PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

October 11, 2018 at 3:02 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–CB Kayvon Webster was placed on injured reserve after injuring his quad on the second play of the game against the Dallas Cowboys. Coming back from an Achilles injury he suffered last season, it is the second season he has been placed on the injured reserve.

–The Texans signed S Mike Tyson from the practice squad to take the spot of Webster who was placed on injured reserve.

–CB Aaron Colvin did not practice for the fourth practice in a row after suffering a left ankle injury against the Indianapolis Colts in overtime. Head coach Bill O’Brien was not sure if Colvin would return this season but not being placed on injured reserve is a small positive for what many thought was a serious injury.

–LB and special teams captain Brian Peters continues to miss practice with an ankle injury and he has been in an air cast since the injury. The team is being careful with one of their top special teams player moving forward.

–RB Lamar Miller, who dressed against the Cowboys but did not play, is expected back this week for the offense. Head coach Bill O’Brien mentioned that Miller could have played in an emergency situation but the Texans were able to get the veteran running back a much needed rest.

–QB Deshaun Watson is considered day-to-day with a chest injury and was limited in practice to start the week. When asked if he was going to play against the Bills, he answered with a simple, “For sure.”

–LB Jadeveon Clowney missed Wednesday’s practice because of an illness, but he is expected to be ready for the game on Sunday. This season, Clowney has 12 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a fumble recovery that resulted in a touchdown.

–WRs Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee remain on the injury report due to hamstring injuries. Coutee has been dealing with his hamstring issue since training camp while Fuller injured his midway through the preseason.

–The Texans lost TE Matt Lengel off the practice squad to the Cincinnati Bengals who signed him to their active roster. The Texans signed former New York Giants TE Jerell Adams to fill his practice-squad spot. Also, the Texans signed rookie CB Robert Jackson to the practice squad.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Lamar Miller. Miller was knocked out in the second half of the overtime win against the Colts. After a 15-yard rush, Miller was hit up high and did not get back on the field which caused him to miss the Cowboys game. Designated as a chest injury, Miller is expected to be back in the starting role on offense. The Bills defense only gives up 99.4 yards a game on the ground and 12.6 points per game. The past two games Miller has appeared in he has had 24 carries for 59 yards averaging 2.5 yards a carry and no touchdowns. Miller needs a big bounce-back game to get the Texans back on track.

GAME PLAN: The Texans continue to be their own worst enemy and the red-zone issues are on both sides of the football. If the Texans decide to put together some of their best work in this area, games would be much different in favor of the Texans. The offense needs the most help ranking 31st in the NFL in conversion rate in the red zone. They have been plagued by pre-snap penalties, negative plays and just overall lack of execution.

On offense, the Texans need to protect Deshaun Watson like they did last week against the Cowboys. With the pass-rush abilities of Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy, there is the need for both Julien Davenport and Kendall Lamm to string together another solid performance. Also, the health of Watson is something to monitor especially with the chest injury that has him day-to-day. If Watson can’t go on Sunday, expect Brandon Weeden to get the start with Joe Webb III as the backup. The Texans have had all three quarterbacks active in their five games with Webb doing most of his work on special teams.

As for the Texans defense, they have to continue to heat up quarterbacks off the edge and that starts with both J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Watt currently has 6.0 sacks with 10 quarterback hits while Clowney has 2.5 sacks with six quarterback hits. Their task this week is to make life tough on rookie quarterback Josh Allen and most important keep him in the pocket and not allow him to use his athletic ability to eat up yards as a runner.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. Bills CB Tre’Davious White. Hopkins always draws the opposing team’s best matchups and the work the wide receiver has put in this season has been something to watch. On pace for over 1,900 yards, Hopkins will have a new challenge in White who is the Bills top cover player.

–Texans S Tyrann Mathieu vs. Bills TE Charles Clay. The Texans have struggled covering the tight end through five games and last week the Cowboys tight-end group averaged 19.6 yards on five receptions. The Texans defense has been working to find the right combinations and of late have been using Mathieu to cover tight ends. It has been a struggle for Mathieu at times especially in the play-action game being too aggressive from the safety spot. This week is another test with Clay who has nine receptions for 99 yards this season.

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