The winless Texans were counting on healthy returns from key players this week heading into a pivotal Texas showdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Now, Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins, starting right guard Ed Ingram and three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney have returned to practice and are on track to get back into the lineup after missing the past two games.
Playing without Collins for the past two games due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain, the offense has been unproductive.
The running game has been ineffective without Ingram, the highest paid offensive lineman on the roster with a three-year, $37.5 million contract, due to a groin injury. With Ingram out of the lineup and replaced by former Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller, the Texans combined for just 130 rushing yards in the past two games.
Collins is the only consistently dangerous wide receiver on the roster with Jayden Higgins out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
In Collins' absence, the passing game hasn't hit the mark.
Collins caught seven passes for 75 yards on 10 targets with one touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in a 36-31 defeat. Over the past two games, the Texans have scored just 23 combined points in losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals.
Tight end Dalton Schultz leads the Texans with 19 catches for 205 yards on 25 targets.
In an expanded role with 21 targets, wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson has just nine catches for 121 yards. He did have a great sliding catch late in a 19-17 loss to the Colts on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The passing game, despite quarterback C.J. Stroud delivering some sharp throws for 794 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, hasn't found its rhythm.
"It hurts not having Nico out there," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He's a big part of what we do offensively, comes explosive plays. But, also for us, it's how we scheme things up, scheme it up. We had some shots. We've gotten explosives from other guys besides Nico. We found a way to generate those. We like to generate more because we know explosives is how you score points.
The Texans haven't been able to get Jaylin Noel more involved despite his 4.39 speed. He has five catches for 101 yards on nine targets. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, acquired in a trade from the New England Patriots, has six catches for 79 yards on 10 targets.
Photo: Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
And Jared Wayne has just four catches for 65 yards on 12 targets and has had dropped passes, as has Hutchinson.
"I think like that's something that we're lacking right now is just explosives, and too many three-and-outs," Stroud said. "But I think that was key in that drive. Hutch made a heck of a grab. Boutte had a great catch, two of them. So, we’ve got to find a way to generate more explosives, I believe.”
What's wrong with the offense? No running game to speak of. And Stroud has already been sacked 10 times in three starts.
“Honestly, it could be a rolodex of things," Stroud said. "I can't really pinpoint it. I’ve got to watch the tape, but I just think we’ve got to be aggressive. We can't just wait to the end. But I believe that we can, if we find ways to generate more explosives and flip the field or just find points, like those are the type of games that we need to win. I thought we fought, but, at the same time, I think there's a lot of things that need to be fixed.”
There is concern that Texans Pro Bowl middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair could miss a home game against the Dallas Cowboys due to a painful groin injury suffered last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, per league sources.
And Al-Shaair didn't practice Wednesday, as expected.
Al-Shaair is a team captain and the emotional leader of the defense. He was in and out of the game during a 19-17 loss to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium and led the defense with 11 tackles despite playing through the injury. He was limited to 54 snaps, 76 percent of the defensive playing time, down from his usual 100 percent.
Al-Shaair, signed to a three-year, $54 million contract extension in the offseason, wasn't available for interviews after the game.
Should Al-Shaair miss the Cowboys game, he would likely be replaced by Jake Hansen as the green dot defensive signal caller. Hansen watched practice and had a bandage on his knee and a wrap on his other leg.
And rookie Wade Woodaz, a fourth-round draft pick from Clemson, would start this week. Woodaz allowed a touchdown pass to Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Al-Shaair, 29, is instrumental to the Texans defense as one of the hardest hitters in the National Football League. He leads the Texans with 31 tackles this season after leading the team last year with 103 tackles and intercepting two passes.
The Texans have been hit hard by injuries this year at linebacker Starting linebacker Henry To'oTo'o is on injured reserve with a two-month shoulder injury.
And third linebacker E.J. Speed tore his quadriceps tendon during a weight lifting session in the offseason, ending his season.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL insider for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790. His YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AaronWilsonSport