promising.

Harris, who’s missed a majority of the season with a calf injury, recently posted a photo to his Instagram featuring him in uniform, almost serving as a beacon of hope that a return is on the horizon.

The Texans are currently on their bye week but return for a three-game series within 11 days, starting against the Miami Dolphins. According to multiple reports, Harris has always been expected to come off the injured reserve following Houston’s bye.

Last month, Texans general manager Nick Caserio confirmed in an interview with Sports Radio 610’s Sean Pendergast and Seth Payne that Harris would play again in 2024 after missing the first 14 games.

He reiterated the same stance on Tuesday during his yearly press conference.

“I think he is getting closer. I’d say there’s definitely a shot we’re going to see him sooner rather than later,” Caserio said.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said last week that Harris was trending upward, but the AFC South favorites are in a “waiting game” for the time being.

“We will see where Christian is,” Ryans said Monday after a 23-20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. “Christian has done a great job progressing, and we look forward to seeing him out there pretty soon.”

The Texans need a healthy Harris if they plan on making a postseason push, espeically with Azeez Al-Shaair now out for three games because of a suspension. Depth at linebacker has been a concern for Houston, so bringing back a leading tackler makes sense.

In 2023, Harris recorded a career-high 101 tackles last season and returned an interception for a touchdown in a playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns.