Tag: Laremy Tunsil

Josh Allen named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 12

Josh Allen’s destruction of the Texans’ Laremy Tunsil earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Josh Allen is the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 2.5 sacks against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Allen, 26, has now earned the honor three times in his career. He first received it in 2021 when he recorded a sack and interception against the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. He got it again last season when he got a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery for a touchdown in the de facto AFC South championship game against the Tennessee Titans.

The performance Sunday against the Texans is especially impressive because most of the damage came when Allen was lined up across from three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. Eight of Allen’s career-high 12 pressures came against Tunsil, who previously hadn’t allowed a single player to record more than four pressures in the last six seasons.

Allen now has 12 sacks on the year, fifth most in the NFL.

Earlier this season, kicker Brandon McManus received AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and Trevor Lawrence was AFC Offensive Player of the Week. McManus also earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October.

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The Texans are better than you think, and it’s not just about C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans are better than you think as a team, which means that it’s about more then just C.J. Stroud.

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When the Houston Texans started the 2023 season 0-2 with losses to the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts, it seemed as if Houston’s NFL franchise would be nothing but an interesting footnote with new head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. Coming off a 3-13-1 2022 season as they had, the Texans went all-out in the draft, taking Ohio State’s Stroud with the second overall pick, and trading up to select Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick. Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio also made some interesting free-agency moves, and took Houston speed receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, but in those first two games, the Texans still looked worlds away from competitive status.

What a difference a couple of months can make. The Texans have won five of their last seven games since that 0-2 start, Ryans and his staff seem to have multiplied and maximized the efforts of just about every player on the roster, and Stroud has graduated from a college quarterback with some question marks about his NFL potential to one of the best quarterbacks in the league, regardless of tenure.

Stroud is the force multiplier for the Texans in conjunction with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, but is this team good enough to get to the playoffs and make noise there? Houston has had one of the league’s tougher schedules this season, and they close out the 2023 regular season with games against the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, NEw York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and the Colts. So, it’s a legitimate question, and when you look at the Texans’ entire squad, there’s more than just Stroud to talk about. In truth, the Texans are performing over their projections at just about every position, and they’re doing so with a lot of players you may not even know. 

“For us and our team and where we are, we’re still just grinding one week at a time,” Ryans said Monday, one day after his team beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a 30-27 last-second thriller. “Really focused on us and focused on getting better. From our game yesterday, I really loved the fact that everyone contributed to the win. I think that’s the most impressive thing to me about that game. True team win. Everybody stepping up, everybody made a play. If you were up in that game, you made a play, and that’s the cool part about our team is that it doesn’t matter who is out there, we expect everyone to do their best, play to the best of their ability, play fast, play physical, and that’s what you saw from our entire team yesterday.”

More and more, it’s what we’re seeing from the Texans week in and week out as things come together for them.

So, it’s time to focus on the feature question: Who are these guys, anyway, and why are they winning all of a sudden?

It’s about more than the quarterback.

Texans vs. Buccaneers Thursday injury report: LT Laremy Tunsil limited

The Houston Texans released their second injury report for Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and LT Laremy Tunsil was limited.

The Houston Texans released their second injury report ahead of their Week 9 encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from NRG Stadium.

Running back Dameon Pierce (ankle) remained a non-participant, as did receiver Robert Woods (foot) and tight end Brevin Jordan (foot).

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) was a limited participant. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (knee) was also limited.

Guard-tackle Tytus Howard (knee), cornerback Ka’dar Hollman (ankle), and tackle George Fant (foot/shoulder) were full participants. Linebacker Denzel Perryman (wrist/hand), cornerback Tavierre Thomas (hand), linebacker Blake Cashman (wrist), and guard-tackle Josh Jones (hand) were also full participants.

For Tampa Bay, tackle Tristan Wirfs was a full participant after being limited on Wednesday.

For more information on the Buccaneers’ injury report, check out the Bucs Wire.

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Texans vs. Buccaneers Wednesday injury report: RB Dameon Pierce did not participate

The Houston Texans released their first injury report for Week 9 and running back Dameon Pierce did not participate in practice.

The Houston Texans released their first injury report Wednesday ahead of their Week 9 encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from NRG Stadium.

Running back Dameon Pierce (ankle) did not participate in practice along with left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee), tight end Brevin Jordan (foot), cornerback Ka’dar Hollman (foot), and receiver Robert Woods (foot).

Tackle George Fant (foot/shoulder), guard-tackle Tytus Howard, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (knee), and safety Jimmie Ward (rest) were limited participants.

Linebacker Blake Cashman (wrist), guard-tackle Josh Jones (hand), linebacker Denzel Perryman (wrist/hand), and cornerback Tavierre Thomas (hand) were full participants.

For Tampa Bay, quarterback Baker Mayfield (knee) was a full participant in the Bucs’ practice.

For more information on Tampa Bay’s injury report, check out the Bucs Wire.

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4 key matchups for Panthers vs. Texans in Week 8

The Panthers have a few talented pass catchers to deal with in Week 8, including the exciting Tank Dell. Oh, and Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are going head to head.

The Carolina Panthers had an awful first six weeks of the season, coming out as the NFL’s only winless team over a miserable opening stretch. So hopefully for them, the seventh week (their bye) helped bring some much-needed answers.

And if that is indeed the case, then here are four key matchups that’ll help them finally win in Week No. 8:

Texans offensive line claims No. 15 in Pro Football Focus rankings

The Houston Texans offensive line inched its way to No. 15 in the latest Pro Football Focus rankings entering Week 7.

The Houston Texans offensive line has had its depth tested since the second week of training camp, but the five-man unit continues to find ways to thrive.

According to Zoltan Buday from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ offensive line ranked as the 15th-best blocking unit entering Week 7. Largely the Texans’ placement in the top half of the NFL is due to their pass-blocking, wherein Houston is ranked sixth-best in the league.

After allowing 10 pressures in the first two games of the season, right guard Shaq Mason has surrendered just two over the past four games. He has allowed pressure on 1.5% of dropbacks over that span, which is the fourth-lowest rate among guards.

PFF considers left tackle Laremy Tunsil to be the best player on the offensive line with an 88.2 pass-blocking grade, which is the third-best among tackles the past two weeks.

What has helped the Texans is, not only the return of Tytus Howard, but the serviceable play of tackle George Fant. Houston is able to leave Fant at right tackle and use Howard’s versatility to plug left guard, where they have played Josh Jones and Kendrick Green following the season-ending injury to second-year guard Kenyon Green.

Run blocking remains an area for improvement. The Texans have the third-lowest yards per carry in the NFL at 3.2.

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Texans inch to No. 16 in Pro Football Focus Week 6 offensive line rankings

The Houston Texans offensive line managed to take some territory near the top of Pro Football Focus’ power rankings.

One of the positives for the Houston Texans heading into 2023 was their offensive line. Regardless of whether C.J. Stroud won the quarterback battle with Davis Mills, the offense surely would benefit from having a blend of quality veterans at four of the five starting positions.

Injuries took their toll, and Houston slowly had to work from having just one intended starter in right guard Shaq Mason in Week 2 to a nearly restored Week 5 lineup that saw Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil return and right tackle Tytus Howard use his versatility to man left guard.

According to Zoltan Buday from Pro Football Focus, while the Texans gave away victory in their 21-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons Oct. 8, Houston’s offensive line put together a noteworthy performance; something to build on in coming weeks.

The Texans’ offensive line recorded the highest pass-blocking efficiency rating in Week 5 after allowing just three pressures on 35 dropbacks.

Stroud completed 20 passes on 35 attempts for 249 yards and a touchdown despite Houston falling to 2-3 on the season. The Falcons landed just two quarterback hits, but weren’t able to drop the No. 2 overall pick for a sack. In fact, Stroud has not taken a sack since Week 2.

Where the Texans’ offensive line could stand to improve is in the run game. The Texans are tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the lowest yards per carry in the NFL at 3.0.

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Texans vs. Falcons Friday injury report: LB Christian Harris out with concussion

The Houston Texans declared Christian Harris out for Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons as the linebacker sustained a concussion.

The Houston Texans revealed their final injury report ahead of their Week 5 showdown with the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Texans ruled out second-year linebacker Christian Harris with a concussion, who did not participate in practice. The team also ruled out tackle Josh Jones (hand), although he had limited participation.

Houston declared defensive tackle Maliek Collins (abdomen), cornerback Shaquill Griffin (calf), linebacker Jake Hansen (neck), receiver John Metchie (illness), and left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) as questionable. Metchie and Tunsil were full participants in practice while the former were limited.

Guard-center Michael Deiter (chest), right tackle Tytus Howard (hand), right guard Shaq Mason (ankle), punter Cam Johnston (calf), linebacker Denzel Perryman (hand), running back Dameon Pierce (knee), and cornerback Tavierre Thomas (hand) were not given designations and also were full participants in practice.

The Falcons had no one on their injury report all week.

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Texans vs. Falcons Thursday injury report: LT Laremy Tunsil limited

The Houston Texans released their second injury report for Week 5, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil was still limited.

The Houston Texans released their second injury report ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Linebacker Jake Hansen (neck) and receiver John Metchie (illness) were added to the list as non-participants. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins remained a non-participant with an abdomen issue.

Cornerback Shaquill Griffin (calf) was added to the limited list. Tackle Josh Jones (hand) and left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) remained limited.

Center-guard Michael Deiter (chest), right tackle Tytus Howard (hand), punter Cam Johnston (calf), linebacker Denzel Perryman (hand), and cornerback Tavierre Thomas (hand) remained full participants. Right guard Shaq Mason (ankle) and running back Dameon Pierce (knee) were upgraded to full participants.

For more information on the Falcons’ injury report, check out the Falcons Wire.

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Texans vs. Falcons Wednesday injury report: RB Dameon Pierce limited

The Houston Texans released their first practice report for Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, and running back Dameon Pierce was limited.

The Houston Texans released their first injury report for Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (abdomen), safety Jimmy Ward (rest), and receiver Robert Woods (rest) were listed as non-participants.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee), tackle Josh Jones (hand), guard Shaq Mason (ankle), running back Dameon Pierce (knee), and cornerback Steven Nelson (rest) were listed as limited participants.

Houston had full participation from guard-center Michael Deiter (chest), tackle Tytus Howard (hand), punter Cam Johnston (calf), linebacker Denzel Perryman (hand), and cornerback Tavierre Thomas (hand).

While the Falcons did not have any players listed on the injury report for Wednesday’s practice, in-depth coverage on Atlanta can be found at the Falcons Wire.