George Fant has manufactured a resurgent season since joining the Texans on a one-year, $4 million contract, stonewalling pass rushers at an impressive rate.
The veteran right tackle has allowed just one sack and three hits, allowing 24 pressures all season in 795 offensive snaps.
When Fant returned to practice from a painful hip injury Friday, his presence provides a boost to the Texans’ offensive line heading into Sunday’s road game against the New York Jets, his former team. He is expected to start.
“I’m healthy,” Fant said Friday after practice. “I’m ready to go.”
The Texans also got former Las Vegas Raiders Pro Bowl middle linebacker Denzel Perryman back at practice Friday after he missed Thursday’s practice to get treatment on a sore knee. He is slated to start at Mike linebacker Sunday next to Sam linebacker Blake Cashman and Will linebacker Christian Harris.
Starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is back practicing after missing one day with a lingering elbow and shoulder issue. The former New Orleans Saints first-round draft pick played for the Jets the previous two seasons before joining the Texans as a free agent. Rankins has four sacks, five tackles for losses and seven quarterback hits and is a disruptive interior presence for the front seven.
Veteran tight end Dalton Schultz didn’t practice and is set to miss his second game in a row due to a strained hamstring. He attempted to practice Wednesday, but was limited and has missed the last two days.
The Texans are confident in the skills of backup tight end Brevin Jordan following his performance in a win over the Denver Broncos.
Jordan generated a career-high 64 receiving yards on three receptions in a 22-17 win pivotal to the Texans’ playoff outlook.
“He played with a passion and fire that you could feel from the sideline,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I felt it in pregame. With how he prepared throughout the week, I just could tell he was going to have a big game. He played physical. He had explosiveness in the passing game. He did a really great job.”
Schultz has 40 receptions for 455 yards and five touchdowns this season on 61 targets.
A former fifth-round draft pick from the University of Miami, Jordan is a Las Vegas native who has nine catches for 124 yards and one touchdown this season. He was targeted a season-high five times against the Broncos and has 43 career receptions for 430 yards and four touchdowns.
“It’s a confidence-booster,” Jordan said. “Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to go out there and do it. Whether they need me to block, special teams, receive the ball. I’m just going to go out there and do my job to the fullest.”
The Texans are 7-5 overall and in the thick of the playoff race after going a combined 11-38-1 over the previous three seasons, including two losing seasons Jordan endured.
“I’m excited,” Jordan said. “The last two years have been rough. Three-game, four-game win seasons, it’s been tough. For us, we’ve killed all doubt. Everybody said we’d win three or four games this year or whatever. It’s not the same Houston Texans. For us to be in this position, we’ve worked for this. We expected this fully.”
Jordan has started six of 29 career games. Although he’s far off his career-best production of his rookie season of 20 catches for 178 yards and three touchdowns, Jordan is a contributor on a potential playoff squad.
“The opportunities I got called to do, I felt like I tried to go out there and maximize them,” Jordan said. “Watching it, there’s still so much I’ve got to improve on. Still so much I’ve got to be better on. Pass protection, running routes, everything. I just want to be able to capitalize on the opportunities that I get.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.