Texans DE J.J. Watt calls return to practice field a nice Christmas present

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says that returning to the practice field on Christmas Eve is a “nice present” indeed.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt returned to the practice field for the first since tearing his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 against the Oakland Raiders in a 27-24 win.

While the Texans defense may have fallen for a “trick” during the trick or treat portion of Halloween, the club got a magnificent holiday present when Watt returned to practice on Christmas Eve for the first time since sustaining the injury.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year considers the return quite the Christmas gift, too.

“Just to get back on the practice field for Christmas Eve, it’s exciting and it’s a nice present,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “They told me a couple of weeks ago that we were eyeing right around Christmas Eve, Christmas Day for when I could start doing this type of stuff. I’ve been kind of optimistically hoping for it ever since.”

On Dec. 1, reports surfaced that Watt might be able to return to the Texans if they qualified for the playoffs. As the Texans were about to face the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football later that day, it seemed like a pipe dream. However, those hopes were buoyed by a 28-22 win, the second such win over the Patriots in club history and the first for coach Bill O’Brien, a former Bill Belichick assistant.

“It’s come, and I think the whole time, the belief that this would be possible played a huge part in my rehab,” said Watt. “Just the ability to know that there is a chance of it happening, and so I’m really excited.”

 As far as where returning to practice after sustaining a supposed season-ending injury ranks, the former 2011 first-round pick could only look back on the charmed life he has led

“It’s up there, but I’m lucky,” Watt said. “I’m a very fortunate guy, I live a very fortunate life and I’m very thankful to have all the great things that I do in my life.”

Texans-Titans Christmas Day injury report: ILB Benardrick McKinney would have practiced

Houston Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney would have been a full participant in practice if there was a real practice on Christmas Day.

The Houston Texans released an injury report ahead of their Week 17 rematch with the Tennessee Titans Sunday afternoon at 3:25 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

On Christmas Day, there was no regular practice. The injury report is an estimation of what participation would have been like. If there would have been a real practice, inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney, who missed Week 16’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a concussion, would have been a full participant.

Did not participate
WR Will Fuller Groin
WR DeAndre Hopkins Illness
Limited participation
S Jahleel Addae Achilles
OLB Brennan Scarlett Achilles
OLB Jacob Martin Knee
WR Kenny Stills Knee
OT Laremy Tunsil Ankle
QB Deshaun Watson Back
Full participation

ILB Benardrick McKinney — Concussion

Eli Apple, Marcus Williams sit out on first Saints-Panthers injury report

The New Orleans Saints rested cornerback Eli Apple and safety Marcus Williams on the first injury report before their Carolina Panthers game

The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers issued their first injury report ahead of Week 17’s regular season finale, and New Orleans could go into this game missing several key starters on defense.

Third-year free safety Marcus Williams (groin) and number-two starting cornerback Eli Apple (ankle) each exited last week’s game with the Tennessee Titans after being injured, and they were both held out of Wednesday’s practice session.

Additionally, wide receiver Krishawn Hogan (hamstring) did not participate; Nola.com’s Amie Just reported that Hogan will end his year on the injured reserve list, making room for newly-signed veteran defensive back Deshawn Shead. Shead is listed as a safety by the Saints, but he’s largely played cornerback in the NFL.

New Orleans conducted a low-intensity walkthrough practice session on Wednesday, so actual player participation is estimated. A number of other Saints players were limited, with some starters returning from injuries (like strong safety Vonn Bell and linebacker Kiko Alonso) and others taking it easy after a punishing game at Tennessee (such as quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Michael Thomas). Their status is all important to monitor over the week.

Here’s everything we learned on Wednesday’s Saints injury report:

From the Saints

  • CB Eli Apple (ankle), Did not participate
  • FS Marcus Williams (groin), Did not participate
  • WR Krishawn Hogan (hamstring), Did not participate
  • QB Drew Brees (knee), Limited
  • WR Michael Thomas (hand), Limited
  • LB Kiko Alonso (quad), Limited
  • DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson (hip/forearm), Limited
  • OL Andrus Peat (forearm), Limited
  • OL Larry Warford (knee), Limited
  • SS Vonn Bell (knee), Limited

From the Panthers

  • TBD

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Texans DE J.J. Watt didn’t have any pain when he tore his pectoral muscle against the Raiders

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says that he did not feel any pain when he tore his pectoral muscle against the Oakland Raiders in Week 8.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle shortly before halftime against the Oakland Raiders in a 27-24 win on Oct. 27 at NRG Stadium.

Unlike outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who tore his pectoral muscle on Oct. 8, 2017, in a 42-34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and said he heard a loud pop, Watt claims to have not felt any sensation immediately.

“I didn’t have any pain whatsoever when it happened,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “I didn’t have any. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t have any pain, I think it was just such a fast thing.”

When Watt’s play wasn’t producing the same high level of results that he’s accustomed to throughout his nine-year career that has garnered a record-tying three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, that is when he knew something was off with his play.

“I knew something was wrong, I kind of — I didn’t know what was wrong and then I tried to play the next play and realized something was pretty wrong,” Watt explained. “Then I went over and they told me what it was, they knew right away. But yeah, they just put it back on and then two months later, here we go.”

Watt returned to practice on Tuesday and the club is in the process of activating him from injured reserve, using their last designated to return tags to do so. Watt can’t play in the Week 17 finale against the Tennessee Titans at 3:25 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium, as he has to miss eight full weeks from the time he was placed on injured reserve. However, the club has a 21-day window to place him on the active roster with a deadline of 3:00 p.m. CT on game day of the AFC wild-card to be played on Jan. 4-5 at NRG Stadium.

Texans fans were the driving force behind J.J. Watt’s quick recovery

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt made his recovery back from a torn pectoral on Tuesday. What’s his mental state after doing so?

J.J. Watt is back from his torn pectoral. Two months after suffering the once-thought-to-be season-ending injury, the Houston Texans defensive end is practicing and primed to play in the postseason.

What’s Watt’s mental state after surprisingly coming back from injury?

“I’m excited,” Watt said on Tuesday. “I’m excited to play football, I’m excited to get back out there and hopefully get back on the field in front of the fans. I love the fans, I’m excited. The fans are a big part of the reason that I want to be out there and I’ve worked so hard to come back. It’s because I love these fans, I love this city and I want nothing more than to win for these people. So, that’s why every single day, when you’re going through rehab, when you’re going through difficult times, when you’re going through tough situations.”

For Watt, the focal point and driving force of his recovery are the fans. That should come as no surprise, of course, considering his public love for them, from playing catch before games with them to raising millions of dollars to support them after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston. His teammates and family are fudge on top of the sundae.

“Some days you don’t feel like doing it, some days it’s very tough,” Watt said. “What gets you through is your teammates and your family and the fans, and knowing that when you do get back on that field, you’re doing it for people that you care about and that you love. You want to do it so that you can give them something to be proud of. Every day that I’ve had a tough day in my rehab, that’s what I’ve thought about.”

Watt’s not doing it for the fans’ viewing pleasure alone. He wants to bring a Super Bowl to Houston. With the Texans in the playoffs, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has the chance to do so.

“Running back out of that tunnel, playing in front of those fans with my teammates and being able to do for them what I’ve wanted to do since the day I got here and that’s win,” Watt said. “That’s what I’m trying to do. That’s why after two months, I’m coming back because that’s what I want to accomplish. I want to win for these people.

“So is there an element of risk? Yes. But is the upside 100 times better? Yes. Because there’s nothing I want to do more than to win with these guys in the locker room, for these fans here in Houston, because I love them and I love the game.”

The city of Houston has not had their NFL team play in the AFC Championship game since the 1979 season when the Houston Oilers fell short to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-13. Watt’s Texans would have a similarly special place in the hearts of Houston sports fans if they could get into the NFL’s final four or beyond this postseason.

Texans start Week 17 at No. 10 in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans start out at No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings for Week 17.

The Houston Texans have gained a little more of a foothold in the top-10 of USA TODAY’s NFL power rankings thanks to their 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16.

According to Nate Davis, the Texans, who won the AFC South with the win, crept up two spots to No. 6 overall, and Davis made a keen observation from the win in Tampa.

6. Texans (8): Justin Reid has developed into one of league’s better safeties, taking ball away twice in AFC South-clinching win at Tampa on Saturday.

Reid has blossomed into one of the NFL’s better safeties, and he is only in his second season. It is that infusion of youth with playmaking ability that has the 10-5 Texans as one of the more promising teams on the AFC side of the bracket.

Houston concludes the regular season with a Week 17 showdown with the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. If the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Los Angeles Chargers in the noontime matchup earlier that Sunday, then the Texans, who kickoff at 3:25 p.m. against the Titans, have a shot to move up to the No. 3 seed. However, win or lose, the Texans are locked into wild-card weekend (Jan. 4-5) and cannot earn a first-round bye. The only gain would be that they could avoid a hot wild-card in the Buffalo Bills, slated to be the No. 5 seed, and take on a more vulnerable adversary such as the Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, or even Oakland Raiders.

Whitney Mercilus, Christian Covington aided Texans DE J.J. Watt’s recovery from torn pectoral

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said that he talked to Christian Covington and Whitney Mercilus about recovering from a torn pectoral.

Torn pectorals are not an uncommon injury for defensive linemen and pass rushers. Being that the chest is integral to upper body strength while beating blocks, one bad twist, turn or flex can end one’s season.

For Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, the injury ended his season on Oct. 27 against the Oakland Raiders, until it didn’t. Surprisingly he returned to practice on Tuesday. He is expected to play in the postseason after recovering from the injury in two months, beating the expected recovery by one to two months.

Watt employed the help of one former and one current teammate to aid his recovery. He talked to former Texans — and current Dallas Cowboys — defensive end Christian Covington and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus about it.

“I talked to him (Whitney Mercilus) a little bit early on about it,” Watt said on Tuesday. “I talked to Cov (Christian Covington) about it, Cov was here last year. I’ve talked to a couple of guys about it and just their experience and just doing whatever I can. That’s all it’s been the last two months. ‘Whatever I’m allowed to do.’ Whatever the doctors and training staff have said I can do, that’s what I’ve done.”

Covington has not torn his pectoral. However, he has suffered a devastating season-ending, upper-body injury.  On Oct. 30, 2017, in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, he sustained a torn bicep, marking the end of a promising year.

Mercilus suffered a torn pectoral earlier in the same season. He did so on Oct. 9, 2017, in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The outside linebacker did not return, sustaining an ailment that saw his muscle come off the bone.

Unlike both Covington and Mercilus, Watt is back. His recovery time is improbable. However, that didn’t stop him from blowing away expectations, partly thanks to a pair of teammates, former and current.

Titans S Kevin Byard preparing to face the Texans’ starters

Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard expects to play a full strength Houston Texans team in their Week 17 showdown.

Coach Bill O’Brien expects to play his full Houston Texans roster against the Tennessee Titans in their season finale on Sunday. Titans coach Mike Vrabel expects the same, so do his players.

“I mean, for sure,” Titans safety Kevin Byard told Titans media on expecting to see Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday. “We are definitely going to go into the game preparing for it, regardless if those guys are banged-up or how they feel about the season and stuff like that.”

The Texans currently have the fourth-seed in the AFC playoffs. If the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, they will stay there. Houston will likely know of the result before they play, as they play at 3:25 pm CT compared to the Chiefs at noon.

If the Chiefs win, Sunday’s bout between the divisional rivals could be meaningless. However, being that the two are rivals, Byard expects the Texans to go at full-power. If Tennessee loses, their playoff chances as an 8-7 will evaporate. One can expect the Texans wanting to control their rival’s destiny.

“I mean, they are our divisional rival, so I anticipate those guys coming in and trying to beat us and try to spoil us not getting into the playoffs,” Byard said. “So we have to go into this game like it is a playoff game and do everything we possibly can.”

If the Chiefs win, the Texans should theoretically use the week to rest their key players. At Week 17 of the NFL season, no player is 100%, even if they are off of the injury report. With the Texans playing a week later in the playoffs, likely against the 10-5 Buffalo Bills, they could use all the rest they can get.

Nonetheless, the coaches of both teams and the players don’t see it in the same light.

Mike Vrabel doesn’t expect Texans to rest players against the Titans

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t expect the Houston Texans to rest any players in their matchup on in Week 17.

The 10-5 Houston Texans will kick off their home finale against the 8-7 Tennessee Titans at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday.

Being that their game takes place after the Kansas City Chiefs face the Los Angeles Chargers, the Texans may not be playing for anything on Sunday. If the Chiefs win, they will lock-in at the fourth-seed in the playoffs, slating them against the 10-5 Buffalo Bills.

If the Chiefs win, the Texans have little reason to play their star players and risk injury, other than withholding their rivals from the postseason. The Titans, however, don’t think Houston will be resting players, no matter the outcome of the Chiefs game.

“We do,” said Titans coach Mike Vrabel in a conference call on Tuesday on if they expect the Texans to play their full-roster. “That’s what we are fully expecting and that’s what we’ll get. You’ve only got 53 guys. It’s like you make a decision on seven guys that aren’t going to play and you make them inactive and you go into the game with 43 players and three specialists – 41 players, two quarterbacks, three specialists.”

The Texans aren’t particularly healthy nor injury-riddled. However, at the end of the season, it’s rare to find a player not bruised or beaten in some fashion. In their 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16, quarterback Deshaun Watson and left tackle Laremy Tunsil sustained minor injuries.

However, at the end of the day, in Vrabel’s eyes, the Texans aren’t a college football team. They only have so many players to trot out, with 46 of the 53 making the active gameday roster.

“So you’ve got 41 guys that you’ve got to go out there and cover kicks and play offense and defense and all those things,” Vrabel concluded. “Again, it’s not like there’s a hundred guys over there on the sideline like with Ohio State or Alabama or somebody.”

Texans vs. Titans: Time, TV schedule and streaming info for Week 17

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans meet for a Week 17 rematch at NRG Stadium. Find out how to catch the game here.

They won and they are in.

The Houston Texans took care of business 23-20 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. Even if they didn’t, the Tennessee Titans fell to the New Orleans Saints 38-28, which was another way for the Texans to win the AFC South.

For the Texans, they don’t need to beat the Titans. In fact, beating the Titans has no impact on their chances to get out of wild-card weekend (Jan. 4-5); they are locked in as the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots are set to have the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. All winning would do, plus the Kansas City Chiefs losing, is set them up with a bout with either the Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, or Oakland Raiders and avoid playing the Buffalo Bills, who are slated to be the No. 5 seed, the highest wild-card. It isn’t worth the risk of injury to key contributors.

The Titans need to beat the Texans to secure the sixth and final wild-card spot. If they lose, then they would have to hope for the Steelers to lose and the Indianapolis Colts to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is a scenario where Pittsburgh is the No. 6 seed if the Titans lose, the Colts win, and the Raiders lose. That is the fun of the last week of the regular season.

To get ready for the Week 17 action here is important game day information so you can catch the game. Follow the @TheTexansWire and the crew (@therealmarklane, @averydduncan, @arwoodnfl, @somesportsguyy).

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

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — Sunday, Dec. 29 at 3:25 p.m. CT

TV channel: CBS (Jim Nantz & Tony Romo)

Live stream: FuboTV (try it free)

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

Location: NRG Stadium

Forecast: Partly cloudy, 59 degrees, 9 mph wind (indoors)

Referee: Clete Blakeman

Odds: Texans -4.5