Tag: Texans season

Texans vs. Chiefs inactives: Who is out for Houston in divisional round

Here’s who is out for the Houston Texans in Saturday’s divisional round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Houston Texans are relatively healthy heading into Saturday’s divisional round showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Linebacker Devin White headlines the list of inactive players for the Texans. While linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, wide receiver Robert Woods and running back Joe Mixon were all listed as questionable, the trio of names will take the field at 3:30 p.m.

For Kansas City, offensive tackle Wanya Morris is the top name out for Saturday’s matchup. Defensive back Deon Bush and tackle Ethan Driskell also aren’t expected to play.

The Texans are riding high after their defense forced Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert into throwing four interceptions during last week’s wild-card round win. That could bode well for a Texans defensive unit facing Patrick Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce.

C.J. Stroud’s sophomore slump took a backseat last week as he led all passing with 289 yards and a touchdown. Mixon’s 17-yard scramble in the fourth quarter put the game away while Derek Stingley Jr. iced it with his second interception.

The Texans look to average their December loss to the Chiefs, while Kansas City looks to keep their playoff win streak rolling on Saturday. With a win, the Texans would advance to the conference championship for the first time in franchise history.

With a win, Kanas City could advance to the conference championship for the seventh consecutive postseason. With a victory next week, the Chiefs would return to the Super Bowl for the third straight season and fifth time in six seasons.

Here are the inactive players for the Chiefs:

  • OT CJ Hanson
  • OT Ethan Driskell
  • DE Malik Herring
  • DE Joshua Uche
  • S Deon Bush
  • CB Keith Taylor
  • OL Wanya Morris

Here is the inactive list for the Texans:

  • OL Nick Broeker
  • DE Jerry Hughes
  • LB Devin White
  • RB J.J. Taylor
  • C Kendrick Green
  • DT Kurt Hinish
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and ABC.

WATCH: Grammy winning group Pentatonix brings house down with National Athem at Texans game

Award-winning musical group Pentatonix brought down the house with their National Anthem performance before the Houston Texans game.

Before Wednesday’s Christmas game showdown between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens went underway, America was honored by the sounds of literal angels.

Well, at least some people think Pentatonix sounds angelic.

The Grammy Award-winning acapella group took to the field, delivering a breathtaking rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” that left audiences on Netflix in awe. From their flawless harmonies to their pristine power coursing through each directly executed note, their beautiful tones captivated not just NRG Stadium, but also added a special touch to the holiday afternoon.

Check out a clip of their performance below:

With a win, the Texans would secure their second 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud in as many seasons. The Texans trail 10-2 entering the opening minutes of the second quarter.

Texans elevate former starting tight end from practice squad to game-day roster

The Houston Texans are adding another player from the practice squad for Sunday’s contest.

The Houston Texans are calling up reinforcements from the practice squad ahead of their Week 15 showdown with the Miami Dolphins.

The Texans elevated tight end Irv Smith Jr. to the game-day roster, the team announced Saturday. They will revert back to the practice squad on Tuesday.

For his career, Smith has 109 career receptions in the NFL for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught 18 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown last season in 12 games.

Players can be elevated up to three times during the season without having to clear waivers to return to the practice squad. This marks Smith’s second elevation since being picked up off waivers last month.

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, the Texans are considered favorites against the Dolphins.

With a win and an Indianapolis Colts loss, Houston would clinch the AFC South title for a second consecutive season.

Texans WR Nico Collins can’t believe the NFL fined him for celebrating with a fan

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was being a good man and the NFL penalized him for it.

Nico Collins is a fan favorite and is always looking to give back to the young Houston Texans‘ fans.

So you can imagine his frustration when the NFL fined him around $5,000 after celebrating with a young fan following his first touchdown reception since Week 5’s win over the Buffalo Bills.

Collins, Houston’s leading receiver, found his way into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown pass during the second quarter to give the Texans a 20-17 lead in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans. 

The Pro Bowl-caliber target tossed the ball toward a young kid in the crowd before leaping onto the wall to celebrate with them. After spotting the kid looking extra excited, Collins said he wanted to make his day.

“He was screaming,” Collins said.  “So, I was thinking ‘Here you go big dog. Here’s the ball.’ ”

The NFL wasn’t a fan of the memory created by Collins and slapped him with a fine Thursday afternoon. Collins said he was confused about why the league would fine him for a positive celebration.

“I guess they think you’re going to poke somebody in the eye or something,” Collins said.

Another point was this wasn’t Collins’ first time he’d thrown a ball into the stands, but it was the first time he was fined. He plans to appeal the fine and hopes it will be expunged.

Even if it sticks on his record, Collins said seeing the young fans’ gratitude was rewarding enough.

“Definitely worth it,” Collins said. “Only thing that matters was making that kid happy. He’s never going to forget that moment, so that’s all that matters to me.”

The Texans return to NRG Stadium to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at noon CT.