Stroud and Pitre Out for Thursday Night Game
Quarterback C.J. Stroud will not be available for the Houston Texans game against the Buffalo Bills on “Thursday Night Football”, according to coach DeMeco Ryans announced on Tuesday. Stroud has not yet cleared concussion protocol, despite having progressed and practiced in a limited capacity on Tuesday. He is expected to be available to play against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. Safety Jalen Pitre, also affected by a concussion in Week 9 and absent in the last two games, will not play either. Although Pitre trained this week, he was unable to pass the protocol.This will be Stroud’s third consecutive absence, who suffered the concussion in Week 9. Davis Mills, the backup quarterback, has had an outstanding performance with two wins in Stroud’s absence. The Texans will need another effective performance from Mills, who has led the offense with 22.5 points per game in his two starts, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. After a 0-3 start to the season, the Texans have managed to balance their record and are in the fight for the AFC playoffs. Houston (5-5) occupies the eighth position, behind the Jaguars (6-4) for the last wildcard spot. The Thursday night game could have significant implications for Houston’s playoffs. A win would give them the direct tiebreaker over the Bills in the wild card race, as Buffalo currently holds the fifth seed in the AFC standings. The Texans have a 26% chance of making the playoffs. If Houston wins on Thursday, their chances will increase to 37%. A loss would reduce them to 15%.Both players are progressing, they are improving. But right now, with the short term of Thursday’s game, there are not enough days for those players to be available.
DeMeco Ryans
