Tag: Texans footbal

Texans receive negative update on DB Jalen Pitre

Jalen Pitre could be done for the Houston Texans in 2024 after suffering a pectoral injury in Week 12’s loss against the Tennessee Titans.

Jalen Pitre’s season might not be over, but the Houston Texans must find a way to survive without him.

According to KPRC2 Sports Aaron Wilson, the third-year defensive back suffered a partial pectoral tear during Sunday’s loss against the Tennessee Titans and is now expected to miss several games.

For now, Pitre is not expected to undergo surgery, though a timetable for his return is to be determined. The standout nickel defender could end up needing surgery last this offseason, but Houston will weigh all its options before determining the best plan for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Pitre, who led the team in tackles with 75 entering Sunday’s contest, was initially diagnosed as a shoulder injury. After undergoing an MRI Monday morning, it was revealed the extent of the injury was worse than initially projected.

Houston (7-5) continues to deal with injuries on the defensive side that linger for multiple weeks. Will Anderson, Henry To’oTo’o, Foley Fatukasi, Jimmie Ward and Kamari Lassiter have all missed consecutive games because of injuries since the start of the regular season.

The Texans haven’t had their projected starting lineup playing together once this season with Christian Harris on the injured reserve and Dencio Atury missing six games due to a suspension.

The Texans must sign a defensive back to the active roster to take pressure off Ward in the nickel. Eric Murray, who’s started nine games this season, will probably remain at safety opposite rookie Calen Bullock while the former San Francisco 49ers star moves closer to the line of scrimmage.

Pitre’s injury stings, but it comes at what could be called a “relaxing time” of the schedule. The Texans head to Jacksonville to take on a two-win Jaguars squad before entering their bye week next afternoon.

Pite will have three weeks to heal before Houston takes on the Miami Dolphins in what will be a three-game showdown in 15 days.

Will Dak Prescott play against Texans? Latest injury updates for Cowboys QB

The Houston Texans might not be facing off against Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on Monday Night Football at A&T Stadium.

The Houston Texans must focus their attention on facing the Detroit Lions this Sunday night at NRG Stadium, but a Lone Star Showdown lingers in the back of their minds.

Houston travels to AT&T Stadium to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football on November 18. The Texans will be without star receiver Stefon Diggs, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 8.

As for Dallas? It seems like Dak Prescott won’t be suiting up, either. Here’s what happened and his current status entering Week 11’s showdown.

Dak Prescott injury update

According to NFL Network and ESPN, Prescott, who left with a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss against the Atlanta Falcons, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.

Prescott told reporters postgame that he was unsure if he injured his hamstring while trying to run for the first down or when he was tackled and said he would “be out there next week” when Dallas took on NFC East rival Philadelphia.

“I saw the medical team and asked could I make it worse,” Prescott told reporters. “At that point they said I wouldn’t be able to protect myself and made the call to hold me out.”

After undergoing an MRI on Monday, the results led to a less optimistic conclusion. If placed on the injured reserve, Prescott will miss a minimum of four games and won’t be eligible to return in Week 15.

The nine-year veteran went 18-of-24 for 133 yards with one touchdown before leaving the game. This season, Prescott has been inconsistent, but still a solid starter for the NFC East franchise despite its 3-5 record.

Dak Prescott stats

Through eight games, Prescott has completed 64.7% of his pass attempts for 1,978 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s also rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.

This offseason, Prescott agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract hours before the season opener that made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.

Cowboys QB depth chart

Cooper Rush is the projected starter in place of Prescott following Sunday’s game, but here’s Dallas’ quarterback depth chart.

  • Cooper Rush
  • Trey Lance

Rush, who’s started nine games since joining the roster in 2017, went 13-of-25 for 115 yards with a touchdown in relief. The veteran also played in two games this season in mop-up duty, throwing for 52 yards with an interception.

If Rush starts, this won’t be the first time he’s taken over for Dallas for a significant period. He went  4-1 in five starts for an injured Prescott in 2022, completing 57.7% of his throws for 1,020 yards and five touchdowns against three interceptions.

Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick out of North Dakota State in 2021, should take over as the secondary option behind Rush. The San Francisco 49ers traded Lance to the Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season for a 2024 fourth-round pick after moving forward with Brock Purdy as their starter.

He has been the third-string quarterback for the team since and has yet to appear in a game for Dallas in two years.

Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.

All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including C.J. Stroud) ranked by Total QBR entering Week 9

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud remains one of the top passers in QBR rankings entering Week 9.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud wasn’t perfect in Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, but he did enough to impress the QBR pundits. 

The former Offensive Rookie of the Year completed 25-of-37 pass attempts for 285 yards and a touchdown pass in the second quarter. He completed 66.7% of his throws and connected on four balls over 15 yards downfield. 

With that overall solid performance, Stroud remained idle at No. 12 in ESPN’s Total QBR rankings this week. ESPN gave Stroud a 60.2 QBR rating against Indianapolis, which is the middle of the pack for the 2024 season. 

Stroud’s traditional passer rating against the Colts was 99.5, which marked the fourth-highest rating of the season. He posted a 115.9 rating in a 29-27 win over Indianapolis in Week 1’s victory.  

The Total QBR differs from the traditional passer rating. According to ESPN, the QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties.”

The metric also considers scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and  looks at “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

Through eight games, Stroud’s thrown four interceptions and been sacked 23 times. Two turnovers came in the 34-7 loss against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.

Here’s a look at where Stroud stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks entering Week 8 when it comes to QBR.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR before Week 9

  1. Joe Burrow: 75.4
  2. Lamar Jackson: 74.9
  3. Kyler Murray: 74.4
  4. Josh Allen: 73.7
  5. Jayden Daniels: 73.7
  6. Jalen Hurts: 69.3
  7. Patrick Mahomes: 67.0
  8. Trevor Lawrence: 65.7
  9. Brock Purdy: 62.4
  10. Kirk Cousins:  61.4
  11. Matthew Stafford: 61.4
  12. C.J. Stroud: 60.2
  13. Sam Darnold: 58.7
  14. Geno Smith:  57.3
  15. Justin Herbert: 56.0
  16. Baker Mayfield: 55.8
  17. Jordan Love: 55.6
  18. Andy Dalton: 54.9
  19. Justin Fields: 53.6
  20. Bo Nix: 53.6
  21. Jared Goff: 52.8
  22. Aaron Rodgers: 50.4
  23. Dak Prescott: 47.5
  24. Caleb Williams: 45.8
  25. Jacoby Brissett: 44.7
  26. Daniel Jones: 44.6
  27. Anthony Richardson: 38.4
  28. Gardner Minshew: 38.1
  29. Will Levis: 26.0
  30. Deshaun Watson: 22.8

Stroud and the Texans will take on the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football at MetLife Stadium at 7:15 p.m. CT.

Texans officially place WR Stefon Diggs on season-ending injured reserve

Stefon Diggs’ season with the Houston Texans has come to an end after suffering a torn ACL in Week 8.

Stefon Diggs’ season is officially over.

The Houston Texans placed the four-time Pro Bowler on the reserve/injured reserve Tuesday after suffering a torn ACL during Sunday’s win against the Indianapolis Colts.

Diggs, who will be a free agent at the end of the regular season, is expected to make a full recovery and play in 2025.

“He’s been such an important part to our team and everything that he brought, not only on the field, but off the field. The energy, the leader, the way he worked every single day,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday. “Have to pick up the slack. A lot of guys have to step up and pick up the slack. Definitely praying for him.”

Acquired this offseason from the Buffalo Bills, Diggs suffered the injury on a non-contact play in 1:51 remaining in the third quarter. He tried to cut inside against Colts defensive back Kenny Moore II on a route and grabbed his right knee, then sat on the turf.

While Diggs walked off on his own power, he headed to the locker room and didn’t return.

“It’s not easy,” Stroud said. “You try to think positively but it’s not a bunch of positive thoughts. And I just really feel bad for him.”

Expected to be the No. 2 option, Diggs had taken over as Stroud’s favorite target with Nico Collins sidelined. He ranked seventh overall in receptions (47) and was second on the team in receiving yards (496).

“He’s one guy who gave his all to everything we ever asked him to do,” Ryans said. “He’s hurting and we’re hurting for him as well.”

The Texans take on the New York Jets Thursday Night at MetLife Stadium at 7:15 p.m. CT.

Report: Texans WR Tank Dell not expected to play vs. Jaguars

Tank Dell’s status for Sunday’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars is not looking promising for the Houston Texans.

The hits keep coming for the Houston Texans entering Week 4’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to KPRC 2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, wide receiver Tank Dell is unlikely to play in Sunday’s home matchup due to painful bruised ribs suffered at the end of a road loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Dell missed the last two practices with what’s been ruled a chest injury, though he also is dealing with ailments to the hand and wrist. Fellow receiver Nico Collins was limited in practice, but his status could be more of a precautionary element.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that Dell will be “day to day” and they will “see how he continues to progress” throughout the week following his departure in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Ryans also defended his decision to keep Dell, along with a majority of starters, in the game late despite being down by three scores entering the final drive.

“Injuries can happen at any given time,” Ryans said. “What if the injury happened first play of the game? Should he be out there? We can’t control when injuries happen. Guys are going to play. That’s part of our game, part of the nature of the business.

“Nobody can predict when injuries happen or when a guy should be in or shouldn’t be in.”

https://twitter.com/NickSchwagerNFL/status/1839079177791676509

Dell, who served as the Texans’ No. 2 target after being drafted out of the University of Houston last season, was off to a slow start in wins over the Colts and Bears, totaling four catches for 34 yards. In Week 3, he collected a season-high five catches for 62 yards before leaving late.

Last season, he caught 47 balls for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games before he broke his left fibula against the Denver Broncos in early December.

https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1839349734261301729

“We’re confident the guys we have that are going to step up,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said Thursday. “If Tank can’t go, it’s not really going to make anybody blink. It’s just next man up.”

With Dell potentially sidelined, the Texans have plenty of depth at the position, including Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, Steven Sims and John Metchie III.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Parker McCollum excited to see C.J. Stroud, Texans progress in Year 2

Country music star Parker McCollum is ready for football season to return so he can watch his Houston Texans win behind C.J. Stroud.

It’s been a hell of a year for Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and country music star Parker McCollum.

Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, put together one of the best rookie seasons in league history after guiding the Texans back to the postseason for the first time in four years.

McCollum, a native of Conroe just outside Houston, lived up to the billing as one of the biggest rising stars in music with his hit single “Burn It Down.’

During a recent interview on the Pat McAfee Show, McCollum poked fun at the Indianapolis Colts and its former punter’s love for the Midwest franchise while also discussing his excitement for the upcoming football season.

After struggling for nearly two decades, McCollum believes Houston’s time has finally arrived under Stroud.

“It’s special, dude, I get emotional talking about it,” McCollum said. “I’ve loved that football team for so long and we’re real good now…we’re about to talk some s–t. That’s two-thirds of my life, and we didn’t have one when I was a kid. Then, for 20 years, we were alright at times, but now we’re special.”

The specialty comes from the new foundation. Former Pro Bowl linebacker and 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year DeMeco Ryans returned to Houston for the first time in over a decade as head coach. It also invested in quarterback by selecting Stroud, a two-time Heisman finalist at Ohio State, and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., a two-time Bronko Nagurski winner at Alabama.

In McCollum’s eyes, everything starts with the coach.

“He’s the secret sauce, dude. Getting him and C.J. at the same time, that’s a God thing,” McCollum said.

Stroud, who last season became the fifth rookie in league history to throw 4,000-plus yards in his first year, is human despite having superhero-esque football powers. A well-known Los Angeles Lakers fan, he gets frustrated and passionate when the roster underwhelms and loses.

That’s the adoration McCollum loves to see and fans can appreciate

“He was like: ‘When I watch the (Los Angeles) Lakers lose, I’m upset,’ and he’s a professional athlete saying that,” McCollum said. “Fans feel that. Like, man, he wants to win, he knows how we’re feeling since we’ve been down for a long time. When your quarterback is possibly the greatest rookie of all time… that’s great, that’s good for the culture.”

McAfee, a known Colts supporter, wasn’t letting McCollum off the hook that easy and made to preface that the Texans only won the division because fellow first-rounder Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after four games.

McCollum jabbed right back, citing the addition of a four-time Pro Bowler at receiver to turn Stroud’s dynamic duo into a trio.

“I’m glad C.J. and Stefon Diggs are on the field throwing balls, we’ve got our priorities right,” McCollum said.

Texans 2024 training camp: When rookies and veterans will report

The Houston Texans now know when they have open practices for the public to view.

The NFL announced the report dates and locations for all 32 teams’ training camps ahead of the 2024 season. The Houston Texans previously released their open training camp schedule, with the first public practice scheduled for Tuesday, July 23. 

The Texans will hold training camp for the fourth consecutive year at the Methodist Training Center across from NRG Stadium. For years under Bill O’Brien, Houston would begin its training camp at The Greenbrier near the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia. 

Practice officially begins on July 18 as the Texans prepare for the Hall of Fame of Hame game in Canton, Ohio against No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on August 1. 

Houston will have eight open training camp practices for the public to view free of charge, including a night practice on August 11. The Texans also will have a joint practice on August 22 against the Los Angeles Rams before their matchup on August 24. 

The Texans kick off the regular season on September 8 against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.