Stroud and Pitre Out for Texans Game Against Bills
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will not be available for the “Thursday Night Football” game against the Buffalo Bills, according to coach DeMeco Ryans. Stroud has not yet cleared concussion protocol, although he has shown progress by practicing in a limited capacity on Tuesday. He is expected to be ready to play against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. Safety Jalen Pitre, who also suffered a concussion in Week 9 and has missed the last two games, will also not be available. Pitre trained this week but was unable to pass the protocol.This will be Stroud’s third consecutive absence after suffering the concussion in Week 9. Backup quarterback Davis Mills has achieved a 2-0 record in Stroud’s absence, highlighting two winning streaks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. The Texans will need another effective performance from Mills, who has led the offense to 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 are back at .500 and in the hunt for an AFC playoff spot. Houston (5-5) is in the number 8 spot, behind the Jaguars (6-4) for the last AFC wildcard spot. The Thursday night game could have significant playoff implications for Houston. A win would give them the direct tiebreaker over the Bills in the wild card race, as Buffalo currently holds the number 5 seed in the AFC standings. The Texans enter the game with 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 game on Thursday, they simply don’t have enough days to be available.
DeMeco Ryans
