Battle Red Blog
The Houston Texans handled business last weekend, dismantling the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round and setting up a road matchup against the New England Patriots this Sunday afternoon.
C.J. Stroud came out sharp early, but the game started to slip a bit as turnovers crept in — an interception and multiple fumbles that could’ve swung momentum. Even with those mistakes, Houston still cruised to a 24-point win, largely thanks to a dominant defensive performance.
That margin for error won’t exist this week. New England presents a much tougher challenge, and if the Texans continue turning the ball over, it’s hard to see them completely shutting down Drake Maye — who has an MVP-caliber case this season.
Here is a look at Thursday’s injury report:
-DE Denico Autry (Knee)
-WR Justin Watson (Concussion)
-WR Nico Collins (Concussion)
-OT Trent Brown (Ankle)
-DT Sheldon Rankins (Elbow)
-RG Ed Ingram (Shoulder)
-LT Aireontae Ersery (Thumb)
-S Jaylen Reed (Knee)
-LB Azeez Al-Shaair (Knee)
-CB Kamari Lassiter (Knee / Ankle)
-RB Jawhar Jordan (Knee)
-OL Tytus Howard (Knee)
Houston remains in good shape health-wise, even with wide receiver Nico Collins expected to miss the game. In his absence, the Iowa State trio — along with Christian Kirk — will need to carry a larger share of the offensive workload.
Rookie running back Woody Marks broke out last week, topping 100 yards on the ground. If that production carries over, it could go a long way toward offsetting Collins’ absence and keeping the Texans offense on schedule.
