Texans-Buccaneers Wednesday injury report: DeAndre Hopkins, Carlos Hyde not practicing

The Houston Texans released their Thursday injury report ahead of their game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and DeAndre Hopkins did not practice.

The Houston Texans released their Thursday injury report ahead of their Week 16 encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at noon CT at Raymond James Stadium.

The Texans had two prolific offensive players not practice in receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back Carlos Hyde.

Did not participate
ILB Benardrick McKinney Concussion
OLB Jacob Martin Knee
RB Carlos Hyde Ankle/not injury related
WR DeAndre Hopkins Illness

The Texans did have some positive news as safety Jahleel Addae, who did not participate in Tuesday’s practice with an Achilles injury, was a limited participant on Wednesday.

Limited participation
TE Darren Fells Hand
WR Will Fuller Hamstring
RB Carlos Hyde Ankle
RB Taiwan Jones Hamstring
OLB Brennan Scarlett Achilles/shoulder
S Jahleel Addae Achilles

The Buccaneers announced that receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans would be placed on injured reserve, ruling them out for the Saturday contest with the Texans. For more information, visit the Bucs Wire.

Ravens vs. Browns injury report: Ravens as healthy as possible Wednesday

The Ravens are as healthy as any team could reasonably be in Week 16 against the Browns, seeing no players miss practice due to injury

The Baltimore Ravens are coming off a bit of a rest after playing the New York Jets on Thursday in Week 15. That’ll give them 10 days from last week’s game to this week’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Thanks to that rest and a little bit of luck, Baltimore’s injury report to start this week is squeaky clean. Though four players did not practice on Wednesday, all were for non-injury reasons — likely a veteran’s day off to keep those specific players fresh for the postseason.

Let’s take a look at Wednesday’s injury report for the Ravens vs. Browns in Week 16.

Baltimore Ravens injuries:

Player Position Injury Wed Thur Fri Game status
Mark Ingram RB NIR DNP
Jimmy Smith CB NIR DNP
Earl Thomas S NIR DNP
Marshal Yanda G NIR DNP
Chris Board LB Concussion FP
Ronnie Stanley T Concussion FP

It’s beyond rare for an NFL team to be this healthy at this point in the season and it’s something that could seriously benefit the Ravens in the playoffs. With a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed this week, Baltimore could have nothing to play for in Week 17 allowing them to rest their starters. And with a first-round bye, in that case, the Ravens could actually head into the playoffs with two weeks of rest to get even healthier.

Cleveland Browns injuries:

Player Position Injury Wed Thur Fri Game status
T Kendall Lamm T Knee DNP
Sheldon Richardson DT Back DNP
JC Tretter C Knee DNP
Odell Beckham Jr. WR Groin LP
Tae Davis LB Knee LP
Dontrell Hilliard RB Neck LP
Chris Hubbard T Knee LP
Jarvis Landry WR Hip LP
Eric Murray S Knee LP
Olivier Vernon DE Knee LP
Denzel Ward CB Ankle LP
Porter Gustin DE Neck FP

 


Key:

DNP – Did not participate
LP – Limited participation (anything below 100%)
FP – Full participation
NIR – Non-injury related

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Texans vs. Buccaneers: Time, TV schedule and streaming info for Week 16

The Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers hook up for a Week 16 showdown on NFL Network. Find out how to watch the game here.

Win and they are in.

All the Houston Texans have to do to wrap up the AFC South is beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CT at Raymond James Stadium. By virtue of having a better division record than the Tennessee Titans, regardless of whether the Titans win out, the Texans would have the tiebreaker and take the division.

Quarterback Jameis Winston and the 7-7 Buccaneers stand in the way of the Texans. Winning five of their last six games, Tampa Bay is a potent offense that could put a Drew Lock-like beating on the Texans.

Week 16 could be a letdown for the Texans, or it could be a buildup for a playoff run. Nonetheless, the Texans are 1-2 against the NFC South this season and could finish with a .500 mark against the other conference for the second straight year.

As part of the hoopla of the game being part of tripleheader action on NFL Network, the game will feature a Next Gen Stats second-screen experience for fans at NFL.com/ngslive, which can be viewed on desktop and mobile.

According to NFL Media, “Next Gen Stats Live” will give fans access to tracking players live and allowing users to follow real-time location and participation on the field concurrent with the broadcast. Furthermore, fans will also have the customary unique player insights for passing, rushing, receiving, and a lot more.

To get ready for the Week 16 action here is important game day information so you can catch the game. Follow the @TheTexansWire and the crew (@therealmarklane, @averydduncan).

You can live stream the game on FuboTV (try it free).

Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Saturday, Dec. 21 at 12:00 p.m. CT

TV channel: CBS (Rich Eisen, Nate Burleson, Joe Thomas)

Live stream: FuboTV (try it free)

Radio: Sports Radio 610 (KILT-AM), Mega 101 (KLOL-FM) (Marc Vandermeer & Andre Ware)

Location: Raymond James Stadium

Forecast: Cloudy, 74 degrees, 12 mph wind

Referee: Scott Novak

Odds: Texans -3.0

Is Cleveland imploding and other questions for Browns Wire in Week 16

The Baltimore Ravens get a chance for a little revenge in Week 16. They’ll take on the Cleveland Browns, the last team to beat them this season (back in Week 4). Not only can Baltimore right a wrong, but they can also clinch the No. 1 seed this …

The Baltimore Ravens get a chance for a little revenge in Week 16. They’ll take on the Cleveland Browns, the last team to beat them this season (back in Week 4). Not only can Baltimore right a wrong, but they can also clinch the No. 1 seed this week.

With such an important game and one against a division rival currently in flux, I wanted to get some insider information on what’s going on. So I turned to Browns Wire managing editor Jeff Risdon to get the scoop on what Cleveland has going on this season and what they could be looking at this offseason.

1) Cleveland has been arguably the most inconsistent team in the NFL this season on both sides of the ball. Why is that?

It’s patently unfair to pin everything on Freddie Kitchens, but the rookie head coach has his tentacles in every level of the Browns’ failures in 2019. The team has the NFL’s best running back in Nick Chubb but Kitchens will go several series without using him. They have Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. but throw more designed passes in the red zone to Demetrius Harris. They’re a poorly coached team far too often.

Defensively, injuries and the Myles Garrett suspension have definitely been factors. They played one week with just four of their Week 1 starters on the field and will be missing at least three this Sunday. The entire pass rush was built around Garrett and with him and Olivier Vernon gone, it’s fallen to pieces.

Texans vs Buccaneers: Point spread, over/under for Week 16

The Houston Texans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet for the first Saturday game in Week 16. The Texans are favored by -3.0.

The Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet for the first game of Week 16 on NFL Network in a Saturday triple-header that kicks off at 12:00 p.m. CT.

For the Texans, a win means they get to take home their sixth division title, the second-most in AFC South history behind the Indianapolis Colts’ seven. Of course, it won’t be an easy task as they will face a Buccaneers squad led by quarterback Jameis Winston that has won five of its last six to sit at 7-7.

How do odds-makers see the game going?

According to BetMGM, the Texans are road favorites at -3.0, and those odds represent the fifth-slimmest odds of Week 16. Only the Miami Dolphins (-1.5), Dallas Cowboys (-2.5), Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5), and New Orleans Saints (-2.5) have slimmer odds. Aside from the Dolphins, all of the other teams listed are also road favorites, same as the Texans.

In terms of over/under, the game is set at 49.0, which represents the fourth-highest point total of the week. Arizona-Seattle (50.5), New Orleans-Tennessee (50.5), and Baltimore-Cleveland (49.5) have higher over/unders.

In the series history, there has never been a game that went over the 50-point total for points combined. There have been two games that went past the 40-point barrier: Week 14 of 2007 (42) and Week 10 of 2011 (46). However, the  other two games have been fewer than 40 points. Houston’s games have had a combined point total of 50-plus points six times in 2019. The Buccaneers’ games have exceeded the 50-point threshold 11 times this season.

For more information on the rest of the NFL and college football, please check out our sister site, the Sportsbook Wire.


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Texans QB Deshaun Watson is all too familiar with Raymond James Stadium

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is all too familiar with Raymond James Stadium, where he won a national championsip for Clemson.

Jan. 9, 2017. Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium.

Rolling right, Deshaun Watson scanned. What he was looking for, Hunter Renfrow, was there. The result was ideal.

Watson threw the touchdown to win Clemson their first national championship since 1981, beating juggernaut Alabama with one second left.

On Saturday, Dec. 21, Watson will play at Raymond James Stadium for the first time since making the life-changing, program-altering pass, this time as the quarterback of the 9-5 Houston Texans. He will face the 7-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Will Watson carry the sentiment of the toss into Saturday?

“For sure, definitely the first time. Just try to refresh my mind on how the field is set up,” Watson said on Tuesday. “Definitely different than a national championship game, but as far as just the play clock and I guess how far the stands are from the field and it’s going to be louder than that (game). It’s going to bring back a lot of memories for sure.”

“It was just a great day overall. So, it was a cool environment, cool stadium and definitely a lot of fun.”

Watson threw the touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. He will make sure that he pays a visit to the spot.

“Yeah, that right corner down toward the tunnel is definitely a spot that I will have to revisit for sure,” Watson said.

Though not playing for a national championship on Saturday, the return to Raymond James Stadium could warrant a celebration if the Texans beat the red-hot Buccaneers.

With a win, Watson and the Texans would clinch the AFC South division crown, in turn, locking themselves into a home playoff game. From there on, the Clemson great has the ability to complete a feat so few have: win a national championship and a Super Bowl.

Texans start Week 16 No. 8 in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans are No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings for Week 16.

The Houston Texans are back to their winning ways and got a big victory over the Tennessee Titans 24-21 Sunday at Nissan Stadium that offered them first place in the AFC South with two games to go.

Now, the division is the Texans’ to win. A victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday will give Houston their sixth division title, the second-most in AFC South history behind the Indianapolis Colts’ seven.

Where does that put the Texans in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings? Try No. 8. In terms of AFC teams, only the Baltimore Ravens (No. 1) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 5) rank higher than the Texans.

Carlos Hyde has been one of the more underappreciated stories of the year, going from afterthought to his first 1,000-yard rushing effort.

The Titans are No. 11 while the Indianapolis Colts, who took a 34-7 beating from the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees on Monday night, are No. 21. The Jacksonville Jaguars with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew are No. 24.

Touchdown Wire thinks Texans LT Laremy Tunsil shouldn’t have made the Pro Bowl

Touchdown Wire believes Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz should have made the Pro Bowl over Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Pro Bowl selections are like Christmas Day: someone is always going to be whining about what someone else got.

Enter Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who earned his first career Pro Bowl selection Tuesday night. The honor is vindication for coach Bill O’Brien and the five-man general managing council that traded a king’s ransom to the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31 to acquire the 2016 first-round pick. The results are also quantifiable as quarterback Deshaun Watson has gone from taking 62 in 2018 to 39 in 2019 with two games to go. Probably the best indicator that Tunsil has helped the offensive line is that Watson had  two-game stretch from Weeks 5-6 where he did not take a single sack, a feat not seen around Houston since Weeks 1-2 of the 2014 season, the start of the O’Brien era.

But Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is just a tad better, according to Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire.

Schwartz has been one of the better right tackles of the last few years, and he’s never made a Pro Bowl, though he was an All-Pro in 2018. This season, he’s allowed just one sack, five quarterback hits, and 12 quarterback hurries. Meanwhile, Tunsil has allowed three sacks and 15 hurries. Both players have allowed 18 total pressures, but the sack total should push Tunsil out and Schwartz in.

The only way Texans fans would go for Schwartz replacing Tunsil is if the latter is preparing for Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens, Fla. Otherwise, Tunsil earning the Pro Bowl nod is an indication that Watson’s blindside is going to be safe for years to come.

Texans CB Vernon Hargreaves has ‘no ill will’ towards Buccaneers

Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves has no “ill will” towards his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who he will see on Saturday.

A Tampa native, Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves no longer earns paychecks from the team he grew up watching, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Once upon a time, the Bucs gave Hargreaves a chance to be the hometown hero, drafting him at No. 11 overall in 2016 out of Florida. After three years, a new coaching staff gave up on the highly touted cornerback that fell short of expectations.

Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians benched him after he allowed a 55-yard reception to Arizona Cardinals rookie receiver Andy Isabella. Shortly after, he released him.

“It was just a normal conversation,” Hargreaves told reporters Tuesday. “It wasn’t a big controversy. Things happen quick, and it’s nothing that I’m harping on.”

Hargreaves now calls Houston home. On Saturday, he will return to Tampa Bay to face the same Bucs. If he resents his hometown team, his words don’t say it.

“There’s no ill will. I’m not that type of person. It’s not no revenge game. That doesn’t exist,” Hargreaves said. “It’s just football. It’s going to be fun to play against them, and we’ll see how it goes on Saturday.”

Hargreaves has shifted roles, going from an outside corner in Tampa to a nickel one in Houston. In four games with the Texans, he has recorded 17 combined tackles and two pass deflections.

“He’s their nickel and he’s solid,” Arians said on Tuesday to Tampa Bay media.
Hargreaves’ former teammate quarterback Jameis Winston remains a fan of the now-Texan.

“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Vern — played against the guy in college,” Winston said on Tuesday. “It’s going to be a huge game for him coming back to ‘Ray Jay.’ This is his hometown, so I know he’s excited. I know he’s going to play really good football on [Saturday].”

Now in Houston, Hargreaves is playing for his job. The Texans can cut his non-guaranteed $9.59 million fifth-year option after the season. Perhaps getting an interception on the NFL’s pick-leader in Winston (24) in his return will sway the Texans to pay him the pricey sum.

“He turns the ball over,” Hargreaves said. “That’s no secret. Hopefully, we can get our hands on some balls. And hopefully, we can come out with a win.”

Texans S Justin Reid learned to play through pain at a young age

The Houston Texans named Justin Reid their Ed Block Courage Award winning for playing through the pain. That’s nothing new to him.

Missing one game is an impressive feat for Houston Texans safety Justin Reid.

The 22-year-old has suffered through his fair share of wear-and-tear throughout 2019, sustaining a concussion, wrist and shoulder injuries.

Often on Sundays, Reid is pulled off the field, grasping his shoulder, only to get back on the field minutes later. In the eyes of many, he turns a season-ending injury, or at least a game-ending one, into a simple stinger.

On Tuesday, Texans players recognized Reid’s toughness, giving him the Ed Block Courage Award, given to the player who overcomes adversity, either on or off the field.

As far as his family is concerned, Reid’s toughness is expected. He grew into the role of a defender willing to play through the pain.

“My mom, you want to talk about toughness — my mom was probably the biggest contributing factor to toughness for me and my brothers because she’s a nurse, so she knows what a real injury is and everything like that,” Reid said on Tuesday.

“So, every time we would go down on the field and she could tell it wasn’t really anything serious, I’d hear her voice cut through the crowd. She’d be the first one telling us to get back up, ‘Get up! Get up!’ So I learned from an early age, if it’s not something that’s actually serious and it’s something I can play through, you’re going to play through it.”

Reid roams the field with a “thumper” mindset, a trait his brother, Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, shares. Despite injuries, the Prairieville, La., native has missed just one career game. In 29 games, the Stanford product has four interceptions, 14 pass deflections and 160 combined tackles.

Reid knows when he can play and can’t. Unless it is a concussion that the league has strict rules about players returning to action, no other material force can keep him off the gridiron.

“I always think I’m going to go back in,” Reid said. “That’s just my competitive spirit, that I’m going to be out there on the field with my brothers and I’m going to play and help my team win a football game in any way that I can. If I ever did get to that point, then at that point I’ll pull the plug, but it’s not there yet, and I know I can play.”

It’s going to take a lot more than a few shoulder and wrist injuries to take out 2019’s Ed Block Courage Award winner.