Charlie Heck is preparing to make his first start of the regular season with veteran right offensive tackle Marcus Cannon sidelined with a back injury.
Cannon hasn't practiced all week and is listed as questionable as he deals with a disc injury that is causing him discomfort, according to league source not authorized to speak publicly.
With Cannon injured after playing every snap during a 40-0 road loss to the Buffalo Bills, Heck has been operating as the Texans' first-team right tackle this week in practice and is preparing to make his starting debut this season Sunday against the New England Patriots.
A towering former fourth-round draft from North Carolina at 6-foot-8, 308 pounds and the son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck, Heck was called the most improved player on the roster by Texans coach David Culley during training camp.
“We have the next man up mentality," Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil said. "We just need to keep working and just next man up. Marcus is hurt but Charlie Heck is up this week so we got to worry about Charlie Heck and the rest of the line will get it done.”
Heck started one game and played in three as a rookie last season. This year, Heck looks like an entirely different player following a full offseason of training unlike last year during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic.
Heck tested positive for COVID-19 in September, opening the door for Cannon to become the starting right tackle for the first four games.
“You guys saw what Charlie did in the preseason, it’s nothing new," Tunsil said. "He just got COVID and you weren’t able to see him. That’s what it is but Charlie is going to get the job done, too.”
In other injury updates, wide receiver Danny Amendola is questionable with a hamstring injury after returning to practice this week on a limited basis. The Texans have some hope that he'll play Sunday against his former team. The Texans officially ruled out running back Rex Burkhead with a hip injury.
Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson (trade request, legal problems) was ruled out for non-injury reasons for the fifth consecutive game as nothing with his status has changed.
Beyond adjusting to Heck with Cannon expected to miss the game, the Texans' offensive line will face other serious issues Sunday against an elite pass rusher in Patriots defensive end Matt Judon.
The 6-foot-3, 275-pound former Baltimore Ravens fifth-round draft pick has 4 1/2 sacks and six tackles for losses with eight quarterback hits. Judon has 39 career sacks, 60 tackles for losses and 111 quarterback hits.
“I’ve been playing Judon since my rookie year and he’s improved every year," Judon said. "He’s a great pass rusher, great player, great run stopper. He’s a great player addition to the New England Patriots. We just got to stay consistent and shoot your hands, and, just do your job because everybody that’s on that line, not just him, but everybody that’s on that line is technically sound and they get things done.”
The Texans are coming off the most lopsided defeat in franchise history, even worse than the 45-7 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.
After the game, Texans coach David Culley tore into the team in the locker room following the lackluster performance.
“We went out there and didn’t give it our all," Tunsil said. "The score showed that, and he wasn’t proud of that. We really just got to leave that were that’s at. We put that in the past and we are focusing on the Patriots now. It’s really just being consistent. I go back to that.
"That is my theme, be more consistent. We have to be consistent with everything we do. We got to play complementary football, that’s what coach says, complementary football. If we do that,then it wouldn’t have been 40-0.”
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.
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