The Texans are instituting another line shuffle for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, reconfiguring their offensive line due to left guard Juice Scruggs' foot injury that will sideline him for two to three weeks, according to league sources.
The Texans are shifting right tackle Tytus Howard to left guard as the replacement for Scruggs and inserting rookie second-round draft pick Blake Fisher, a former Notre Dame standout, at right tackle as the adjustment to Scruggs’ absence from the lineup, per sources.
The plan is to get the best, and healthiest available five linemen on the field at the same time. It’s a strategy with potential as the 8-5 Texans head into a pivotal stretch of their season. A win over the Dolphins on Sunday combined with an Indianapolis Colts loss to the Denver Broncos would make the Texans repeat winners of the AFC South division and earn an automatic playoff berth.
A former first-round draft pick from Alabama State, Howard has played extensively at guard previously before returning to his natural right tackle position this season. Now, Howard will line up next to Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil against the Dolphins on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
Scruggs got hurt at the end of a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars game prior to the bye and didn’t practice all week. No surgery or injured reserve placement is being planned at this time, per sources, and he is expected to return this season.
The Texans are expected to activate former starting left offensive guard Kenyon Green after designating him for return from injured reserve along with linebacker Christian Harris, per league sources.
Green and former New England Patriots offensive lineman Zach Thomas, a converted offensive tackle, both practiced at left guard this week before the team opted to go with Howard as the replacement for Scruggs.
Fisher, signed to a four-year, $6.595 million contract, has played in 11 games this season with 55 snaps on offense for 17 percent of the playing time. This will be his first NFL start.
Fisher was drafted with the 59th overall pick with the intention to provide quality depth and an insurance policy behind veteran tackles Tunsil and Howard.
Fisher (6-foot-6, 310 pounds, 34 3/8 arms, 10-inch hands) ran the 40-yard dash in 5.2 seconds at the NFL scouting combine with a 28-inch vertical leap and a 9-6 broad jump.
He started 12 games at right tackle last season, opting out of the Sun Bowl to get ready for the draft.
He started as a freshman for the Fighting Irish.
Fisher is a converted left tackle who started every game at right tackle the past two seasons.
Scruggs, who graded out highly against the Jaguars, had moved to guard from center with Jarrett Patterson replacing him as the center when Kenyon Green was placed on injured reserve with a partially dislocated left shoulder.
“For us, we’ll see where Juice, as he ends up throughout the week, but we’ll see how that combination works out for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday after practice. “There’s a lot of things that go into play. The main thing for me, it’s accountability. Guy who is able to go in there, guy you can count on to do your job, be where you’re supposed to be, communicate the right way.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
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