Tag: Texans vs. Jaguars

Jalen Pitre’s breakout season over following recent Texans’ transaction

Jalen Pitre’s season is over for the Houston Texans.

Jalen Pitre’s breakout season has officially reached its end.

The Houston Texans placed the third-year do-it-all defensive back on the injured reserve, thus ending his 2024 campaign.

Houston begins its three-game stretch in 11 days without two of its best defenders starting Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

“Losing a great player like Jalen is a blow,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said Thursday. “But we feel confident in the guys that we can step up and make some plays.”

Pitre, who suffered a pectoral injury during the second quarter of Week 12’s loss against the Tennessee Titans, knew his season could be over entering the bye week but wanted a second opinion from medical experts. The testing confirmed that immediate surgery would be the best course moving forward.

Back at his natural nickel position, Pitre had transformed into one of the team’s most important defensive players. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans loved his aggressive play style against the run and often used him in the box to blitz.

“Being around the ball, causing interceptions, forcing fumbles, he’s just been a really active, a very instinctive player for us,” Ryans said earlier this month. “He’s been all over the field, and he’s made a lot of plays for us.

In 12 games, Pitre totaled 65 tackles, six tackles for loss, an interception and a career-high eight pass deflections.

Pitre’s loss is a blow, but so is the departure of Azeez Al-Shaair. The middle linebacker is serving a three-game ban for his late hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and will not return to the lineup until Week 18’s season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

The good news? Houston is expected to have back Christian Harris, who was cleared to practice earlier this week. Harris, who finished with 101 tackles in 2023, missed the first 14 games due to a lingering calf injury suffered in training camp.

Dolphins vs. Texans injury report: Latest updates, news for Thursday

Here’s the injury report from Thursday’s practice as the Houston Texans prepare to take on the Miami Dolphins.

Here are the full injury reports ahead of the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins’ matchup at NRG Stadium in Week 15

Houston Texans (8-5)

Did not practice

  • DB Jalen Pitre (chest)
  • OL Juice Scruggs (foot)

Limited participation

  • RB Joe Mixon (rest day)
  • OL Kenyon Green (shoulder)
  • DL Foley Fatukasi (foot)
  • LB Christian Harris (calf)
  • LB Jamal Hill (knee)

Full practice

  • WR Xavier Hutchinson (shoulder)
  • DL Denico Autry (knee)

Note: Robert Woods, Laremy Tunsil and Nico Collins were removed from the injured list because of a rest day. 

Miami Dolphins (6-7)

Did not practice

  • OT Terron Armstead (knee)
  • WR Dee Eskridge (knee)
  • OT Kendall Lam (back)
  • DB Jordan Poyer (rest)

Limited participation

  • DL Bradley Chubb (knee)
  • WR Grant DuBose (shoulder)
  • LB Cameron Goode (knee)
  • FB Alec Ingold (ankle)
  • RB Raheem Mostert (hip)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (hamstring)
  • LB Jordyn Brooks (ribs)

Full practice

  • LS Blake Ferguson (non-football illness)
  • LB Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring)
  • WR Tyreek Hill (wrist)

Note: defensive lineman Calais Campbell and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were removed from the injury list after missing Wednesday’s practice due to rest. 

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

Here’s where Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud stacks up among other passers in QBR entering Week 15.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t play in Week 14, meaning his Total QBR rating of 53.0 remained intact among all 32 passers.

Stroud’s season-long rating remains in good standing entering the final four games of the regular season, but he still ranks among the bottom half of passers at No. 22 overall.

Stroud’s traditional passer rating this season is 87.8, which ranks 22nd.

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

The metric takes into account scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “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.”

With that context in mind, here’s a look at how Nix stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks this fall.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR after Week 14

  1. Josh Allen: 76.7
  2. Joe Burrow: 74.1
  3. Lamar Jackson: 73.8
  4. Jayden Daniels: 72.6
  5. Kyler Murray: 71.6
  6. Brock Purdy: 68.5
  7. Jameis Winston: 76.0
  8. Matthew Stafford: 65.6
  9. Jalen Hurts: 65.2
  10. Patrick Mahomes: 64.6
  11. Jordan Love: 64.2
  12. Jared Goff: 63.6
  13. Derek Carr: 63.2
  14. Tua Tagovailoa: 63.1
  15. Sam Darnold: 59.0
  16. Drake Maye: 58.6
  17. Russell Wilson: 57.1
  18. Justin Herbert: 57.0
  19. Bo Nix: 56.2
  20. Kirk Cousins: 56.2
  21. Geno Smith: 53.7
  22. C.J. Stroud: 53.0
  23. Baker Mayfield: 51.9
  24. Aaron Rodgers: 51.4
  25. Bryce Young: 50.9
  26. Anthony Richardson: 48.4
  27. Caleb Williams: 46.4
  28. Aidan O’Connell: 40.2
  29. Will Levis: 30.5
  30. Cooper Rush: 30.4
  31. Mac Jones: 29.3
  32. Tommy DeVito: 16.0

Coming out of his bye week, Stroud will look to improve his Total QBR rating when the Texans host the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.

Texans bolster defensive line with All-SEC addition in latest mock draft

Walter Nolen could be the missing link for the Texans’ interior defensive line in 2025 opposite Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

Walter Nolen already looks great in Hotty Toddy Blue. Let’s see if the Steel Blue of the Houston Texans fits better at the professional level.

In the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated, the Texans bolster their defensive line by adding the Ole Miss defensive lineman at pick No. 25. With a combination of speed and lower-body power, Nolen’s arrival would fortify the interior trench play for the AFC South favorites over four years.

Houston’s defense is statistically strong, but Nolen would elevate its interior defensive line. Nolen, who is 6’3″ and 305 pounds, is explosive and disruptive—he notched four sacks, eight tackles for loss and 24 hurries this season. A transfer from Texas A&M, Nolen is strong against the run, too. He posted the fifth-best run defense grade (91.9) among defenders with at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s tied for second in the FBS with 31 run stops. – SI’s Daniel Flick

Defensive tackle has been a need for Houston long-term since DeMeco Ryans returned home in 2023. Sheldon Rankins inked a one-year deal last offseason before cashing in with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. Maliek Collins was traded to the San Francisco 49ers while the team settled for minimal deals built around Mario Edwards Jr. Tim Settle and Foley Fatukasi.

The Texans are built on the edge with Defensive Player of the Year candidates Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Adding depth up the middle that can bolster the run defense and add value as a secondary pass rusher makes too much sense for a defensive-led team.

That’s Nolen, an All-SEC defensive tackle who finished with career-highs in tackles for loss, sacks and pressures. He also graded out as the SEC’s top run defender by PFF and was the anchor of Ole Miss’ top-ranked run defense.

Houston looks to technically worsen its draft position by continuing its winning ways this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

Deebo Samuel weighs in on Azeez Al-Shaair being suspended for hit on Trevor Lawrence

Deebo Samuel, a former teammate of Azeez Al-Shaair, weighs in on the Houston Texans linebacker’s suspension for three games.

Several former NFL players have criticized Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit against Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel is more on the side of his former teammate.

Samuel recently on his podcast, said that Al-Shaair isn’t the type of player to act with malice while on the field. The hit seemed to be a bang-bang play and far from the perceived character that’s currently being painted about his on-field demeanor.

The two were rookies entering San Francisco in 2019 and shared a locker room for four seasons before Al-Shaair left in free agency following the 2022 campaign.

“I know Azeez very well. He’s one of my brothers, for sure. I talked to him afterward and it wasn’t intentional,” Samuel said.

“That clip doesn’t show who he is as a person. If I’m him, and as you’ve seen, he put out an apology to Trevor Lawrence. He apologized to everybody. That kind of shows the person he really is. At the end of the day, he’s not trying to take anybody out. He’s trying to play the way that he was always been taught to play it. 

“If I’m him in that situation as I’m getting up and somebody is beating on the back of my head, it’s like, ‘I got to get in defense mode.’ With his apology and me knowing him personally and knowing it wasn’t intentional, I just think 3-games is a little much.”

Samuel did defend Lawrence, who left the game with a concussion, and the actions of his teammates came to his defense. Even if Al-Shaair was genuinely trying to make a clean hit, anyone who hit his quarterback would be put in line.

“If you hit my quarterback like that, it’s up. I’m crashing, 100%, no question,” Samuel said. “I get that part.”

Samuel also mentioned that defensive players often receive stricter suspension ramifications compared to offensive players who deliver similar hits against opposing players.

“If it was me, would you suspend me for three games?” Samuel asked. “If that was [Baltimore Ravens running back] Derrick Henry, would he be suspended for three games? I think it’s more so about protecting the quarterbacks.”

Al-Shaair, who signed a three-year deal this offseason with the Texans, will be eligible to return in Week 18’s season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

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

What does Texans’ 2025 salary cap situation look like?

Here’s where the Texans stand in cap space following the 2024 season.

With the Houston Texans on their bye week, let’s take a peek ahead to the 2025 offseason and what their salary cap situation might look like entering Year 3 of the DeMeco Ryans era.

According to Over the Cap, the Texans are set to have $12.9 million in cap space at the current moment. That places Houston at 26th overall in space.

There are ways for the Texans to create space to bolster additional room in the budget. They could release multiple veterans that would take a minimal cap hit compared to larger than their dead cap hit if it remained on staff.

An example of this would be Shaq Mason, who if were to remain on the team, has a cap hit of $14.6 million. If released, his dead cap hit–or money that stays on the books even if cut–is $12.4 million, which feels ample but is minor compared to Laremy Tunsil or Tytus Howard.

Two other avenues of creating cap space can come via contract restructures or sometimes even extensions.

With a restructure, the team is essentially kicking the salary cap can down the road, by taking current year’s cap charges and pushing them into future contract years.

In an extension, with new years added to a current deal, that gives the team an avenue–somewhat like a restructure–to push cap charges to future years, thus helping to lower the current year’s cap hit.

In addition to all of that, any unused cap space from the current year is rolled over to the following year. As of now, the Texans have $5.73 million in unused cap space that could be added to their 2025 total.

Some money must be allocated to draft picks, but sights would turn to free agency soon after. Would Nick Caserio be willing to spend?

Last offseason, Caserio prioritized upgrading from the outside. While Houston extended tight end Dalton Schultz and receiver Nico Collins on three-year deals, it also brought in names like defensive lineman Denico Autry, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, and defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Houston also traded for All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs and Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon for draft picks. Mixon was extended on a three-year deal while Diggs’ previous extension was voided by Caserio before the start of OTAs.

Everything is built around C.J. Stroud. The Texans must improve their offensive line if they play to be competitive in 2025. Next offseason will be important in helping the Texans go from being a fringe division leader to a legitimate playoff force.

Trevor Lawrence’s teammate explains support of Azeez Al-Shaair

Arik Armstead explains why he liked Azeez Al-Shaair’s tweet despite being a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A former teammate of Azeez Al-Shaair explained why he supported the Houston Texans linebacker while also being a teammate of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Veteran defensive tackle Arik Armstead liked Al-Shaair’s Instagram post following the NFL’s decision to deny his appeal of the three-game suspension he received for an illegal hit on Lawrence during Sunday’s 23-20 win.

Armstead, who signed a three-year deal with Jacksonville following his release from the San Francisco 49ers this spring, addressed the tweet with media Thursday afternoon. While he felt for Lawrence, who now will miss the remainder of the regular season because of a shoulder injury, Armstead said he also felt for Al-Shaair, who was in a rocky position after a bang-bang play.

The two were teammates in San Francisco for four years before Al-Shaair left in the 2023 offseason.

“First off, I love Trevor. He’s a great teammate. Great player. Great person. And what happened, seeing him get injured, was terrible,” Armstead said. “You never want to see that happen to a teammate of yours.

“Also, Azeez is a great friend of mine. We were locker mates for four years, right next to each other, and we have a great relationship as well too.”

Al-Shaair, who won’t be able to return until Week 18’s season finale against the Titans, apologized to Lawrence via social media on Monday. A day later, the NFL slapped him with the suspension, stating that “lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play.”

Armstead took offense to how the NFL and fans portrayed his former teammate in the public eye. He also wasn’t a fan of how multiple people attacked Al-Shaair’s Muslim faith on social media, which prompted the liking of the post captioned in Al-Shaair’s “villainous” narrative surrounding his on-field play.

“To see the ridicule and (Al-Shaair) being ostracized the way he is and the remarks people are making about him is also terrible,” Armstead said. “I feel like I can support my great teammate Trevor andhoust I can also support a friend in a rough situation when people are being racist towards him and a lot of hateful things are being said about him.”

Armstead didn’t defend the actions of Al-Shaair that led to his ejection, but he did call the sixth-year linebacker a “good dude.” He also mentioned that he spoke to Lawrence about the situation, who understood why he was trying to support both sides.

“Seeing a teammate get injured, but also having a friend of mine be in a situation like that,” Armstead said. “He was definitely in the wrong and made a bang-bang play that I wish that (he) could have back.”

The Texans return from the bye week to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 at NRG Stadium.

All 32 starting NFL quarterbacks, ranked oldest to youngest

C.J. Stroud might be in Year 2, but the Houston Texans passer remains one of the youngest quarterbacks in 2024.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is still a young gun. Sure, he might have won a few accolades in brief NFL tenure, but the former No. 2 overall pick entered the NFL as a spry 22-year-old with two years of starting experience from his time at Ohio State.

How young is Stroud? At 23, he’s still over a year younger than Denver Broncos starter and 2023 first-round pick Bo Nix, who spent five seasons starting between his time at Auburn and Oregon.

Carolina Panthers second-year starter Bryce Young (23) is three months older than the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Washington Commanders rookie and fellow No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels (23) is nine months older than Stroud and will turn 24 in December.

Chicago Bears starter and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams (23) is two months younger than former Buckeye. Meanwhile, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye (22) is the youngest starter in the NFL and hopes to be the savior for the New England Patriots in a new era of football.

New York Jets starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers (40) is the oldest quarterback in the league. He’s followed not so close behind by Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins (36), Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford (36) and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Russell Wilson (35).

We’ve listed the ages of all 32 starting quarterbacks below entering Week 14. This also only includes direct starters for the 2024 season and not fill-ins due to season-ending injuries.

NFL quarterbacks ranked oldest to youngest

  1. Aaron Rodgers (40)
  2. Kirk Cousins (36)
  3. Matthew Stafford (36)
  4. Russell Wilson (35)
  5. Derek Carr (33)
  6. Geno Smith (33)
  7. Dak Prescott (31)
  8. Jameis Winston (30)
  9. Baker Mayfield (29)
  10. Jared Goff (29)
  11. Gardner Minshew (28)
  12. Josh Allen (28)
  13. Patrick Mahomes (28)
  14. Drew Lock (28)
  15. Lamar Jackson (27)
  16. Sam Darnold (27)
  17. Kyler Murray (27)
  18. Joe Burrow (27)
  19. Tua Tagovailoa (26)
  20. Justin Herbert (26)
  21. Jalen Hurts (26)
  22. Will Levis (25)
  23. Jordan Love (25)
  24. Trevor Lawrence (24)
  25. Brock Purdy (24)
  26. Bo Nix (24)
  27. Bryce Young (23)
  28. Jayden Daniels (23)
  29. C.J. Stroud (22)
  30. Caleb Williams (22)
  31. Anthony Richardson (22)
  32. Drake Maye (22)

The Texans return to the huddle following the bye week to take on the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium.

What are the Texans’ chances of making the NFL playoffs?

Here’s what the odds look like for the Houston Texans to win the AFC South and make the playoffs in 2024.

Following a 23-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium,  the Houston Texans improved to 8-5 in the 2024 campaign.

Entering the bye week, they remain the AFC South favorites and the fourth seed in the conference standings, trailing Kansas City Chiefs (11-1), Buffalo Bills (10-2) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3).

Kansas City and Buffalo have already clinched playoff berths, with the latter clinching the AFC East title. The Texans likely would need chaos to ensue, along with a win next week, to guarantee their spot in the College Football Playoff.

Should Houston somehow drop the division title, it would remain in the hunt for a wild-card berth. Well, at least for the time being alongside the Denver Broncos (8-5), Baltimore Ravens (8-5) and Los Angeles Chargers (8-4).

The Texans will play the Miami Dolphins, Chiefs and Ravens following the bye. They also hold a two-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South division race.

Houston controls its playoff fate. According to Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com, if the Broncos beat the Colts in Week 15, Houston would need to defeat the Dolphins at NRG Stadium to clinch a playoff berth.

Here’s a look at the AFC’s playoff picture entering Week 14.

AFC Playoff Picture

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
  2. Buffalo Bills (10-2)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
  4. Houston Texans (8-5)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
  6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
  7. Denver Broncos (8-5)

In the Hunt

  1. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
  2. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)

Where does DeMeco Ryans ranks among all 32 coaches by age?

DeMeco Ryans won’t make history in 2024 with the Houston Texans as the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl title.

While he might be pushing four decades, Houston Texans second-year coach DeMeco Ryans is considered a young gun in the NFL.

The 40-year-old former Pro Bowl linebacker has blossomed into a rising star among the coaching ranks. Last season as the first-year man in command with the team that drafted him in 2006, Ryans led the Texans to a 10-7 finish and playoff berth.

Houston, which currently boasts an 8-5 record, is expected to return to the playoffs in 2024 as the AFC South champions. The Texans have a two-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts heading into the bye week and could clinch the division title by Christmas.

Should the Texans hoist up their first Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans this year, Ryans wouldn’t be the youngest coach to claim the title. Mike Tomlin (36 at the time) held the record as the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl until Sean McVay (20 days younger) later claimed that crown with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021.

McVay, now 38, is still the fourth-youngest coach and two years younger than Ryans with seven years of head coaching experience.

Bruce Arians was the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl (68), but George Halas (204 days older) was the oldest coach to ever win an NFL title (Halas coached in the pre-Super Bowl era).

While age doesn’t matter to success, Andy Reid (66) has claimed three titles during his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, including back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023. The longtime play-caller would need to coach at least three more seasons to have a chance of becoming the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl.

View the full list of all 32 NFL head coaches below, ranked by age.

  1. Andy Reid (66) Chiefs
  2. John Harbaugh (62) Ravens
  3. Mike McCarthy (61) Cowboys
  4. Todd Bowles (61) Buccaneers
  5. Jim Harbaugh (60) Chargers
  6. Sean Payton (60) Broncos
  7. Doug Pederson (56) Jaguars
  8. Darren Rizzi (54) Saints [interim]
  9. Dan Quinn (54) Commanders
  10. Mike Tomlin (52) Steelers
  11. Sean McDermott (50) Bills
  12. Brian Daboll (49) Giants
  13. Dan Campbell (48) Lions
  14. Raheem Morris (48) Falcons
  15. Jeff Ulbrich (47) Jets [interim]
  16. Antonio Pierce (46) Raiders
  17. Matt LaFleur (45) Packers
  18. Kyle Shanahan (44) 49ers
  19. Dave Canales (43) Panthers
  20. Nick Sirianni (43) Eagles
  21. Kevin Stefanski (42) Browns
  22. Jonathan Gannon (41) Cardinals
  23. Mike McDaniel (41) Dolphins
  24. Zac Taylor (41) Bengals
  25. Brian Callahan (40) Titans
  26. DeMeco Ryans (40) Texans
  27. Shane Steichen (39) Colts
  28. Kevin O’Connell (39) Vikings
  29. Sean McVay (38) Rams
  30. Jerod Mayo (38) Patriots
  31. Thomas Brown (38) Bears [interim]
  32. Mike Macdonald (37) Seahawks

Ryans (.586) has the 11th-best career winning percentage among active coaches.