The Houston Texans are at a crossroads entering Week 18 of the regular season.
Starters are expected to play against the Tennessee Titans, but the question is for how long? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans initially didn’t plan on playing starters, but plans changed after an abysmal outing against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.
“For us right now, we’ve got to go play better,” Ryans said. “Our last outing on the field was not good enough. It was not representative of who we are. Defensively, offensively, just not a good representation of our team entirely. So we’ve got to go out and play better football.”
Among those who could miss the second half is rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter. He appeared on the injury report after dealing with a calf strain and was limited during practice throughout the week.
Cornerback is a position lacking depth with both Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre out at the nickel position. Still, players want to end their season on a high note en route to a 10-win campaign.
“You can never take that for granted,” Texans running back Joe Mixon said. “You got people after this week that are going home. You’ve got 14 teams left and from there, it’s time to put your best stuff on tape. I think that we have a great opportunity in front of us to go out there against Tennessee to try and do whatever we can to go into the playoffs with a great taste.”
Kamari Lassiter update
Lassiter will play on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Should the Texans pull out to a significant lead, Ryans will probably pull the No. 3 overall pick for rest.
Lassiter, who’s closing in on a breakout rookie season, appeared on the injury report with a calf issue but was a full participant during Friday’s drills.
Houston will face either the Pittsburgh Steelers or Los Angeles Chargers, depending on the Chargers’ outing against Las Vegas.
Kamari Lassiter stats
In 13 starts, Lassiter has established himself as a reliable coverage presence and as a tackler. He has 57 tackles, four tackles for loss, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
Last week, the second-round pick hit Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry for a safety by tackling him in the end zone for the Texans’ only points in a Christmas Day 31-2 loss.
Texans CB depth chart
Houston’s thin at cornerback entering Week 18. Veteran Jeff Okudah is out with a concussion. Meanwhile, Myles Bryant is limited to only playing in the nickel.
The Texans signed veteran D’Angelo Ross to the active roster on Saturday before departing for Nashville. Behind Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. are Russ Yeast and Kris Boyd.