The long list of injuries keeps growing for the Houston Texans this season. Not many teams can say they’ve lost two of their start receivers and their top two running backs to injury. Some of their players are trickling back to the playing field, like Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce. The Houston Texans still have lots of players injured though, especially on defense.
Kamari Lassiter
The Houston Texans spent their second round draft pick to get Kamari Lassiter to Houston. The rookie has been impressive, recording a big interception against Caleb Williams in the Week 2 victory over the Bears. He will be sitting on the bench for the Packers game, though, due to a shoulder injury.
Henry To’o To’o
To’o To’o has been one of the better linebackers for the Houston Texans defense. He has 46 tackles on the season. He will not be suiting up for the Packers game, though, after a concussion. He sustained a concussion in last week’s victory against the New England Patriots.
Robert Woods
This long-time veteran has found playing time returning punts for the Houston Texans. He’s done a good job too. His clutch punt return at the end of Week 5 put the team in a position to beat the Buffalo Bills. Woods will be missing time due to a foot injury, so look for another skill player to be returning punts for the Houston Texans.
Nico Collins
Collins was the number 1 wide receiver in yards per game before his hamstring injury. As of now, he is going into the second of his four weeks on injured reserve. While there is no exact timetable for his return, it’s likely that he comes back after four games. In the meantime, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell will be seeing more targets in the next three weeks.
Azeez Al-Shaair
Another veteran linebacker on the defense for Houston is Azees Al-Shaair. He did not practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury and was placed on the first official injury report for the game. With two linebackers out, it’s going to be tough for the Houston Texans to find replacements.
Other Notable Injuries
DB Jimmy Ward (groin injury) and OT Laremy Tunsil (ankle injury). How will these injuries affect the Texans against the Packers? From the looks of it, the players that are missing on defense are more troubling than those on offense. It’s never nice to play without Collins, but because the Texans are so deep at the wide receiver position, they can get by with Diggs, Dell, and Xavier Hutchinson.
On the other hand, Packers Quarterback Jordan Love is probably excited that he doesn’t have to throw against the likes of Lassiter and To’oTo’o. Jaylen Reed might have a tough time getting open since the Houston Texans should have Derek Stingley Jr. covering him.
The secondary receivers have been playing well as of late, however. In particular, Romeo Doubs is coming off a two-touchdown performance, albeit only on 49 yards receiving. The Houston Texans might not be able to cover Doubs the entire game, so they have to hope that Will Anderson Jr. can record some more sacks and keep Love contained.
