A.J. Cann earned a game ball for his efforts in the Houston Texans’ 19-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 16 at Nissan Stadium.
The 31-year-old right guard was instrumental in providing a clean pocket for quarterback Davis Mills, who was sacked just once. The Texans scored nine unanswered points in the fourth quarter to upset the leaders of the AFC South.
Mills has noticed that what Cann brings to the offensive line is consistency.
“A.J. has been extremely consistent all year, securing the inside of the offensive line and being a really good leader out there,” Mills said. “He’s a veteran in this league, and we know he’s going to do the right thing.”
According to Mills, Cann can be relied upon to take care of the man in front of him.
Said Mills: “He’s been winning his one-on-one matchups. This past Sunday, he played extremely well. I think he had one of the highest grades on the offense throughout the game. We’re excited.”
The surging Jacksonville Jaguars, Cann’s former team from 2015-21, feature a dynamic defensive line with Dawuane Smoot, DaVon Hamilton, and Adam Gotsis. Controlling the line of scrimmage will be key against the Jaguars, but Mills believes Cann will be ready for the challenge.
“We’re going to need him again this week versus a talented defensive front,” said Mills. “Props to him, he’s playing extremely well.”
The former 2015 third-round pick from South Carolina has played 14 games for Houston and started in each game.